Why is my UT so pretty?

videolamer | December 13, 2007 | Blog | PC

Why does Unreal Tournament 3 look so beautiful and should it? Stopping to enjoy the scenery in a twitch FPS generally leads to quick deaths, so resources may have been better used elsewhere.

There is one point at which I am confused, though: the visual presentation is absolutely stunning. I run this hot-ware at crazy resolution with all bells and respective whistles, each an every one, turned up to ‘holy shit’. I am getting the complete package and it is an amazing package indeed. You’ve got your bump maps, your moving brushes, your HDR and bloom overuse, your colorful textures and about ninety-thousand-billion times the triangles crunched per second than the game’s software rendered ancestor(s) and it shows. But why?

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Comments

0 thumbs!
Moonrise | December 13, 2007

Well it's simple, really: Graphics matter. To people these days, graphics have essentially taken a step to become equal with gameplay when it comes to overall quality of games.

There's also the fact that, well, they did it because they could.
- 0 thumbs!
  Rinkydink | December 13, 2007
  
  Urgh, graphics will never be as important as gameplay to me for games, though still an important factor nevertheless.
  
  He's right though, graphics sell games. Screenshots sell games. It's a shame that so many people will buy a game due to seeing it with impressive graphics in previews, then when it comes to playing the game itself the person realises that the gameplay totally lacks. Not the case though with Unreal Tournament, since it plays like a charm as a whole.
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timberwolf120 | December 13, 2007

I think graphics are important too.

But since most of the top companies put a lot of work into the graphics, I don't have to worry. So when I choose my game, I only have to worry about gameplay because that is where you see the major differences between games.

So that is why I picked up CoD4 over Quake Wars. I personally like the fact that there aren't any vehicles in the game. I also liked the single player and the unlockables in multiplayer.
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  Guugley | December 13, 2007
  
  Nah, not all of the latest games have decent graphics. Sure, most do but not all. They play a big part in my opinion.
  Lol cool.
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Revenger of Wastelan | December 13, 2007

Because Unreal Tournament 3 is simply a great game with stunning graphics.
-1 thumbs!
Final Blade | December 13, 2007

This guy wants to bone his UT PC game Wow he sure has some free time on his hands.

Anyway games like FF and UT always had great gameplay so the graphics plays a huge role on getting the game.
True not all games this gen had that mind blowing graphics but they were still freaking beautiful imo. Graphics does plays a major role for games to some players, like my self. I mean thats why im getting games that i haven't played there genre for 10 years. GT5, UT, CoD4, etc. Next gen to me is for the beauty of game since games story is like a movie and while im playing i like watching that sick ass graphics that comes with it, especially in HD. Though this is my personal taste im not denying the gameplay also plays a big role, but i feel you can't have one without the other this gen. What good is having kickass gameplay this gen while the graphics are no better than the PS1 days, it would just not feel right.

Great article though.
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iLLmatic | December 14, 2007

videolamer. how appropriate.
-1 thumbs!
Roxas Rules | December 14, 2007

I agree with rinkydink123's post. There's more to a game than just it's graphics.
1 thumbs!
Seproth | December 14, 2007

Here's the formula.

Graphics first-it gets the game noticed
Gameplay second-it makes the game fun
Story should be the reason you make the game(save for unreal/battlefield games which are online fun fests)-to make the game truly great.

Having said that. Why not just enjoy the graphics? Unless you have a complaint then just let it be.