
The annual video game convention E3 is commonly associated with dark, gritty and seemingly cutting-edge reveals. Whilst many of these titles do in fact go on to be huge successes, the producer of Daemon X Machina, Kenichiro Tsukuda, is of the belief there's nothing particularly distinctive - from a visual standpoint - about a lot of game releases nowadays.
Speaking to Kotaku at this year's show, Kenichiro Tsukuda was happy to divulge what he thought while at the same time hoping players would appreciate Marvelous Entertainment's title for its colourful palette and stylised design:
These days a lot of games are starting to look a little similar...but we would [be] delighted if users appreciated something that stands out and looks a little different.
Outside of a 2019 release, Tsukuda didn't publicise much else beyond the basics in regards to the Switch-bound exclusive. When prompted, he did admit the game's uniqueness was inspired by team members' previous work on titles such as Monster Hunter Stories for the 3DS, and more evidently his own history with the Armored Core series.
Developing a game about mechs also appears to have Tsukuda questioning technology:
So I have this phone but I’m a little scared of whether I’m using it or it’s using me. Are we using machines or are we being used by them?
Do you think the Japanese producer has lost a bit of his sanity one year into the development cycle of Daemon X Machina, or does he raise some fair points about the visual similarities present within modern video games? Tell us below.
[source kotaku.com]
Comments 115
More and More older games are getting reboots and sequels that we havent see in years (like Battletoads, Soulcalibur, Devil May Cry.)besides the point. i do somewhat agree though.
some games like Call of Duty are adding things that we already see other games do (Battle Royal, for Example.)
so i cant denied that he's right. but newer ips are coming and making things a lot new in the gaming genre (Splatoon, Arms, Starlink, and this game.)
Honestly, I'd go one step further and say many of modern games look identical, especially when you keep in the same genre. People can bring in all the examples they want against the mold, but there's too many that feel the same.
Not even saying thats a bad thing. Red Dead Redemption looks just like any other open world Rockstar game, but it is the standout one because of story and character. At this points visuals are second fiddle, but is that so wrong? I do appreciate companies like Nintendo that do change it up, but in the end, visuals don't make the game.
After Smash Ultimate, this was my Game of E3. Uber hyped for this game, I love me some mech action.
I do agree. I've been saying this for a while about games. I never said they are bad or anything like that, but just that they do all look very similar as they are all trying to be hyper realistic.
He is definitely not wrong. Most developers use the same engine, most consumers/publishers expect the exact same look/quality/default offerings over and over again. This is why titles like Daemon X Machina or Ocotpath Traveller immediately stand out to me. Luckly indies devs have taken on the 'burden' of continue to break AAA trends with unique looking, unique playing experiences.
When I watched Microsoft's E3 presentation, there came a point where I couldn't distinguish one dark and gritty shooter from the next. So I wholeheartedly agree with this producer. There's still plenty of variety in the industry with games like Cuphead, Ori, Octopath, Dragon Quest, etc. But is there any true graphical visual distinction between this year's COD and the next? Or between Forza and The Crew 2? Just show anyone who hasn't played those games a screenshot from each and they'll barely notice any difference. Even the greatest 4K graphics and the biggest open worlds seem to come at the cost of creativity and distinction nowadays.
He is right, more and more games look the same, even on new generation systems !
MarioKart 8 Deluxe
Donkey kong Country Tropical Freeze
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
Bayonetta 2
Lego City Undercover
Hyrule Warriors
Pokken Tournament
Rayman Legends
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
I really see that they look the same as the ones we already have previously, it's so the same that it's like they are the sam... OH WAIT !
Yes they look the same. Why Develop a game engine when you can licence one cheaper
Honestly, this is the only game that has me interested out of this year's E3 and I hope it's good! Assault Gunners won't be enough for my mech fix
Not too sure about this, but the hardcore community is going to love it.
@subpopz
I think the same way as you do and even since the PS360 period...
Grey, brown, green khaki... :/
And like you said, Kingdom Battle was A JOY to see ! Thanks Ubi !
Gaming today is like Hollywood - very little innovativity just remakes, remasters and sequels. This guy is 100% right.
I'm upset that this game didnt get that much attention at E3 because of smash. This is literally the mech game I've been dreaming of for awhile. Hope it sells well so we can get more!
The Switch does not have enough AAA games to make a judgement. But the indi games 'are' all the same. OK you get one now and again that stands out like Hollow Knight, but most just blend into a mass of sameness. Similar to mobile phone games.
I was really excited to see this at the start of the direct, then I found out who was making it and I went sad lol I hope to hell this game is awesome and not another crap mech game
Without question. And for a medium that allow unparalleled creativity this shouldn't be the case.
That goes without saying
I agree wholeheartedly when it comes to so-called AAA games.
It's one of the reasons why I primarily buy indie games.
@Equinox Do you always have to get political?
Regardless of a news outlets beliefs or leanings, all of them should have the equal opportunity to cover a story. If you dislike certain biases then you should have no problem avoiding or discerning them for yourself. It's not like you lack biases in your own beliefs.
I agree and I'm sick of it. Most modern games look like they are made using auto-desk and look muddy and boring.
@Majora101
"Opinions aside, Kotaku is SJW central".
You literally just gave your opinion. That being said, Kotaku sounds like my kind of place. I see more people crying about SJWs than I see SJWs crying about social justice.
@Majora101
It isn't factual. Unless the majority of Kotaku frequenters and journalists label themselves as "SJWs" (which is the dumbest insult I've heard in a while. Seriously, it's wrong to want people to be nice?), you are assuming and labeling people things because of your own biased, subjective opinion. Learn the difference between subjective and objective, my good friend.
@Majora101
I mean, if you're going to make yourself look idiotic by throwing around the term "SJW" like a lonely 14 year-old, claim that your silly opinions are factual, and then continue to act like a child instead of building a solid argument to defend your statements, by all means.
Which alternative Universe Polygon, Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun aren't Social Justice biased... These outlets are like borg (Star Trek) or like every Law Ending of Shin Megami Tensei
He raises some fair points
@Alex90 What makes you think these sites are sjw? please elaborate
@Zoda_Fett Amen!
Yep -They all look the same - like every random Pixel Art Indie game. It is a cookie cut flood.
Also, it probably a cold day in Hell when Nintendo makes a game that does not have some sort of cartoony graphics on Switch.
@SoObsolete
Yeah, I definitely second that. I have been saying the same for years myself. The canvas for ideas, experiments & imagination as far as videogames is too vast IMO to be pigeon holed & stifled by such apathy & lacking creativity.
@subpopz I feel like this happens in the indie scene more than anything. There are countless "pixel art" games that all seem to have the same exact art style.
Okay but his game looks bad so what’s his point here?
@zool
Yeah, but this guy isn't just some random person on the internet or some troll, zealot fanboy or something with an agenda. So I dunno what the Switch's library has to do with the price of tea in china. This is a guy who's actually been in the industry for quite a bit, who's assuredly worked with diverse talent & devs from all corners of the globe, has seen the work proces play out, the ideas thrown back & forth, and been hands/eyes on knowning about a lot of these projects (like how they're coming along conceptually, asset wise & more) well before we get a sniff. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure he's worked on projects for other platforms as well. Which is why I was trying to find a correlation between his opinion and the Switch's library.
In any case,he certainly lends a bit more credence with his opinion & insight than the average joe. And even then, there is a cross roads where the average Joe and the devis working in the industry can meet and agree on some things. And on this particular instance, I certainly agree & get where he's coming from
It's not even about how they look. A lot of these open world AAA games play the same. I am bored of them.
@gameboy1975 we can agree, or not, regardless of who he is, and after all its only opinions. I don't understand how the tea in China comment relates.
Well the guy does have a point... From Indies to AAA games, the more 'realistic' the more they look the same. And the more 8, 16 bit games, the more the same.
Character and Story is what helps things stand out.
Having games look the same isn't bad, visuals isn't everything, don't judge the book by its cover, but what it contains.
The ironic thing is... To me, THIS game looks like so many others.
@sketchturner
The game looks like the Switch is so underpowered that the only way to hide that is to use that old good technique of Cell Shading + low poly 3D models. Sad but true...
I think that this a superficial statement, though it is not necessarily wrong. The question is - to me - whether this is a problem or not. Most movies do look rather similar. How many movies after all go for a Sin City aesthetic or say A Scanner Darkly? Hell, there are barely any hand-drawn animation movies any more, as almost everyone has moved on to 3D animation, which always looks rather samey and live-action movies are postively overloaded with CGI that tends to kill all sense of unique visual flavor (I'm still aghast that someone felt like greenlighting Justic League to be honest).
It's also true that a movies appeal, even it's visual appeal, consists of much more than its looks. Things like editing mattera great deal, too. Plus, despite all the similarities, no one is going to mistake The Incredibles 2 for Infinity War anytime soon
Equally, a games presentation is made up from more than it looks, and while many games have similar aesthetics, there are still several borad spectrums ranging from hyper-realisim to Nintendo's own trademark of low-def cartoon visuals to pixel-art and even a few hand-drawn ones (PoE, Battle Chef Brigade etc.).
While I appreciate somethinf "different", I feel that differnet is not beneficial or worthy of praise in and off itself. It has to serve a purpose, provide a benefit, argument the underlining artistic intent in some fashion ... that's really where many games struggle in my experience.
At the very least, I for one take more issues with how similar many games tend to play these days (that includes the 100000th retro pixel-art platformer btw, not just the next Assassins Creed and it's many structural clones). I'm looking forward to what Tsukuda has up his sleeve with this one. It looks compelling, but frankly, this low-detail, over-saturated, high contrast imagery with rather simple modells and world geometry ... it can grow boring rather quickly, and it's not exactly new or fresh either. We'll see, again he is not wrong, but it's not like I he has any answers here - just a legitimate observation.
I tend to buy more and more indies these days, personally I've grown bored of the photo realistic games that all look and play the same the Switch has become my go to for gaming and it is because of all the indie titles Nintendo has embraced with their newest system and the great thing is the Switch is the perfect platform for them it's a match made in heaven.
@Cobalt buddy did you take your meds this morning? im pretty sure he's talking about shooters and the such. maybe you meant something else and im misunderstanding something, but by the looks of your comment, its hard to tell
I'm fine with the style and art the game is taking
@gameboy1975 Exactly. Again not saying all these games are bad, just why do they all have to look pretty much the same. A great art style will live longer imo. I don't know but I feel it's because people want to use games as an escape from reality. But need it to be as close to reality as possible. Again my opinion. I've asked this question after E3 to some friends about if a non gamer or casual would be able to really tell the difference anymore between the games shown. I don't know, maybe it's just me. Lol
So they took Rez or Auto modelista and call themselves unique? That's just great..
I wish them great luck. Fact is this is mech game 346893257.
They have the luck being shown at a Nintendo conference as exclusive so fans will buy it, but unique?? they're not..
@Cobalt I love you.
He's right, watching Sony's E3, almost every game they showed was a dark themed, open world-ish looking game that was heavily scripted. Which isn't bad, because even their Samurai game looks decent, but some variety would be nice.
Obviously Mech games aren't new, but they haven't been THAT common since the GC/PS2/Xbox era really. Kinda how like Star Link feels like a breath of fresh air,especially from Ubisoft.
@boop22
If beers are meds, I took only one med then !
What I was trying to say was that it's so easy to make an interview and say "The majority of today's games looks the same THAT'S WHY WE HAVE CHOSEN a different visual for our game ! " when in reality it's more an easier solution to make that game runs on the system.
It's like BOTW ( That I love ) the low poly 3D models + cell shading was a choice of reason... They couldn't achieve what they did otherwise...
@koekiemonster
I love you too !
He's right, and it's depressing.
A bit ironic, considering my initial reaction to Daemon X Machina when it was shown at E3 was that it was some kind of Xenoblade Chronicles X sequel.
Most AAA games go for the photorealistic look, so yeah, they end up looking very similar. By the same token, pixel-based indie games can blend together after a while.
This is not something that necessarily puts me off all that much, at least until along comes something as unique as Octopath Traveler. Then I'm reminded that I do vastly prefer graphics that go for a unique art direction, and wish more devs had that mindset.
@Not_Soos
I had the same thought actually!
Even so, two games can look similar, but I think the point he's making is not toward one or two similar looking games, but an entirely homogenized industry, where 100-200 different games in 3 dozen different genres all look the same.
@BensonUii
Um, hello. Fire Emblem Three Houses!
Don't worry, I know you meant besides Daemon X Machina and Fire Emblem. Mistakes happen 😁
@Cobalt
The Daemon X Machina producer complaining about games being too homogeneous and Nintendo porting Wii U games to the Switch are pretty much completely unrelated.
But since you've been bashing Nintendo's every move on almost every article on this site, I'm not surprised you somehow managed to make that connection.
@westman98
I agree. I can list 50 or 60 or 70 PS3 ports on the PS4. But that has absolutely nothing to do with what the producer was talking about. As you have astutely noted the producer was referring to the homogeneity of the industry at large, not half a dozen games that only looks similar because they were ported from another console. If you could cherry pick any game in that list and compare it to other games in the industry and find that they barely look any different whatsoever, then there would be a valid point to make
@Cobalt
The Switch IS underpowered. It's a portable console so naturally it's going to be less powerful... that said it's the most powerful portable gaming device ever released in the history of video games so there's that.
Why would it be sad that it has less power? That's like saying it's sad that a car has less power than a fighter jet. It's not sad it's just a different tool which serves a different purpose and it serves that purpose extremely well. Switch finds a very happy middle ground where I can actually run console games on the go but still produce good looking games on the television. There is absolutely nothing sad about that.
And there's nothing wrong with cel shaded games either. It's a great art style and can hold water against the most realistic games in the industry. And I'm sure it is hiding the lower power of the Switch because clearly the Switch is less powerful (due to being a different type of device which serves a different purpose) and it's not going to run photo realistic games, so obviously you're going to want to use an art style that caters to the device's capabilities. What I don't understand is why you would think that's "sad"? That's smart, that's what it is.
@koekiemonster
Nobody said anything about "unique". Absolutely nothing in this entire industry is "unique". So that word is wasted breath. He said the game stands out, and it most certainly does. There can be other mech games, but there aren't nearly as many as there are other games in the industry. In fact it's probably fractions of a single percent compared to all the other types of games out there, even if you're counting the Japanese ones.
This is more like, mech game number 4 or 5? In terms of western releases all generation long across all 3 platforms. And it looks different than every other one of them. And it most definitely plays differently, given that this is basically a cross between Xenoblade X and Monster Hunter.
@westman98
It was to make a parallel between his complain (that is totally justified) and my own (justified too).
He complain because the games of today look the same.
I complain because the games of today are the same.
It was sarcastic sort of...
@JaxonH
Now it's portable ? I thought it was a home console that you can bring everywhere ?
I quote Reggie : "“Nintendo Switch is a home console you can play anywhere, with anyone. Clear. Compelling. We see the reaction by consumers whether it’s measured in Twitter trending topics or views of videos on YouTube or just the frequency with which I get called by old high school buddies that I haven’t heard from in 30 years who are asking me how to get their hands on Nintendo Switch. We have communicated the proposition clearly and it is compelling."
Strange isn't it ?
@Cobalt
Ports are supposed to be the same as/very similar to the originals. That's why they are called ports.
vs
The Daemon X Machina producer is complaining that games which are supposed to look/play differently end up looking/playing the same or too similarly.
That's a big difference.
90%of modern games look identical, with different characters and slightly different environments.
@westman98
I know that but like I said previously, it was sarcastic from me to use his complain "to play with" and make a rebound on games that look the same because they are the same !
@Cobalt
console that you can bring everywhere
Pretty sure that's what portable console means, unless I'm missing the definition here somewhere or we're speaking different languages.
@JaxonH
Do you read ?
I quote Reggie : "“NINTENDO SWITCH IS A HOME CONSOLE you can play anywhere, with anyone. Clear. Compelling."
@JaxonH
I genuinely can't believe someone think a device that "you can play anywhere" isn't the same as a device that is portable.
@Cobalt
Do you understand 6th grade vocabulary?
can play anywhere -Reggie
And you ACCOMPLISH THIS THANKS TO IT BEING PORTABLE.
Are you seriously trying to argue a portable console isn't portable? Really guy? Do you understand what portable means? I don't give a crap what Reggie says, if the ****** console can be taken with you, then it's portable.
Perhaps you want to argue the sky isn't blue? After all, "Reggie says the sky is a backdrop of beauty" and clearly he didn't say it was blue, so it's not blue.
@westman98
Lol Ikr!!!
This guy's a clown! "Reggie says it's a home console you can play anywhere" therefore it's not portable.
Lol lol wtf do you even say to something like that.
My mom says pizza is very tasty and delicious therefore it's not food
DO YOU READ???
@JaxonH
No, no, no.
The Switch is not sold as a portable device that you can plug on your TV (I mean in the US and EU because Nintendo sell the Switch like that in Japan) BUT as a HOME CONSOLE that you can play everywhere.
Probably it's the same for you but try to analyze how Nintendo sells its machine according to different places in the world.
And by the way, try to understand by yourself WHY Nintendo is doing that...
this is easily the coolest looking game on my radar, cannot wait, would appreciate more hype too! pew pew
I say the exact same thing about anime and Japanese games.
Though I agree! Pokémon Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu sure does look like BGE2 and Tetris VR... Ahem.
I know what he means, but he is being a little pretentious and hypocritical. His game isn't exactly groundbreaking, from an artistic perspective. A lot of games look the same because of realism. If you have 10 games that are going for that asthetic they will look slightly similar. As for games that are stylised all looking the same... I think Limbo, Little Nightmares, Cuphead, Child of Light, etc all look very different. Compared to the 32-bit era where everything did look the same... (Rayman, spyro, crash, gex 3D, conkers, etc)
But if we take say... Battle royal. We have PUBG, Fortnite and Realm Royale. 3 games that look different in art style. However the huds will be similar. This is because it's a game and lots of research has been put into UI. This is because it's a science. It's intuitive. On every phone the clock is at the top and the keyboard comes up from the bottom. They all follow a set layout. Same as UI in games. If every game was different, every game would have a steeper learning curve. We expect in a shooting game that one trigger aims down the irons, and the other shoots. We expect whilest driving that one is accelerate and the other is brake. That is how it is.
And yes this does change over time. One game might buck a trend and change the landscape... But it doesn't happen often. And usually that only relates to player feedback, such as being shot in a game. And to give a player as much of the screen as possible, so the UI should be as minimalistic as possible.
That is my belief anyways. And what I got taught. Though I think this dude saying all this is simply to sell his game. To get free press whilst at the same time rubbishing most other games, trying to sound like he is a Messiah or prophet for creativity. He just seems a bit of an idiot.
@JaxonH I think Cobalt is my new least favorite troll around here. At least when Irish and the other dude were here they were very open and clear about their dislike. This guy just backtracks and points out his emoji's like he's making a joke.
Actually, I think that was kinda true last gen, but it's becoming much less so this gen--hugely popular games like Overwatch and Fortnite have made people more appreciative of comicy/cartoony visuals again (much like how pretty much all the classic arcade 2D console and arcade games used to look)--and I'm very, very happy about that. I hope we see a lot more games with that classic comicky/cartoony look personally.
@ieatdragonz
I agree!!! When you look at Fortnite and PUBG they are identical!!! :/ Same as Street Fighter and Soul Blade... And it annoys me how Borderlands and Left4Dead look the exact same... :/
No, but I do get you. It's like open world adventures. It annoyed me how much BOTW looked like Assassin's Creed Syndicate. And more annoying that Quake Champions looks frame for frame, tri for tri, like Overwatch and Siege. :/
Look, maybe you are new to gaming. But this has always been the same. ALWAYS. There has always been games to jump on a bandwagon. This guy has even made a game himself that does that!!! I mean it's hardly original... Even the name is generic.
But when you mention COD... You mean like WW2 game looking like... Well world war 2... That is like saying all racing Sims look the same... Yes, that is because they are going for realism...
I think you need to consider the logic here. Battlefield and COD will share many similarities because they are trying to recreate real life... But to say they are all the same is ... Well... Dumb. Look at fighting games. Injustice is different in look to street fighter which looks different to Soul Calibre which all look different to Smash.
But if we are going down this route, please tell me how a game that is the same as every mech game since the N64 is any different? Like seriously. These games were 10 a penny in arcades 8 years ago. And the art style was especially en vogue.
@Cobalt
???
I don't care what Nintendo "sells it as". They can sell a doughnut as a lawnmower for all I care, it doesn't make it any less a food. The Switch is portable. That's just a fact. Doesn't matter what Reggie says and it doesn't matter with Nintendo sells it as, it's portable.
But irrespective of that fact, they DO market it and sell it as a portable console (hence why you can take it anywhere). Portability is what makes it possible to take anywhere. There is no argument here whatsoever. It's a portable console no matter what you call it or they call it or they sell it as or you buy it as. They could sell it as a stick of butter, but it doesn't change the fact it's a portable console. But they aren't selling it as a stick of butter they are selling it as exactly what it is- a console. That's portable aka can take with you anywhere (because, ya know, ITS PORTABLE).
I came here for interesting discussion but when you start going off on indefensible tangents like this it ruins your credibility
@premko1
You are so right. Let's go back to the PlayStation days with no remakes or sequels... Ahem... Pitfall, pacman, bomberman, final fantasy, mortal Kombat... And on the 16 bit systems there certainly wasn't games such as final fantasy 6... Or a ton of Street Fighter games... Ahem... Or R Type... Or Alien Breed... And it's not as though there were a million versions of Mario or Sonic.
But you are right. Reboots do suck. Look at Doom and Tomb Raider. Destiny and No Man's Sky were so much better. And who the hell liked Metal Gear Solid... They shouldnt have continued the series. Same as Final Fantasy and Tekken. They should have left it at one. And resident evil.. well it should have ended with 2... Or at least ended before they removed the amazing tank controls. I mean RE: Biohazard is such an ugly, badly designed game. It shows such a lack of creativity to create something fresh whilst confined to a brief. It doesn't show amazing skill. We all know that it is harder to build a house when you can build anywhere. It is easier when you are forced to fit a certain plot.
I loved your comment. It made my night. I totally agree with you that sequels are lazy and that games like Witcher 3, GTA 5, Resident Evil 6, Mario Odyssey, BOTW, Farcry 5 and Final Fantasy 15 are all terrible. LOL.
@Indielink Yeah I miss Irish compared to this guy. And I didn't like Irish haha
@Indielink @itslukec
plot twist It's our boy Sligs masquerading under a new username 😁
It’s not just about looking the same. Many of the games play similar and are not well-designed. Games like Uncharted should be panned like movies like Transformers are but instead they are lauded.
@Cobalt Seriously? Why do you have to derail every freaking thread with this pointless drivel? Who the hell wants to spend half of every flipping Switch thread arguing with trolls about whether the Switch is a portable, or a console, or a left-handed teapot? It's a Switch. It does a lot of things and most of us like it. And guess what, more people like it and all of its ports than ever liked the Wii U. Every Switch port of a Wii U game has already sold more than it sold over its lifetime on Wii U. And those numbers will only go up.
Nothing you post here will change that. All you are doing is irritating people, including many people who actually owned and loved the Wii U as much as you, but are willing to live in the present and accept that Nintendo has moved on to a new thing instead of incessantly whining about how great things were in the good old days.
Really, isn't there some community of Wii U diehards you'd much rather be part of, so that the rest of us can get on with playing and talking about THIS generation's device?
Don't get me wrong I agree with this but at the same time there businesses and if there making good money and selling millions of copies who can blame them for making them?? There's clearly a market that want these games and its profitable. If people don't like these gritty realistic shooters there are plenty of alternatives. The gaming world is big enough for everyone to find something that appeals to them.
@JasmineDragon
I LOVE MY WII Us ! What are you talking about ?
I have 5 Wii Us and more than 100 games on it and all the collector editions on the system...
RIDICULOUS !
Visually love how daemon x machina looks, but the gameplay doesn’t look very complex. A lot of it looks like a shmup- going left or right and avoiding billets. Or another part where it’s up down left and right when its flying.
He is definitely right when it comes to the Japanese industry. And in that matter not only games. Here in japan the whole entertainment industry is just degrading. It is just about punching out as much content with cute girls or girls with big boobs as possible.
Even my wife feels kind of embarrassed to be Japanese for that matter.
But I feel soon the tides may be changing again, especially because of people like him coming out and accepting the problem.
Am I the only person who DOESN'T like the look of Daemon X Machina?
Then again, I didn't really like the look of Skyward Sword or the character artstyle of BotW (background and scenery were ok). Played both, of course, but I wasn't in love with the visuals as much as I could've been if they had been less "flat".
If you DO like DXM, that's totally fine and I'm glad you have a game that visually appeals to you... I just wanted to rock the assumption that "different" = "preferred by most". Sometimes there's being different just for the sake of being different, which isn't always a good thing. Then I think sometimes devs champion and spin a simpler artstyle as "better" because it's "different" when really it was just easier for them to put less effort into the textures and models that way.
I don't even really know what is meant by any of that anyhow. Software is a slave to the hardware that it runs on in any era. All NES games looked the same, all Playstation 1 games looked the same.
I don't know what he was supposedly getting at, if only the article's author had done a better job showing us what was said rather than a single sound bite.
Based on what they did provide, all I can say is, his game looks like a lot of games these days too, what what is he actually saying that makes his game special visually? I don't know, it is painting with broad strokes. Now, is the genre of the game uncommon? Yes, and I think that is far more important as well as the gameplay.
These days the tech is so powerful that we can play big AAA games on a portable, super thin piece of tech. Visuals are now a topic of diminishing returns, and most people don't give a poop anymore like they did during the entrenched console war days when graphical improvements came along with how much a game could actually do. These days, that isn't a real issue.
Outside of being able to render something on the level of true photorealism in real time with a legitimate city full of people and no loading screens, I don't really care. Just make a good game.
When more and more games are going for the "realistic" style of graphics, it's bound to happen.
That's why I can'f stand most "AAA" games. Same gameplay and looks slightly more like but will never be close to real life.
Without a doubt. Many mainstream games are similar and then the new entries into a series do no innovation whatsoever. It's like cut and paste.
@NintyNate What's wrong with who is making it? Marvelous Entertainment have put out some fantastic games in the past, Murumasa, Little Kings Story, No more Heroes.... Then the game itself is being developed by the same guys who made the Armoured Core series, some of which are regarded as the best mech games ever made. Mech games are pretty niche though, so even though they were published by Fromsoftware they were likely made with a limited budget. Daemon X Machina however has Nintendo's support financially and from a technical standpoint. This should mean the developers are finally able to use their experience to make the game they've always wanted to make. For a big budget mech game there is probably no one better out there to be making it than these guys so I don't understand why you would think otherwise.
@JaxonH Sligs for all his Nintendo bashing actually had common sense and was clearly not daft unlike this clown @Cobalt who contradicts himself, makes stuff up and often doesn't even make sense. Sligs at least was clear and consistent, whether we agreed with him or not.
I have to agree here. I really like the visual style they are going for. It would look boring if they went for the same graphic style most devs use these days.
Leave it to the trolls to ruin anything nice. I've got a great idea. Im going to go to a Nintendo fan site and literally pee and poo on top of every news story posted. I believe this guy also claims to be some 40ish "grown man" that needs trolling to bring him sad satisfaction. Take it somewhere else sir its old
@OorWullie
You're wrong.
It doesn't make sense for people like you because you're not able to understand. This is different !
You know, I don't understand why someone with another point of view has to be treated like you do... It shows from my perspective a huge weakness deep inside of you.
Hope you're gonna be stronger in the future because you tend to let your emotions run rampant. Probably a question of age, dunno...
I wouldn't argue with him, I've been sick to death of the anime style character design that has been everywhere in games for the last 5 or 6 years.
@Cobalt Chiming in! In case you haven't noticed, your comments/posts here aren't exactly met with positive reception. You've been here one month and are already an established Nintendo-basher . . . on a Nintendo fan site. Maybe put that in perspective before you intimate generalities about others.
Remember: You're free to your own opinions, but you aren't free from consequences. If you have a problem with that—regardless of age—you're a baby.
Further, I have something to say about your comments. Almost everything you said here is bullpoop. /ToS
Have a nice day.
@JTMnM
So, when I say :
_ I love Kingdom Battle, what is it ?
_ I love my Wii Us, what is it ?
_ I love Xenoblade X, what is it ?
_ I love the concept of the Switch, what is it ?
_ I love Zelda Breath of the Wild, what is it ?
etc...etc...
The reality is that when I don't like something from Nintendo that's bashing ! And when I like something about Nintendo, it's forgotten !
I'm sorry to say WHAT I THINK if it hurts the blind fanboys who think that it's great to :
_ have zillion ports from the Wii U to the Switch
_ have sub versions of multiplats
_ have to pay for an Online service that was always free
_ have to pay a "the Switch fee" on multiplats games
_ have a game like Xeno2 totally unfinished at launch
etc...etc...
That's crazy how a lot of people just cannot imagine that Nintendo does great stuffs sometimes and bad stuffs too...
It's like Nintendo will launch a brand new toilet paper with a Mario logo, a majority of people here will cry of joy, explaining how fantastic it is... o_O
I'm sorry, I have my vision, I don't ask anybody to be on my line but I don't wanna be a "Nintendrone".
When I like something I really like it, when I don't...
Different is NOT always good.
LABO proved that.
@OorWullie sorry but the games you listed like NMH are just meh... None of their games are my cup of tea, I meant it from my view... Armoured core games are good... I just want the Switch to have a stellar line up coz atm it's crap
He’s right. And it’s not just “gritty shooters” that share this problem, if you can call it that. Look how much a game like Persona 5 (or Octopath Traveler, if we are sticking with Nintendo) stands out next to every other jrpg of the gen visually-speaking.
@Cobalt I must say I do regret the "clown" part.I try not to stoop to that level so my apologies for saying that. Other than that though I don't agree with most of the stuff you say on here but that's fine.
@Equinox what's wrong with social justice? Are you in favour of injustice?
@OorWullie
You don't have to apologize dude.
It's OK, I swear !
I'm cool with it and guess what... I think that actually I can be a clown sometimes ! LOL
@Cobalt Man, you really have got a gift for alienating people against you with your comments.
I’m completely sure that you don’t do it on purpose, but the way you write it (even more that what you actually write) makes people react in a negative way. I think you should try and write with a less aggressive tone or try to be a little bit more diplomatic. I don’t know... it’s hard, I guess, but much better than making a comment and getting lots of angry responses... Being part of a community means that opposing opinions are going to happen, but knowing when to retract or stop is required to keep the community healthy.
About your argument with @JaxonH about Switch being a portable or a console... I must agree with JaxonH here so I have a question for you: does being a console prevent it from being portable? Or being portable stops it from acting like any other console? Switch is both and the same.
Presenting it as a console that you can take on the go or as a portable that you can plug into a TV is saying exactly the same thing in a different way.
It’s like trying to argue that 1+2 is different than 2+1... Meaningless semantics.
@maruse
And to expound on what you just said, I never claimed "it's a handheld not a console" which is seemingly what he was arguing against. I simply described it with an adjective- that adjective being "portable", which describes a fundamental attribute of the system.
Whether it's a "handheld not a console" or a "console not a handheld" is completely irrelevant to what I said. Because regardless of which side of the fence you fall on, it IS IN FACT PORTABLE. That's indisputable. That's written in stone. It IS portable. You can say it's a portable handheld, or you can say it's a portable console, I really dont care.
But one thing is certain- Switch. Is. Portable.
Of course they do look very similar. Is this something caused by gamers that buys the same type of games or because the industry can’t deliver freshness? For sure innovating has a high risk but, and I agreee with many above, if your new IP is good or great, immediately stands out! These few games will be rebooted or have and Ultimate Edition relaunch in 2030’s platforms 😂
A lot of indie games look the same
Not only do I not agree with that statement, I would moreso say that every single indie developer that creates a game in the "16-bit retro" look just to try to stand out has worn very thin over the past few years.
Totally agree with this guy and his game looks cool.
Everything has become so focused on cutting edge visual detail, that it has all become rather boring.
I played gears of war 4..... meh.
I played Star Wars battlefront 2.... meh.
I played Octopath Traveller.... actually looks very interesting visually and there’s a lot artistry gone into it. It looks different, it looks interesting.
Daemon X Machine falls into the latter and actually looks quite cool. Reminds me a little of Zone if the Enders, but better
Rather play God of War than some special indie pixel rainbow game.
I think if you’re just looking at the generic AAA mainstream market yeah it’s all very smart. But most forms of art and entertainment work that way. Where things are played safe because getting money out of middle of the road punters is the only motivation by definition things have to be bland.
However across the whole industry it’s impossible to agree. Once you factor in Japanese games, Nintendo’s output and of course the wild ideas coming from he indie sector the industry has never had a more varied range of games.
@ieatdragonz Why the majority of stuff I play is indie. It's about the only place these days you get real innovation and risk-taking... now I do understand why that is but that doesn't make it any different.
I'd say the main problem isn't the look - it's the genres. I'd like to hear about games that can't be categorised as the usual suspects of Action RPG or Turn-based or "action-adventure' because they are doing there own thing and trying to break the convention of how their game is fundamentally structured. There must be new way's for telling stories in the video game market that are not retreading the same genres - but it feels like a lot of dev's actually start working on games to fit into one of those categories. When the first games started appearing no one was thinking about genres - they were just making their game and we need more of that far more that the visual aspect.
"..he is WRONG.." and all those comments. Come on, he's a game developer. He knows the HECK what he's talking about, lol!
Don't argue with those devs.
Zip.
Looks like a cell shaded, higher speed Armoured Core. Could be good, but many (most, if I'm being honest) mech games are pretty weak. We shall see. I certainly share the dev's sentiment about samey visuals though. Nice to see something different.
There seem to be three school of thought: gritty realistic, like Battlefields and Ubisoft open world games; post-WoW and TF2 cartoony and wacky, like Fortnite, Overwatch etc; and Japanese take on gritty with a bit of wild and manga, like Bayonetta, DMC series or Metal Gear Rising.
Gotta agree that Demon X Machina was one of the most visually striking games there. The only thing more memorable than it visually was Sable, for how perfectly it catches European comic book art.
He's right in my honest opinion.
I'm all about the Kawamori designs... hence my Avatar.
I play video games to experience other worlds, not ours. Photorealistic games are boring to me, since they lack creativity. I'm picking this game up since Mechs are awesome. In case you couldn't tell by my profile picture.
In the immediate present, I'd say it's not too bad. But a few years back when COD-alikes were king it was noticeable.
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