Are you kidding me with these graphics?

Because this is absolutely ridicilous.
When is TTG going to learn and actually implement some proper graphics and animations into their games?
While this style of graphics is too cartoony and doesn't fit the L&O genre at all but I wouldn't mind that so much if Telltale would just take the graphics aspect somewhat seriously.

Look at Jurassic Park: Good characters, good story. But the graphics look like they were, and they probably were, done by amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives.
My 5-year old niece could have done a better job in that department. The character animations as a whole, body language, movement, lip synch and
facial expressions of emotions is completely unrealistic and it is actually done so poorly that it makes it impossible to get immersed into the game world. BTTF was the same, no effort whatsoever put into animations and thus, no entertainment value.

And so far L&O seems poised to do exactly the same mistakes that BTTF and JP did because there is no indication that L&O will be any better. It's too rough around the edges and with the graphics style they've chosen to use they've effectively destroyed the game before it's even released. I'm still hoping to be proven wrong, but somehow I have my doubts.

If they are not going to bother to work with the graphics and animations, then I'm not going to bother with paying money for the game. It really is that simple. The graphics aspect is so important in a computer game that in many cases, it determines whether it becomes a success
or failure. And it is one of the most contributing factors to replay value and how drawn you as a player get into the game.
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Comments

  • edited December 2011
    One thing I found weird about the graphics is Jack McCoy looks airbrsuhed and wrinkle free.
  • edited December 2011
    Ribs wrote: »

    That link has no relevance to what I just said. All I've done is state my opinion, which, as you might recall, is the entire point of having a public discussion forum to begin with.
  • edited December 2011
    The cell shading simply doesn't look right in my opinion. I have nothing against cartoon graphics personally, but these graphics look like a poorly made TF2 lightwarp mod. I don't usually complain, but I just really dislike these graphics.
  • edited December 2011
    Caeska... curious... do you smash all your old games that no longer have state of the art, $100,000,000 development stages?

    What about games like ZORK that is still considered by serious gamers to be an excellent game.. that has no graphics at all? Or how do you explain Minecraft's popularity?

    While I agree presentation is important in most cases, I disagree that if the games visuals are not the best on the market that its automatically a horrible game.

    Also your five year old niece sounds amazing I cant wait to play her game...
  • edited December 2011
    His point is valid still. The game's footage from the trailer has the art style that does seem too cartoon/TF2 for what Law and Order is. If it was the same game with a different name, an original IP, then the style may fit. As is, it doesn't fit the tone of the show.
    The animations for almost all Telltale games, in my eyes, are the same for the most part. There are some new animations but the main few animations have been there forever. BTTF:TG suffered for it's lack of animations, the characters just seemed to act like a bad actor who didn't know how to convey the emotion correctly. This is mainly for dialogue though, outside of conversation animations are much more varied and fluid. Although this does make the static talking animations look more obviously odd.
    The art style is still only one piece of the game, the gameplay might be brilliant but opinions right now are on what the trailers show us. Don't judge a game on graphics, judge it on the gameplay and entertainment you will get from playing it.
    Btw, don't hate someone to give opinions. Offending actual, just, criticism won't help anyone.
  • edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    That link has no relevance to what I just said. All I've done is state my opinion, which, as you might recall, is the entire point of having a public discussion forum to begin with.

    I think the game has a beautiful aesthetic that works well, and you are saying that it's not even trying and you are not buying it because of the graphics alone. Plus, you chose to bash BTTF's graphical style - one of a few features I liked about the game - seemingly only because it wasn't 'realistic'. You were rude about it and didn't offer criticism that could realistically be met before release.
  • OMAOMA
    edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    the graphics look like they were, and they probably were, done by amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives.

    I just saw the video and I don't think the graphics are nearly as bad as you put it. I think the cel-shaded look works pretty fine.

    Besides, you don't need to offend the game creators just because you don't like the graphics. "Amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives?". They surely worked hard to create those graphics and don't deserve those kinds of words.
    caeska wrote: »
    My 5-year old niece could have done a better job in that department.

    Then she must be a pretty awesome artist :D
  • edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    The graphics aspect is so important in a computer game that in many cases, it determines whether it becomes a success
    or failure.

    Not to everybody, and this does not appear to be a computer game, or rather not a desktop computer game, as it seems clear to me it's optimized for the iOS market.

    Although I'm not particularly demanding about graphics myself, I sympathize with those who see graphics as important to immersion. But you have to factor in price. $3 per episode? As Telltale has already gone "casual" with gameplay, it's probably not a bad idea for prices to reflect that, and it's not surprising graphics will be more casual as well.

    The real question is what are they going to charge for the PC/Mac version? If it's higher than that of the iOS version, with nothing extra added (eg. still the iOS resolution like Hector was), well then, that would certainly be cause for a rant of the OP's magnitude. ;)
  • edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    That link has no relevance to what I just said. All I've done is state my opinion, which, as you might recall, is the entire point of having a public discussion forum to begin with.
    No, all you've done...
    caeska wrote: »
    Look at Jurassic Park: Good characters, good story. But the graphics look like they were, and they probably were, done by amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives.
    My 5-year old niece could have done a better job in that department.

    Is be a dick. That link said "it's okay to not like things, but don't be a dick about it" which is extremely relevant.

    That said, you're confusing graphics with art style. The graphics look great for the art style they chose. But if you think it looks too cartoony (anyone else having flashbacks to when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker came out?), your problem is with the art style, not the graphics. And how can you be sure the art style doesn't fit yet? None of us regular folk here have played the game. We've only seen some screenshots and a few video clips. Maybe it works. You just have to give it a chance first. At least wait until you can watch a Let's Play of it if you don't want to spend money.
  • edited December 2011
    Oh, get over yourself. Telltale's never been heavy on the graphics and if you're supposedly a fan you'd have realized that years ago. Do you really think Law and Order is the kind of license that would do well looking like Crysis or something? It's pretty clear that it's intended as a fairly casual game intended first and foremost for iOS.
  • edited December 2011
    mjc0961 wrote: »

    That said, you're confusing graphics with art style. The graphics look great for the art style they chose. But if you think it looks too cartoony (anyone else having flashbacks to when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker came out?), your problem is with the art style, not the graphics. And how can you be sure the art style doesn't fit yet? None of us regular folk here have played the game. We've only seen some screenshots and a few video clips. Maybe it works. You just have to give it a chance first. At least wait until you can watch a Let's Play of it if you don't want to spend money.

    Not at all, the art style is not the main issue here. Granted, I don't think the cel-shade style fits the L&O genre and I think they're making a huge mistake going in that direction. The issue is the graphics and animation, which completely destroy immersion.
    OMA wrote: »
    I just saw the video and I don't think the graphics are nearly as bad as you put it. I think the cel-shaded look works pretty fine.

    Besides, you don't need to offend the game creators just because you don't like the graphics. "Amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives?". They surely worked hard to create those graphics and don't deserve those kinds of words.

    It's not an insult when it's the truth. With the technology available today, the kinds of products TTG put together are simply not good enough. Making believable animations that don't scream at you and put you off throughout the whole game due to its poor quality is not hard; many lesser companies can do it successfully.

    Scnew wrote: »
    Oh, get over yourself. Telltale's never been heavy on the graphics and if you're supposedly a fan you'd have realized that years ago. Do you really think Law and Order is the kind of license that would do well looking like Crysis or something? It's pretty clear that it's intended as a fairly casual game intended first and foremost for iOS.

    It doesn't have to be Crysis or Heavy Rain for the graphics to be adequate. All that is required is to make at least some effort so they can at least pretend to be professional.
    Also, the fact that it is more of a casual game that you "don't have to be a gamer to play" is more disconcerting than it is reassuring.
  • edited December 2011
    Scnew wrote: »
    Do you really think Law and Order is the kind of license that would do well looking like Crysis or something?
    Yes! It would do great with the looks of, say, LA Noire or Heavy Rain. Noting that Jurassic Park had a lot more realistic-looking faces than the CSI games made me fully expect them to take it in that direction for Law and Order.
    The shock when you then see the trailer take it the other way is not pleasant. I've mellowed out about it since learning it's largely aimed at the iPhone market (I did not realize that), but you shouldn't be so surprised about people having the same reaction.
  • edited December 2011
    I think the game's cell-shaded look looks really good in the still screenshots, but it's a little awkward when you see it in motion in the trailer.
  • edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    Not at all, the art style is not the main issue here. Granted, I don't think the cel-shade style fits the L&O genre and I think they're making a huge mistake going in that direction. The issue is the graphics and animation, which completely destroy immersion.
    But there's absolutely nothing wrong with the graphics. Everything looks fine. The characters look like who they should look like. Maybe animations are off (I don't see a problem myself), but I don't see anything wrong with the graphics.
    It doesn't have to be Crysis or Heavy Rain for the graphics to be adequate. All that is required is to make at least some effort so they can at least pretend to be professional.
    And you're still being a dick.
  • edited December 2011
    The graphics are perfectly adequate for me, as well as several other participants in this thread. I respect that a lack of cutting edge graphics has turned you off, but to suggest that something is "simply not good enough" for today's game market for any reason is a generalization which should be avoided. So long as there's a market for what Telltale is selling, as the backlash in this thread suggests, then it's good enough for someone.
  • edited December 2011
    I'm logging back in to ask two questions:

    One, who's voicing Lennie Briscoe / Jerry Orbach? 'Cause his voice ain't right. Then again, nobody could act like him. (He was my favorite L&O actor.) ... everyone just sounds -off-.

    Two, how the hell did they get Rey Curtis / Benjamin Bratt back in the series? The character took early retirement after his wife became ill and moved to California.

    Yes, the continuity bothers me. I'm weird.
  • edited December 2011
    Foxhack wrote: »
    I'm logging back in to ask two questions:

    One, who's voicing Lennie Briscoe / Jerry Orbach? 'Cause his voice ain't right. Then again, nobody could act like him. (He was my favorite L&O actor.) ... everyone just sounds -off-.

    Two, how the hell did they get Rey Curtis / Benjamin Bratt back in the series? The character took early retirement after his wife became ill and moved to California.

    Yes, the continuity bothers me. I'm weird.

    I think I can answer one of your questions. Rey Curtis' wife passed away in 2009, I believe he guest stared in one episode that season to bury her. As it's 2011 at the start of the game, I think that would be suitable time to grieve then re-apply to his old job.
  • edited December 2011
    Foxhack wrote: »
    Two, how the hell did they get Rey Curtis / Benjamin Bratt back in the series? The character took early retirement after his wife became ill and moved to California.

    Yes, the continuity bothers me. I'm weird.

    Also; some episodes seem to take place at different times other than the present, so we may flashback to his time on the show, too.
  • edited December 2011
    Im afraid I have to agree I first found out about telltale when they said they were making a Back to the future game (Im incredibly crazy about the films)
    and I was dissapointed with the style of graphics but I thought ok let them it wont be that bad but im afraid I started to doubt them more because of the graphics even though they had a fantastic story.

    If telltale put even a little effot into making good graphics people would enjoy there games more, usually I dont complain about cartoony things but since telltale make games for really serious films and tv programs it does annoy me a lot and annoys me even more when I see trailers for games like Uncharted or La noire.

    If they put effort into it then they could easily get games in the game of the year awards

    So please telltale listen to the fans of the movies and tv programs not the people who came here because you made a game about a talking dog and weird rabbit who speak and travel through time because just knowing that they are fans for that reason means they dont care about serious things.
  • edited December 2011
    You do know that Uncharted and LA Noire cost multi-millions of dollars to make right? They also have more people working on them and usually for 3 times as long. Then they spend sometimes MORE to advertise to ensure they make their money back. Last I knew TTG is still a small company with a small staff that have short deadlines..

    Its OK not to like the way the game looks but its a little unfair to compare it to HUGE game releases..
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    Im afraid I have to agree I first found out about telltale when they said they were making a Back to the future game (Im incredibly crazy about the films)
    and I was dissapointed with the style of graphics but I thought ok let them it wont be that bad but im afraid I started to doubt them more because of the graphics even though they had a fantastic story.

    If telltale put even a little effot into making good graphics people would enjoy there games more, usually I dont complain about cartoony things but since telltale make games for really serious films and tv programs it does annoy me a lot and annoys me even more when I see trailers for games like Uncharted or La noire.

    If they put effort into it then they could easily get games in the game of the year awards

    So please telltale listen to the fans of the movies and tv programs not the people who came here because you made a game about a talking dog and weird rabbit who speak and travel through time because just knowing that they are fans for that reason means they dont care about serious things.

    Because we can only like one franchise and by liking it that means our opinions on others are invalid.

    Also; the story on Back to the Future: The Game was mediocre at best. The 'graphics' (which were very good and well-optimized, may I add) are not a point to argue about. If you don't like the aesthetic, that's fine, but don't start saying the game's graphics are bad because they have very little if anything to do with eachother.
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    So please telltale listen to the fans of the movies and tv programs not the people who came here because you made a game about a talking dog and weird rabbit who speak and travel through time because just knowing that they are fans for that reason means they dont care about serious things.

    Go to hell you patronising arse biscuit! If you read the forum histoy for when S&M and TMI where out you would know we care about the game as serious as you care about the movies. Also how the hell is a delorian travling in time anymore serious then a dog and hyperkinetic rabbity thing doing it!?
  • edited December 2011
    coolsome wrote: »
    Go to hell you patronising arse biscuit! If you read the forum histoy for when S&M and TMI where out you would know we care about the game as serious as you care about the movies. Also how the hell is a delorian travling in time anymore serious then a dog and hyperkinetic rabbity thing doing it!?

    I dont see the point of you getting pissed because it just makes you look like a fanboy, anyway a delorean travelling throught time is serious like bob gale said: 'If you built a time machiene you would want to be able to move it'
    Also the delorean looks really cool and the stainless steel was supposed to make it easier to travel throught time.

    Also how can you take a talking dog seriously?

    hope that answers your questions.
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    I dont see the point of you getting pissed because it just makes you look like a fanboy


    People are only fanboys when there fans of something the other person doesn't like
    anyway a delorean travelling throught time is serious like bob gale said: 'If you built a time machiene you would want to be able to move it'
    Being practical doesn't make something serious.
    Also the delorean looks really cool and the stainless steel was supposed to make it easier to travel throught time.

    I wasn't insulting how it looked.
    Also how can you take a talking dog seriously?

    hope that answers your questions.
    Really what it hinges on is in fictinal moves like JP BTTF or games like S&M is how much your willing to hold your sense of disbelief and take it seriously. At the end of the day the all just fiction with wild story's that would never happen in rl.
  • edited December 2011
    coolsome wrote: »

    I wasn't insulting how it looked.


    Really what it hinges on is in fictinal moves like JP BTTF or games like S&M is how much your willing to hold your sense of disbelief and take it seriously. At the end of the day the all just fiction with wild story's that would never happen in rl.

    You said how is it serious and the only way you ment it is: The fact it''s a car

    The facts it's a sports car.

    also things like bttf and jp are serious because they have action and emotion and the people who like them agree it's serious.

    But when it's things like S&M there are no action or emotion it's just some weird random things just to make people laugh.

    Even though there is comedy in bttf it's not what it's built on it's very serious for example when doc gets shot or the clocktower scene or the end when marty thinks he will never see doc again.

    Can you really say S&M has emotion like that or epic action where people almost die because they didnt escape in time.
    (I dont know I have not played it but I have seen loads of trailers and it looks silly to me)
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »

    Can you really say S&M has emotion like that or epic action where people almost die because they didnt escape in time.
    (I dont know I have not played it but I have seen loads of trailers and it looks silly to me)

    Yes yes it does. I fail to see how it makes something serious though. I mean hot fuzz and double team had that in it and there's no way there serious movies.
  • VainamoinenVainamoinen Moderator
    edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    Look at Jurassic Park: Good characters, good story. But the graphics look like they were, and they probably were, done by amateurs who never attended a graphic design class in their lives.

    ...maybe you should attend a graphic design class first? I assure you, JP's graphic design was marvelous. It's the 100-programmer/20-million game engine that just isn't there, and I'm not sure if anyone really expected that.

    I've my quarrels with the graphic style as seen in that first L&O trailer, but pros are at work here nonetheless.
  • edited December 2011
    Also; just because something's silly doesn't mean it can't pack an emotional punch. End of Blackadder IV strikes me as a good example of this.
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    Can you really say S&M has emotion like that or epic action where people almost die because they didnt escape in time.

    Go over to the Sam and Max forum and read all the delicious tears shed by people over the Sam and Max season 3 ending.
  • edited December 2011
    Scnew wrote: »
    Go over to the Sam and Max forum and read all the delicious tears shed by people over the Sam and Max season 3 ending.

    well then they are a bit silly crying over a talking dog and talking alien rabbit.
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    well then they are a bit silly crying over a talking dog and talking alien rabbit.

    Max isn't an alien.

    homer-facepalm.jpg?w=450&h=295
  • edited December 2011
    coolsome wrote: »
    Max isn't an alien.

    homer-facepalm.jpg?w=450&h=295

    Ok then but he isnt completley a rabbit so he must be some sort of mutant (and if I got it wrong again I dont care, I dont like sam and max games from what I have seen.)
  • edited December 2011
    Ribs I'm just gonna borrow this K?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0la5DBtOVNI
  • edited December 2011
    coolsome wrote: »
    Ribs I'm just gonna borrow this K?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0la5DBtOVNI

    Im not being a dick im telling the truth, why do you think games get rated for graphics, well if your right the people who thought they should add it are wrong and dont know anything because they dont like silly graphics, why dont you stop defending telltale all the time and actually try to understand what people are saying instead of thinking they are saying it for fun.
  • edited December 2011
    All your saying is people who like Sam and Max are idiots cos there talking animals.
  • edited December 2011
    coolsome wrote: »
    All your saying is people who like Sam and Max are idiots cos there talking animals.

    im saying there idiots if they are more serious about talking animals than something like bttf, jp or law and order.
  • edited December 2011
    yoman45135 wrote: »
    im saying there idiots if they are more serious about talking animals than something like bttf, jp or law and order.


    I'm going to underline something very important here: There is no word "im" in the English vocabulary. There is however a word called "I'm", which is actually two words. It's possible to write it either with the apostrophe or as "I am", and one of those options have to be used. Both have the same meaning and they are both spelled with a capital "I", unlike the way you spelled it. But you can't write "im" ever, because that is quite simply not a word that exists in our reality.

    Similarly the word "there" can't be used in the context from your above quote, it would be more correct to use "they are" or "they're". "There" is a different word altogether.

    Also it is incorrect to refer to the TV show "Law & Order" as "law and order".
    Both the words "Law" and "Order" have to begin with capital letters and the two words need to be separated with an ampersand (&).
  • edited December 2011
    caeska wrote: »
    I'm going to underline something very important here: There is no word "im" in the English vocabulary. There is however a word called "I'm", which is actually two words. It's possible to write it either with the apostrophe or as "I am", and one of those options have to be used. Both have the same meaning and they are both spelled with a capital "I", unlike the way you spelled it. But you can't write "im" ever, because that is quite simply not a word that exists in our reality.

    Similarly the word "there" can't be used in the context from your above quote, it would be more correct to use "they are" or "they're". "There" is a different word altogether.

    Also it is incorrect to refer to the TV show "Law & Order" as "law and order".
    Both the words "Law" and "Order" have to begin with capital letters and the two words need to be separated with an ampersand (&).

    This is the internet not school you just made a pointless post telling me things I already know.

    Oh and the reason I dont put it right is because I spend my time thinking about what im gonna post, not how im going to post it.
  • edited December 2011
    I happen to think the concept for Jurassic Park is far more ridiculous then that of Sam and Max as Jurassic Park is set in a hyper-realistic world but they refound Dinosaurs, and Sam and Max is obviously set in a very oddball version of the world where talkings canines and lagomorphs exist.
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