ROSS'S GAME DUNGEON: UNCANNY VALLEY

[Presence]

At first I didn't think I had any screenshots that said anything about me as a gamer, but it turns out I've snapped a few shots over the years from a wide variety of games. I had trouble choosing just three. I figured I'd go with one retail game, one indie game, and one classic game.

 

 

 

This is a screenshot from the free indie game "The Cleaner" where you play a flying wizard who has to fight off some kind of dimensional incursion. The plot is kind of ambiguous since I think the only cutscene with expository text is the intro.

 

 

 

If you've played Morrowind, I don't even need to explain what's going on here for you. I used no hacks or anything to spawn that many cliffracers. This is like one single loop around the mountain's worth of the bastards.

 

 

 

Pitfall II just before doing one of the main game objectives. Not an interesting shot I guess, but it was one of my favorite 2600 games.

[WhatPayne]

I'm one of those people who are sick and tired of pixel graphics simply because more often than not it's done for either out of pure laziness or for wanting to bait that retro crowd, instead of it being done for a some actual artistic decision.

I get it that often it's the best some devs can accomplish and they have to make do with what they got. But regardless, I feel like it's way overdone and often acts as a crutch for other shortcomings.

 

That being said. This game looks really amazingly good. I mean really good. This is pixels done right! Too bad some of the game apparently did not live out for the set expectations. Still can't help but to be really intrigued. So... Screen and Shot.

[GlowingOrangeOoze]

I was looking through my steam screenshots history because, hey maybe I've got a forgotten gem in there.

Then I came across this and it seemed perfectly appropriate

[sharktoothbubs]

A contest? Alright.

 

 

 

 

Local artist/business man/unregistered sex offender, Trevor Philips, has created yet another piece of art out of blood. This one he called "The Lobster". One art critic gave us a statement saying "At least it was his blood this time."

[Descriptor]

I'm one of those people who are sick and tired of pixel graphics simply because more often than not it's done for either out of pure laziness or for wanting to bait that retro crowd, instead of it being done for a some actual artistic decision.

I get it that often it's the best some devs can accomplish and they have to make do with what they got. But regardless, I feel like it's way overdone and often acts as a crutch for other shortcomings.

 

That being said. This game looks really amazingly good. I mean really good. This is pixels done right! Too bad some of the game apparently did not live out for the set expectations. Still can't help but to be really intrigued. So... Screen and Shot.

I can agree with this sentiment. While the pixel style in this game is really very solid, it can often detract in other games. Saying that the only choices are pixel graphics or fully rendered 3-d graphics is a bit of a false dichotomy. Just regular two dimensional rendered animation is just as acceptable. Look at something like Braid, for instance, which still manages to look great without needing to be 3-D, but without also having sudo-retro pixelation.

[DylanGoat]

This game reminds me a bit of "Gemini Rue" absolutely love that art style, shame about the timer though.

 

 

 

 

 

[Presence]

I can agree with this sentiment. While the pixel style in this game is really very solid, it can often detract in other games. Saying that the only choices are pixel graphics or fully rendered 3-d graphics is a bit of a false dichotomy. Just regular two dimensional rendered animation is just as acceptable. Look at something like Braid, for instance, which still manages to look great without needing to be 3-D, but without also having sudo-retro pixelation.

 

Braid is a terrible example, it had like a 200k budget.

[Descriptor]

I can agree with this sentiment. While the pixel style in this game is really very solid, it can often detract in other games. Saying that the only choices are pixel graphics or fully rendered 3-d graphics is a bit of a false dichotomy. Just regular two dimensional rendered animation is just as acceptable. Look at something like Braid, for instance, which still manages to look great without needing to be 3-D, but without also having sudo-retro pixelation.

 

Braid is a terrible example, it had like a 200k budget.

Fair enough, I don't keep up with industry stuff or the particulars of game development, I'm afraid.

It was more just to point out that there is a wider range of possibilities between just pixels or fully rendered 3-D.

How about "The Bridge"? Similar sort of point, a 2-D game that doesn't use pixels, and I don't think that had as much of a budget.

Basically, I'm curious about how much more expensive/time consuming it would be to use pixelated art vs. non-pixelated art, unless it was purely related to the skill of the artist.

[AP_Pastor]

Dang, the Arcade America-ish timer. Nevertheless, I'd give this game a try. Anyway, here are my photo entries

 

Greetings From Crossfire

 

 

 

 

 

[Armored_Elk]

Space Rangers! Planet - HELL!

 

aaand planet HARDCORE

And some Arma3 rockets in flight

 

[Presence]

Fair enough, I don't keep up with industry stuff or the particulars of game development, I'm afraid.

It was more just to point out that there is a wider range of possibilities between just pixels or fully rendered 3-D.

How about "The Bridge"? Similar sort of point, a 2-D game that doesn't use pixels, and I don't think that had as much of a budget.

Basically, I'm curious about how much more expensive/time consuming it would be to use pixelated art vs. non-pixelated art, unless it was purely related to the skill of the artist.

 

Stating up front I haven't played The Bridge, it looks like a kamishibai or paperdoll style game. You are quite right that it's an inexpensive alternative to pixel art, but I'm going to claim that pixel art is usually superior for three reasons. First, it's easier to learn to make good pixel art than it is to draw well. Second, most forms of doll animation have a jointed look that is grotesque looking. Third, it's been my observation that sprite and pixel art is superior when it comes to supporting visual effects. Lighting, bloom, playing with the colors, transparencies, there's just something more forgiving about the pixel medium when it comes to those things. Imagine, say, a dungeon torch in each style. I think you'll notice that a most paperdoll games have a limited range of colors, look washed out, or are pure black and white. Off the cuff I can name Ballpoint Universe, The Bridge, Don't Starve, and Our Darker Purpose as examples of limited color in 'drawn' games. I'd like a more educated opinion on that actually. I'm pretty sure I'm right though.

[Psychotic Ninja]

 

 

 

Yes that is Final Fantasy 6 being emulated on my PSP.

[ryno506]

 

 

its time to stop making videos and start training for guerrilla warfare!

[thermalmedic]

http://imgur.com/DCKyKPC

Pretty amazing survival skills from this guy.

http://imgur.com/D20PkCu

Perverted undead.

http://imgur.com/D20PkCu

Every single time I got shot, my character's ragdoll would strike this pose like he's about to drop his new single.

 

Also, Ross, I'm just guessing you won't be doing any Halloween specials?

[lavaheart]

lol I have a couple of funny ones I guess that I uploaded to steam/found on my computer... you might not get the first one scott if you haven't played skyrim...

 

 

Skyrim:

"Guess he ranted himself to death"

 

Guess I'll explain this to ross since I'm 80% sure he doesn't own skyrim

There's a priest in one of the beginning cities of the game that is some religious nut that won't shut up about a god that is controversial in game. He didn't spawn one time so I dragged a skeleton I found under a bridge to where he normally stands then snapped a shot.

 

 

 

Subnatica

"TOOT TOOT all aboard for under the map!"

 

 

spoiler'd of course

 

edit: To chime into the pixel art debate. pixel art is NOT easy and there are SEVERAL ways of doing it.

 

 

^ this bastard may look simple but it took me a several hours to make him. Generally with pixel art you draw twice. first time you do a sketch of what you want. then you scale that down and line it before finally being able to shade it.

 

Of course less detailed more retro type of pixel art is easier... however you still end up poking at the pixels for quite awhile to make it actually look like the thing it's supposed to be... I apologize if I've offended anyone but it bugs me when people diss pixel art as a whole. Spriters put as much effort into their work as normal artists (not as much as 3D modelers of course but that's because that has more variables)

Edited October 29, 2015 by Guest (see edit history)

[Jeb_CC]

lol I have a couple of funny ones I guess that I uploaded to steam/found on my computer... you might not get the first one scott if you haven't played skyrim...

 

 

Skyrim:

"Guess he ranted himself to death"

 

 

 

Subnatica

"TOOT TOOT all aboard for under the map!"

 

 

spoiler'd of course

 

As someone who has a fear of the ocean, that last one freaked me the fuck out. XD 3000 metres... *mutters a bunch of insane gibberish, rocks back and forth*

 

Also, can ya'll post them in spoilers from now on? X3 My voice might get lost in the crowd but that's okay, I'll at least try. It just makes the page look way less messy and it's easier on the eyes.

[lavaheart]

lol I have a couple of funny ones I guess that I uploaded to steam/found on my computer... you might not get the first one scott if you haven't played skyrim...

 

 

Skyrim:

"Guess he ranted himself to death"

 

 

 

Subnatica

"TOOT TOOT all aboard for under the map!"

 

 

spoiler'd of course

 

As someone who has a fear of the ocean, that last one freaked me the fuck out. XD 3000 metres... *mutters a bunch of insane gibberish, rocks back and forth*

 

Also, can ya'll post them in spoilers from now on? X3 My voice might get lost in the crowd but that's okay, I'll at least try. It just makes the page look way less messy and it's easier on the eyes.

 

I was going to goto 20,000 meters under but I calculated I would have to push the down button on my sub for 20 minutes at least to reach that level.

 

also I agree with the spoilers thing, page stretching is bad m'kay

[Reverend_UshankaCat_]

I have to agree with people saying that pixel art is overused and doesn't always look good. It can look very impressive of course, an example being this game, but for some other games, I just feel like it's just not a fitting art style. But I can't think of a better alternative when it's low-budget.

 

Also, man, I wish I the deadline for the screenshot competition was just one day later! I had some amazing screenshots just waiting for this opportunity, but I can't get to the computer they are stored on until friday. Oh well.

[Banshee]

 

 

 

Thanks for all of the quality videos as of late Ross. You're the berries man.

[Artlav]

Screenshots!

I'll be surprised if anyone guesses the game without cheating.

 

Descending to a Venus-like planet.

 

On an icy moon.

 

Around a weird moon.

 

And just in case i missed any "by participating in this contest you forfeit your soul to Ross for all eternity" clauses, i thereby explicitly declare that i refuse to accept whatever it is if there is a clause like that.