In This Series, How Much Does Graphic Quality Matter?

[Exchange x Heat]

I'm just curious to see what you all think about graphics. There are people who say that the characters and story make up for bad graphics, and vice versa, but can graphics really make or break a game in your eyes?

[Mirae]

Well, for me, graphics aren't that important in the game, as long as either/both the following are good:
-Gameplay
-Story
-Characters

especially the first two! That's what I enjoy most in RPGs, I love a deep story, but gameplay is important too...if a game has a good story but HORRIBLE gameplay, it's very off putting D: It's easier to play a game with a simple story and good gameplay than the other way around though. At least for me!

Graphics don't matter that much as long as either of the above factors is good...good graphics are definitely a plus though :D Good graphics can't redeem a game if it's complete garbage xD Xenogears didn't have good graphics, yet that's one of the best games I've ever played both gameplay wise and story wise.

[Tsuji]

Well, graphics don't really matter to me that much, what actually matters for me is the actual design of characters, the gameplay, the storyline and the actual character development and interraction. I like playing with a character that generally looks appealing to play with on screen, not some character with a really bad design on him/her :P Gameplay, ofcourse, the most important part about a game is gameplay, and the actual atmosphere when gameplay is slightly altered etc (Eg: Minigames etc). Otherwise the game isnt that fun to play, its meant to be a game after all :P
Storyline, I like complicated storylines that are really smart, broad and with plenty of big twists =P Halo's storyline is an example, but a better example is the Xeno's storyline, Xenosaga 1 >> Xenosaga 3 >> Xenogears, they all have great storylines, totally keeps me hooked up =P
Characters are also very important, I like characters to be alive, and not like planks of wood. They must have their own personalities, to distinguish them from one another as such. I also find character interraction very important, such as comedy, tense emotions, romance, love moments, anger, the lot of it has to be expressed well I find. It adds to the actual character profiles really :P
Its only really after all of these conditions that I start worrying about graphics really, graphics are a nice plus for the game but its not really needed, s'what I think, yap =P

[Dusk]

I HATE people who judge a game on graphics. The best games in the world have the worst graphics!. Game developers these day just spend too much on graphics then anything else. in FF, you get a good combo though. Nice graphics, good characters, good story and great gameplay. One FF lacks though, is how real people would see things I'll use Atelier Iris for e.g.

In Atelier Iris when your playing, the characters feel real! like if they could actually be based of a real person. There's this one guy called Delsus who's just a complete pervert, and just like the other characters..woo @_@..I just feel like I know them personally.

[nevaratoiel]

I agree. Graphics aren't the most important thing. Of course we all want a great story, great characters and even better graphics, but graphics can be all good, but if the story, etc, is crap then I won't enjoy the game.

[alexanderpas]

i actually prefer 16- or 32-bit graphics over those shiny beautiful graphics ;)
altrough... i'll take any graphics with a FF game ;)
it's gameplay that matters! not graphics!

[a_nirvana_fan]

Well, games these days have amazing graphics so a new FF game with rubbish graphics would be a big letdown in these days but back in the day, I didnt really care at all for the graphics, because to be honest the FFVII graphics werent exactly amazing but every other element to the game made up for that and the FMVs and backgrounds were really good.

[lukeman]

Graphics mean nothing to a die hard fan such as myself.

Next year is the 10th Anniversary of Final Fantasy VII. That's a whole decade people. And despite poor graphics and sound quality (by todays strandards) it is still a game which is easily playable, deeply engrossing and all around genius.

How many other games can you say that about? In FF games, good graphics are a bonus. Nothing more.

[Marluxia]

Graphics really mean Squat, take FFIX and FFX for example:

In FFIX the graphics arn't really that brilliant but the Gameplay, Story and characters make up for that, any company could make a good-graphic'd game shove together a story and it'd probably be horrible.
FFX has really good graphics but the game is just too Linear for me to enjoy I mean how is one path through the whole game realistic? And no world map? What the hell?
I'll compare the games and you can see which one is better.

FFIX:
+Great story
+Brilliant characters
+Brilliant Gameplay and music
- Kinda rubbish graphics

FFX:
+Good story
+Good music
- The characters are too easy to contemplate.
- Way too Linear
- The Game basically tells you where to go, in being you only go on one path. All the way through.

[Yuna_03]

for me the graphics really doesnt matter as u can see through time the graphics has become really good but for me the storyline and the characters and the gameplay thats what matters

[Deadmanbleeding]

MY fav 3 FF games are V VI and IX so i guess graphcs not too important. the way i see it though although graphcs are not too improtant they do help and something i like in games is side quests and other world depth things (completely unused unimportant areas that you can explore for no reason) and althogh the grahics of the later games do not matter too much. due to the size increase of the games they can fit more of this sort of thing in which broadens the whole game IMO, so even though as the graphics get better i will not necissary like them more they will begin to increase on the little things like depth of the whole world which increases the experience of the game for me

did any of that make sence?

[weizak]

Graphics aren't really all that important. As long as the storyline and characters are good, it doesn't matter if its pretty or not.

[Traz]

I don't give a damn about graphics. I'll take Final Fantasy 4/5/6 over the later generation titles for their quality any day. I detested the look of Final Fantasy VII back in the day, because they tried too hard and it just looked horrible in my opinion. 2D graphics always look good, and that's why I also love the early Suikoden games so much (as well as the Lunar series and many others.) I'm a retro-RPG player, so naturally I thoroughly enjoy Snes RPGs where flashy graphics certainly wasn't an option.

Indeed, I think highly of all six pre-Playstation generation Final Fantasy titles. However, it's not as if I don't appreciate a game that has good graphics, as long as the storyline/characters or gameplay wasn't neglected as a result. 'Nuff said.

[Malukao]

People shouldnt care that much about graphics having an awesome game to play. FF made its fame in the 2D age. I also really like games like chrono trigger(which im playing right now) and many other games. Having a game with nice characters, story and gameplay its nice for me.

[Dark Sephiroth]

i dont really care about the graphics as long as the storyline , gameplay and the rest of it is great i will play it just like ff7 you cant really judge that game its like the best ff ever.

[Glash]

well graphics dose matter simple beause it make the game more better and makes the story more better