Graphic Effects

[routeburn]

Bullet Time! Everyone loves that. Apparently.

My personal pet hate at the moment, particularly in EA games.

The bullet time in True Crime was quite well done and quite useful. Bullet time in Max Payne 2 was OK too as it formed part of the game. "Bullet time" in Viewtiful Joe is also great as it's part of the game.

However, Bullet time in golf games (for example), yes Tiger Woods and Link 2004 I'm looking at YOU, is totally uncalled for. When it's used as a bolt-on effect it sucks. When it's integrated into the gameplay it generally works. I will, however, be glad to see the back of it.

[fasteasyfree]

Has anyone tried shooting the swinging lamps in Deus Ex: IW? The shadows are calculated in real time, but when you shoot the lamp to make it swing faster, your PC just wants to curl up and die...

[Sng]

Like this? - http://oldsite.havok.com/xtra/demos/demo-warehouse2.html

While we're talking about nice stuff like this ...

HL2 ragdoll physics - http://oldsite.havok.com/xtra/demos/demo-ragdoll2.html

[Barnard]

Water Top 3

1. DOA3.

2. Wave Race.

3. Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance.

make it a top four, mario sunshines water needs to be in there!

[Sng]

HL2 water looks incredible.

[Boutros]

Water Top 3

1. DOA3.

2. Wave Race.

3. Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance.

Water Top 3

1. Ico

2. Wakeboarding Unleashed

3. Wave Race

[Guest ww3]

When it comes to overall graphic effects no game is touching insanity that is Otogi 2. Best water splashing too

[Andy_Tanner]

i remember being very impressed by parallax scrolling back in the day. how we were easily pleased back then

these days i love the slow motion in Prince of Persia and i love the overall artistry of Beyond Good and Evil.

[sith]

I have started something with the water effects here havent I

[Willei]

Pixel Shaders - Just so goddamn versatile.

Why don't nVidia advertise with that slogan?

[reubs]

Depth of field.

[Fry Crayola]

Proper rain. It's atmosphere-in-a-bag, that.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Volumetric lighting.

I know it's a cheap effect that has been done since the N64/PS1 but it always looks cool.

[Juria]

Pixel Shaders - Just so goddamn versatile.

Why don't nVidia advertise with that slogan?

They'd get sued by Birdseye!

[Chorlton]

The Visor steaming up in metroid Prime.

Some if the best effects are the throwaway ones that arent't integral to the game.

[fragglerock]

GTA3: Vice City + Chain Saw = Blood on screen

fragg

[MK-1601]

Re: The reflections on cars in PGR2. I can't quite tell whether that's really reflecting everything in realtime, or if it's mapping a Flintstones-style lampposts-and-trees texture onto the car. Even capped at 30fps, the first method seems like it would be a bit much for the poor old 'box. (See PGR1.)

HL2's water is a bit underwhelming in motion - it doesn't react dynamically to things intersecting with it (i.e. it's dead flat). Although to make such an effect look good (and run fast) is notoriously tricky.

Luigi's Mansion (dynamic lights and the weird glowing 'consistency' of the ghosts) is still quite impressive, it's how I imagine Pixar would implement a Game 'n Watch.

Max Payne 2, although still May Payne, really goes to town in the cutscenes.

Metroid Prime is the king of spot effects though.

[Mike1812]

The blinx water effect was good when time is frozen and you kind of dig a channel. It was the ONLY good thing about Blinx, mind.

The flappy curtains in Splinter Cell.

[Sabreman]

I still love wireframe stuff more than anything, I think. I love how in Rez the defeated enemies 'regress' to wireframe before collapsing.

[Dimahoo]

All of Flipnic.

[mr. fancypants]

GTA3: Vice City + Chain Saw = Blood on screen

fragg

seriously... that effect looks shit.