[Gabe]

Wish these screens was from a new ag preview,unfortunately..I think thats what missing todays ag.
I found these inspring 3d graphic settings quite adventurous that like to see in any new ag but..
Actually these are from ssavers free trial available here: 3planesoft.com
feel free to add more you like.

[Ascovel]

I don't think these screens are anything special. The majority of the first is an entirely 2D bitmap background taken from some random photograph. And on the second there's nothing to see beyond some commonly-looking buildings which are nonsensically crammed up together - I don't remember any Myst clone looking worse than that.

[Gabe]

Run the exe's then you'll see what's the difference is between them and myst clones.
They may not be special or not even next gen but %90 ag releasing still 2d rest of it in 3d rooms,
simply spacious settings adds great sense of adventure.

[Ascovel]

You're right, these screensavers do feel adventerous. However, I'd still recommend RealMyst or in second place Sentinel: The Descendents of Time for much more interesting settings. If it wouldn't have to be 3D then most Myst-like adventure games are like this or better. The really nice element of this screensavers and their advantage over most adventure games is how many live and animated things there are in them. Yet, for example Myst IV was even more alive.

[alkis21]

Gabe, you actually think that good graphics is the one thing that's missing from today's adventures? I personally believe that good graphics is about the only thing modern adventures have.

[Ascovel]

If you think just about the technological aspect of it then yes, graphics in today's adventure games are more advanced than what we've seen during the previous decade. Looking at the games from an artistical point of view, however, I'm not so sure if they're better at all. There are some stand-out titles of course, but not many.

[kadji-kun]

Originally Posted by alkis21

Gabe, you actually think that good graphics is the one thing that's missing from today's adventures? I personally believe that good graphics is about the only thing modern adventures have.

Its called creativity. It goes hand in hand with visual graphics. This lacks greatly in modern adventure games, except Perry Rhodan.

[Gabe]

Originally Posted by alkis21

Gabe, you actually think that good graphics is the one thing that's missing from today's adventures? I personally believe that good graphics is about the only thing modern adventures have.

You kiddin right,screens below from most anticipated upcoming adventures
and you believe these are the good graphics that modern adventures have

[Ascovel]

I'd say this Gray Matter screen looks good enough. However, the game is so strongly anticipated because of something else than great graphics.

[AndreaDraco83]

Agree with Ascovel on GM.

Anyway, I'm not sure about this but I think that the Still Life 2 picture you posted isn't a final one, but a work in progress.

[mart]

Looks to me that the Still Life 2 picture shows that the sequel will be a realtime 3D game. The second picture looks prerendered (except for the character), as it shows much more detail.
I agree with Gabe that it is sad that a game with beautiful graphics like Still Life gets a squel like that, as the graphics of adventure games with realtime 3D graphics are in general still way behind prerendered adventure games, even after being introduced about a decade ago (I am thinking of Gabriel Knight 3 for instance). But fortunately many (upcoming) adventure games stil have still pre-rendered graphics (e.g. Black Mirror 2, Tunguska 2, if I am not mistaken). Which is amazing btw, as sometimes it is asserted that publishers are only interested in 3D adventures.

[Kazmajik]

I thought Limbo of the Lost had some excellent graphics.

[Dale Baldwin]

Kazmajik

[Kazmajik]

Ow! Dale, I was just kidding!

Seriously, it seems these days the games are all about the graphics at the expense of the other, I think more important elements. Okay, sure, the graphics are what draw the eye, they look great on the box, on the promo website, etc. and communicate something easily, as opposed to trying to explain why a game is great because of something less tangible, such as story, plot development, clever puzzles, and so on.

It's a little like special effects in cinema, though, isn't it? How many films have come out that have amazing, jaw-dropping visuals, but combined with a bad story and bad acting have relegated them to the bottom of the bargain bin?

To quote Steve Metzler:
"Modern adventure game designers seem to be more concerned with the graphics, and less with the game play. Not exactly a trend that's going to help the revival of our favourite genre, is it?"

Maybe it's because I got my start with Infocom text adventures, that graphics aren't the reason I play the games. Sure, I appreciate beautiful graphics, but for me it's the game, the story, the writing, and the quality of the puzzles that I remember, long after I've forgotten how pretty the graphics seemed at the time.

[Ascovel]

Originally Posted by Kazmajik

It's a little like special effects in cinema, though, isn't it? How many films have come out that have amazing, jaw-dropping visuals, but combined with a bad story and bad acting have relegated them to the bottom of the bargain bin?

Clearly the visuals in them just weren't jaw-dropping enough.

[Gabe]

Bottom line is today ag have most underdeveloped graphics direction among all genres.Today 3d puzzle games even screensavers better utilizing 3d graphics.Hard to see differences between 5 years old ag and a new release.
And some folks keep saying script most important graphics can be overlooked(theyre like playing only Lucasart or Sierra games all the time and never saw become how silly modern ag ),i gave up on decent scripts already , just give us decent graphics for playability sake.

[kadji-kun]

@Gabe: Please don't get Real-time 3d mixed up with Good Graphics. Good graphics doesn't mean it has to be 3d at all, it just has to be pleasing to the eye. I have witnessed many games in 3d that looked like pieces of shit.

Please do not confuse the two.

[Ascovel]

Gabe: You're talking about the last 5 years only? How many adventure games were realesed during that period altogether - I don't think there were too many? And how many of them were first time efforts from some small companies?

Anyway, there were quite a few titles with good graphics, only no costly technological breakthroughs.

[Gabe]

Check out statistcs http://www.adventure-archiv.com/statistik1.htm about 400 adventurish copycat games release
listed past 5 years, huge effort reproducing stereotypes over and over.

[Ascovel]

Stereotypes? Are we still talking only about graphics?

In my opinion the amount of games presented in these statistics is very little too choose from. No established designers behind any of those titles. Maybe prolific companies like Kheops and Frogwares, which you can be either fond of or not. OK, there's also Telltale with some ex-LucasArts names, which is still pretty much starting out.

Anyway, which titles you saw as the most promising to start a new generation of graphics in adventure game genre? One of the AGS-made games, perhaps?