If RDR and AC aren't open world then I don't know what constitutes an open world game.

except that's [censored].

Assassin's Creed II looks pretty much terrible http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/542888921690793054/6B5BA3344E1F7F4A53724A7436063F5071C0C1DE/. RDR looks great from a distance, like console games are obviously supposed to be played, but look at it up close on a computer monitor and you can see every single cost-cutting trick in the book, from painfully low-res textures to [censored] shadow draw distance to Rockstar's signature horrible LOD streaming.

Skyrim looks better than Risen, Arcania and Two Worlds 2, and those are the only other games on the 360 that are both open-world (though the latter two aren't, really) and artistically comparable. Crysis 2 is not legitimately comparable because it is not open-world and does not have a multitude of complex underlying AI or physics systems (indeed, nothing else does).

It might help if you posted a Skyrim screenshot for comparison.

i would have if it were actually possible to find 360 screenshots of Risen, Arcania and Two Worlds at 1280x720. everything is either somethingx360 or a PC screen.

I mean OP, not you in particular. I seriously have no idea what Skyrim looks like.

http://www.paopaoche.net/up/2011-4/2011419171441519.jpg

I definitely wouldn't call those the best graphics in the genre. Then again, I play on PC.

Well, there's this game called "Real Life".

Must be good; over 6 billion people are currently playing it...

I don't like that there's only one game mode: Ironman.

Not really many, actually. I guess developers find it too risky and difficult to make an open world game on the limited hardware of consoles, and hope to compete with other console games that look great such as Bad Company 2.


Just Cause 2 is also open world, with very detailed graphics, destructible environments and lots of shadows (compared to Oblivion where only NPC's cast shadows). It doesn't have the roleplaying aspect though - it's an awesomely hilarious funny popcorn shooter game.

Let's hope Qarl comes back and will do his magic on Skyrim with some awesome texture mods

Some people believe you can start a new save, though.


Also it's really easy to gimp your character in chargen too.

Risen actually looks better, I think. I downloaded the demo:
http://i.imgur.com/RJqWJ.jpg

The character models svck though, but at least they have animations.

What I like about Skyrim's forests from the videos and screens is that they feel like real forests I've been in. It's no good if you're graphics are awesome, if your world looks like a kid's playset.

There are some that do look better then Skyrim but none of them are even in Skyrim's league gameplay wise.

Everyone is nit-picking Skyrim's graphics before you even get in the game to fully assess the total package. I don't expect it to be industry leading, but it will be good enough for immersion purposes. The crux of the argument is the "open world" classification and very few games can compete with Bethesda offerings there. Many of the games listed have a dose of open world, but for the most part you're quietly shuttled along a linear path. Few allow you to take off in almost any direction to pursue what interests you instead of what the developer wants you to see and do at a certain point.

Really, you've played it already?


The problem I see with Bethesda version of open world, is that as a result of everywhere being accessible on foot the whole landscape is pretty flat, even in the mountainous areas.

People think Red Dead Redemption and Assassin's Creed look better than Skyrim? :huh:

Well that depends on which of them we look at. Risen on PC (and even on xbawcks from what I've seen of it at a friend) for example has, compared to what of Skyrim has been shown, more dynamic gameplay and skillmechanics (heck, even Gothic 3 felt overall better than what Skyrim looks... which, of course, says nothing of Skyrims release quality -- but nonetheless...). Imo.

I think AC has by far the best environmental graphics, lighting textures etc.

Skyrim "fur" is hideous. I can't get over it, it is awful. What should be soft and fluffy looks instead like carved plastic. It makes my eyes bleed, makes me want to punch something in the face.

Pic?

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/ve3d/images/08/65/86550_WolvesHealMace.jpg
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/08/character2k_kotaku.jpg
http://www.skyrimportal.com/media/blogs/skyrim/skyrim10.jpg
http://www.news.scrollstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/The_Elder_Scrolls_5_-_Skyrim_Screenshot_2.jpg
http://0.tqn.com/d/compactiongames/1/0/s/r/1/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-scr05.jpg

Yeah the fur looks like one big chunk. Imagine it with bloom turned on, eh?

Crysis anyone?

I can only think of one.

Skyrim extended graphics for skyrim. :wink_smile: