I tend to prefer early 2000s 3D graphics over the modern stuff anyway. There was plenty of capability to work with, and it seemed like the game designers did a much better job of giving a game a "feel." There was also much more done creatively with lighting and darkness and my favorite how many games liked to make things like breakables and loose objects. Think something like Half-Life 2 or F.E.A.R. where you walk around carelessly and bump into things and it goes flying off a shelf etc.
Now, they just go crazy with their ugly character models and realistic frizzy hair movement but the world is always so "same" feeling and very rigid.
Think of it this way. Elden Ring sold well but took like 8 years and a lot of money to make. Make 8 shitty games instead for 1/2 as much total and release those instead. Profit maximized. Play? Not so much.
Every gamer: "go back! Go back! It was better before!"
And that's why everyone if they're not playing indie, are playing older games.
I tend to prefer early 2000s 3D graphics over the modern stuff anyway. There was plenty of capability to work with, and it seemed like the game designers did a much better job of giving a game a "feel." There was also much more done creatively with lighting and darkness and my favorite how many games liked to make things like breakables and loose objects. Think something like Half-Life 2 or F.E.A.R. where you walk around carelessly and bump into things and it goes flying off a shelf etc.
Now, they just go crazy with their ugly character models and realistic frizzy hair movement but the world is always so "same" feeling and very rigid.
The AI in FEAR was also great. Strange that we never got something like that again. Probably due to level design being shitty in most games.
Think of it this way. Elden Ring sold well but took like 8 years and a lot of money to make. Make 8 shitty games instead for 1/2 as much total and release those instead. Profit maximized. Play? Not so much.