I was just looking through the Most Annoying Thing In A Game thread, and realized that a few people mentioned "bad graphics" as the most annoying thing.

So how important are graphics to you? What defines "bad graphics?" Aren't all graphics good for the time period the game is released? Or would you consider older games to have bad graphics because you're comparing them to newer games?

"would you consider older games to have bad graphics because you're comparing them to newer games?"

Absolutely not!
I am one of the people who mentionned bad graphics as the most annoying thing in a game.
I think that there are so many games with terrible graphics comparing them to their period's level and quality, or to the console's capacity.
Let's take Tenshu PS2 version and Alone in the dark PS2 version as two living examples, If you play those two games you'll feel sick because you'll feel like you're playing a psone game and everyone knows how disgusting psone's graphics were comparing them to ps2's of course.

Graphics are an important ( but not the most important ) factor in every game we play.

I think they're essential in a game because a game requires certain degrees of graphics, enough to fulfill its gameplay enjoyment. Nowadays, since new games are coming out with much more demand on graphics, I think you need a decent graphics card. For Need for Speed Carbon for example, I was running an old computer with a GeForce 6200 and even with all the graphics turned to the lowest, I was benchmarking my framerate sometimes as low as 10FPS, which obviously is annoying. So I think you need a descent graphics card to fulfill modern games. After I built a new comp with a GeForce 8800 GTS, the FPS stayed at 60 FPS and never moved up or down - it was NFS's maximum frame rate. I mean, games are represented by graphics, and I think graphics are important to the point where they allow you to enjoy the game. Like older games were so pixelated but we didn't care - they were fun. But a racing game running at 10 FPS is NO fun. So to a certain degree in some circumstances, yes, graphics can be important, but sometimes not.

Graphics are the second thing i look for in a game the first one is gameplay ofcourse. But i think graphics are a one of the main appeals of games and can make a world of difference ( think of zelfda windwaker without the cute graphics it would just be a short zelda sequence with nothing new ). Btw i want eternal sonata just because of the beautifull landscapes and gloomy flowers etc :P.

Graphics is the devil!! lol.
actually i think games now day rely to much on graphics rather than story or gameplay. so game developers are taking the easiest way out. they just put a II behind a title, upgrade the graphics, change the story a little and voaila! a new game is born.

so graphics is bad. look at older games like doom 2 or dune 2. or quake 3. those were true games. not the things we get today.

What's weird is that I do computer animation on the side. I LOVE nice graphics as much as anyone, yet they're among the LAST things on my mind when I pick a game... Graphics to me, are like the added bonus of a good game, they're not required, but awesome if they're there!

I don't know... I would play a game if it was released today if it had playstation 1 graphics... as long as I knew it was a good game. Take Final Fantasy Tactics for example. They just made a re-release, and even their updates are still stuff that could have been done on the playstation one. However, Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the best Tactical RPGs ever made (not debatable, sorry XD. No, just kidding, but it really is awesome!) I think if Final Fantasy tactics was released TODAY for the first time, and I heard it was a great game, I would go and get it anyway.

But I understand it might be frustrating to expect something good and not get it... I also understand that graphics can enhance gameplay (The upgrade in Graphics in DDR, for instance, gives the arrows more fluidity, so they scroll smoother, which actually effects the delay that a player expects when playing).

I don't think graphics are the Devil, but I do think that alot of people focus too much on graphics, or at least I think so...

By the way, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core- HOLY CRAP it has amazing graphics!! I think as of now it's completely unsurpassed by any PSP game!! Absolutely AMAZING!

Well, you have a point yubinbasyafan, I agree with you (especially about Final Fantasy tactics because it was one of the greatest RPG games ever).
E3 now, or the third generation gaming companies are concentrating on the graphical side of the game instead of the story or the gaming system because they realised that graphics have a big influence on players all around the world and they are trying to use that for their benefice. take Call of duty modern warfare on Xbox 360. it's very similar to the previous game with a little change of period and arsenal of weapons but the graphics are waaay better.
don't tell me that you're not gonna buy this game because I won't believe it! The graphics are the most attractive factor.
obviously, games with low graphics have no trailers. Watch an E3 trailer, and you will understand what I am trying to say here. (only assassin's creed, metal gear, RE, FF ...have good and attractive trailers and everybody is going to buy them and some of them will be disappointed).

Graphics are important but not that severe compared to bad storyline and gameplay...We can't actually say that older games has bad graphics because it's their effort that games nowadays has such remarkable graphic engines...And I still find that some old games are still fun even now!For example: FF 7,8 and C&C series. It's true that graphics will affect the whole gaming experience such as water ripples, clouds, terrains etc, but I prefer a smoother gaming environment, nothing lagging...

Graphic is defenitely one of the most important role in every single RPG out there . ( of cz rpg with so-so graphic but with an ubber cool story makes an exception to me . etc ps 1's ff tactics ) .... an rpg with good story is great . BUT AN RPG WITH GREAT GRAPHIC MAKES IT 1000 TIMES BETTER !!!

Just to add, I think people who say 'graphics aren't important, we don't need them' are factually wrong, because without graphics, you wouldn't be able to see anything while your playing your game

Graphics arent "THE" one most important thing in games, at least for me. The game has to be interesting, period! Of corse you can have a good game with bad graphics, in my case, i dont really have any problems with that (with some limits), but dont forget you can also have a beautifull game that isnt interesting at all, whant an example? Heavenly sword, awesome graphics, bad "game". But i do hate when i hear people comparing 2 very interesting games, and say 1 of them is awfull because of its not-so-top-of-the-line graphics. But thats me, and opinions are opinions, and i respect if anyone thinks diferently.

ShinAkuma, you made a pretty good point about Call of Duty, the games by their nature, lend themselves to lean more heavily on graphics than other games might, but I definitely see your point.

But I do disagree with mowaiken and Longbow... I don't think that graphics have that much of an impact in RPGs... In fact, I think because of the nature of RPGs, they allow for more use of imagination, and so the graphics neither enhance or take away from the enjoyment of experiencing the game (at least to me), but they just make the experience different, a different way of playing a game. I liked playing Final Fantasy VII, for instance, where their facial expressions almost never changed, and they had those ugly polygon bodies... because it just left more for my mind to imagine. I felt more like I was reading a story than playing a game. With newer games, it feels more like watching an interactive movie, which isn't so bad either, it's pretty, and it's just a different experience. So I don't necessarily believe that one NEEDS to see anything when playing a game... not an RPG anyway. (if you go to the extreme with that, that's why text-based RPGs exist, but that's a little bit outside the boundaries XD )

On the other hand, FPS games and racing games and such rely heavily on graphics since they require minimal lag, good mobility, and better graphics in general... but I still enjoy the EARLIEST Grand Theft Auto games, when it was entirely birds-eye view, and it was SO hard to get into cars because you had to navigate around them just right XDDD. That's not a FPS, but it has shooting, and that's what it made me think of XD.

I think that in rpgs the graphics are more important, as i will be spending a lot more time with the game than i would say a fps. However they arent everything, as shown by final fantasy 12, the graphics were amazing, but the story was crap(in my opinion). Whereas i loved the style of the graphics in rogue galaxy. The characters dont have to look realistic, just well done. However the story is the most important thing, i read a lot of books (where obviously you have to use your imagination) and i still LOVE final fantasy 7 and 8 which by todays standards are awful graphics, infact i just started final fantasy 9 today (again).

Yanno, I haven't played Final Fantasy XII, but I do think it looks pretty, and in the defense of graphics being important, despite the fact that you're not the only person that I've heard say that the story sucked, I still kinda wanna play it because of how it looks.

I mean, I played Final Fantasy X when it was first released, and MAN did I think that was the most incredible thing ever made! XD I was in awe with the graphics... but I think Final Fantasy X is one of the worst games in the Final Fantasy series ;-; But still.. the graphics drew me into wanting to play it. So maybe graphics are important, at least for a marketing standpoint... but that's kind of sad, though, don't you think, because people may be willing to give a chance to games just because they have good graphics, and ignore games that might have lower end graphics.

P.S. Much love for Final Fantasy IX ^_^
It didn't do as well as the other titles, but it's one of the ones I really enjoyed, VI, VII, and IX (and Tactics, of course). I was actually not so fond of Vi... though again, with the cut-scene graphics, it was definitely an improvement over VII, and they really pushed the in-game graphics to the limit (sometimes I thought they were pushed a bit too far, though ^^; parts of the game lagged, and the characters didn't seem to fit too well into the backgrounds)

Graphics can be good, can be bad depending on the game.

Let's say we play games like FPS, action game, or racing game. I guess graphic is important, since you don't want to get a jagged edge on your Murcielago (if you're playing a racing game).

Why we bother to get great graphic card like Radeon PCI Express series or GeForce? Because we want to get a beautiful graphics! In computer games, there are more FPS and strategy game. FPS games need a beautiful graphic.

How about RPG games? I played Final Fantasy 6 because this game is great in its gameplay and storyline. But how about the graphic? It's 2D graphic, still using sprites, 2D flat background. Can you call this as a bad graphic? No, because in its age it's a great game. But how about Disgaea, Atelier series? It's 2D, using characters sprite for the animation. But yeah, this game is still challenging and fun to play.

Now, how about the best graphics in the history? Final Fantasy X, X-2, and XII have great graphic, especially in their FMVs. Great graphics will only make you say "wow... great!" without thinking the other fun factor in the game itself.