L.A. Noire - by EvaUnit02
june gloom on 10/2/2011 at 21:58
Quote Posted by henke
You're saying we're on our way out of it? So you think videogame characters are starting to look and act realistic enough that you might mistake them for real people?
Well, obviously the uncanny valley is subjective, but as far as I'm concerned we've come a long way from the bug-eyes and plastic skin of the mid-2000s (Bethesda games notwithstanding.) I have no doubt that within a generation or so the uncanny valley will no longer be a common complaint.
Thirith on 10/2/2011 at 22:04
When it comes to the uncanny valley, I think the effect is stronger and more obvious in animation. E.g. I thought that stills from Spirits Within (or whatever that Final Fantasy film was called) looked very good, but once you added the animations it was very hit and miss.
Renzatic on 10/2/2011 at 22:12
Well, I don't totally agree with you when you say we're nowhere near the uncanny valley yet. We're there now. Maybe not to the point where we have to contend with an almost subconscious what-the-hell cues like the pic above, but far enough along that we can make characters look freaky if we try to make them too photorealistic.
Eldron on 10/2/2011 at 22:12
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Well, obviously the uncanny valley is subjective, but as far as I'm concerned we've come a long way from the bug-eyes and plastic skin of the mid-2000s (Bethesda games notwithstanding.) I have no doubt that within a generation or so the uncanny valley will no longer be a common complaint.
Not entirely subjective, uncanny valley has nothing to do with plastic face shading and definitely not any of the bethesda games, since they weren't anywhere near photorealism in any way.
The whole meaning and results come from the fact that you get really close, almost technically impressively close, but your brain; having experienced other humans for all your life, will suddenly notice that something feels very wrong.
Your eyes say "this is realistic" your brain says "this is not human".
In the case of L.A. noire it's about the facial animation recording, it's by far the most impressive one I've seen in game, but it also results in dropping right into the valley.
Renzatic on 10/2/2011 at 22:26
Quote Posted by Eldron
Not entirely subjective...
In the case of L.A. noire it's about the facial animation recording, it's by far the most impressive one I've seen in game, but it also results in dropping right into the valley.
I guess there is more than a little subjectivity in it, because the L.A Noire characters don't bother me that much. Like Thirith said above, a not quite realistic character animation can dip you down into the valley just as fast as a model with slight too large eyes and weird skin tone can. I always seem to notice it around the eyes and the mouth, the two most animated places on a face. If they don't move quite right, then end result is fucking flat out creepy looking to me.
With L.A Noire, they did a great job of capturing the natural fluidity and transitions from the actors, but the characters aren't cutting edge realistic looking. So to me, I guess it strikes me as a really detailed cartoon. Realistic in style, but not trying to emulate the natural world type realistic.
mothra on 11/2/2011 at 14:29
I think those little changes in the face look ace. I don't care about a little (or even big) unrealistic animation as long as the intention/vision behind it is right and it gets its point across. And that seems to be the case here. If they can anchor a whole game on that ?
Everything else is boring.
Investigation/Evidence gathering/Interrogations: minigame heaven. I won't be surprised if the whole game is a series of tutorials where you do the same thing over and over and over again, getting some "score" at the end of each case. Rockstar's storytelling could never excite me, GTA was at its best when the writers/designers did not interfere in any way with me having a fun sandbox - do your own adventure - game session. That's why GTA4 failed for me. Too much mingling from the developer telling me what I can and cannot do, not to speak of the bad story and lead character.
I know many reviewers and millions of fans don't agree with me and especially praised GTA4 for its story but for me the game only clicked when everybody did shut up and I was alone in my car without any calls/sms from my idiotic friends.
june gloom on 27/2/2011 at 11:36
Well, it's a good box cover, aside from the orange/blue bullshit which makes it, of course, a Photoshopped monstrosity.
Pemptus on 27/2/2011 at 12:58
I suppose it can by justified by the color of police sirens, just this once. Maybe.
Renault on 28/2/2011 at 15:30
This exclusive content racket is ridiculous. You have to buy the game 5 times from 5 different places just to get the complete game! Plus, you're actually paying in advance for better gear, completely unbalancing the experience. Between this and the DX3 preorder crap, I'd say this is an ugly, dark new chapter in gaming, and not good for anyone.
