What do you consider to be the most impressive looking-sounding-playing 32bit era game?

[DevilRedeemed]

Was watching Sega Lord X talk about Panzer Dragoon Zwei and it brought back memories.
I'm hard pushed to recall a more impressive game in terms of the realization of the world the game is set in. It's not just a technical marvel, it's conceptually sophisticated to a degree that sets it apart from everything else.Makes me wonder why they didn't give Team andromeda the keys to the kingdom, maybe a Sonic game or some other big title.

Won't be including N64 as I do think Mario 64 and the Zeldas are amongst the most impressive games ever for any given moment in time. This is about the 32bit systems

Maybe RE1 and Metal Gear Solid? I am partly basing this on how they where at the time and not how they aged. Zwei has aged wonderfully though.

 

[StevenK]

I never had many games for each of the systems as they came out over the years, I could always rustle up the cash for the consoles but then had nothing left for carts. The PS1 was the first system I had since the Spectrum where you started getting games, or at least demos of games, on discs on the front of magazines, which I fucking loved, so I got to at least see plenty more games.

Anyway, that out of the way, I nearly pissed myself with excitement the first time I turned my PS1 on and heard that intro sound. After several years of the Mega Drive's audio tearing at my soul (I do still love the sounds, like Road Rash, from the mega drive, but it's kind of like how you can enjoy the bagpipes) it was like pouring warm honey in my ears. Dat bass.

After that, my first wow look at this game changing shit moment was Jumping Flash. It was a bit easy and a bit short, but I thought it was perfect, it felt like pure onscreen freedom.

Years later I realise that it was the beginning of something I now hate in games - freedom = getting lost. Jumping Flash was too small to get lost on but in modern games I can wander around aimlessly for ages until I switch off. Real world lack of a sense of direction completely translates on screen.

Another one would have to be wipeout, I liked the game a lot but it wasn't life changing for me, but being able to pick the disc out of the console and play the tracks on my portable cd player was boss, considering I was exactly the same with that - scraped the money together for the player, couldn't afford any cds.

Special mention to Tomb Raider and Dear or Alive. I was 15, them bouncers wuz cool.

 

[oliverclaude]

My earliest memory of such a game would be Moon Patrol. The depth-inducing parallax planes, the lovable pink vehicle, a 50's sci-fi depiction of the moon and that catchy tune: it all felt very immersive.

Yu Suzuki and Tokuro Fujiwara were also able to create incredibly immersive worlds around their precise gameplay. Not surprisingly, OutRun and Daimakaimura were and, indeed, still are most impressive looking-sounding-playing games.

Then the first Virtua Fighter opened up the third dimension, a jaw-dropping experience, again by Suzuki. Later, the 2.5D Border Down made its impressive virtual world also very believable, because its story and art omitted direct citing and parody.

But if I had to choose just one game, it would probably be Strider. It has many challenging ideas, like mashing typical Japanese anti-Russian and anti-China sentiments with James Bond/Indiana Jones superhero. Huge, lesser deformed than usual, almost anatomically correct characters, detailed backgrounds, architecture and machinery − all of it cohesively choreographed to a disturbing, Xenakis-like, score: it's ingenious, hands down and I doubt it can age. I also doubt that you can top something like that, once you created it. In that respect: poor Kouichi Yotsui...

 

[StevenK]

My earliest memory of such a game would be Moon Patrol. The depth-inducing parallax planes, the lovable pink vehicle, a 50's sci-fi depiction of the moon and that catchy tune: it all felt very immersive.

Yu Suzuki and Tokuro Fujiwara were also able to create incredibly immersive worlds around their precise gameplay. Not surprisingly, OutRun and Daimakaimura were and, indeed, still are most impressive looking-sounding-playing games.

Then the first Virtua Fighter opened up the third dimension, a jaw-dropping experience, again by Suzuki. Later, the 2.5D Border Down made its impressive virtual world also very believable, because its story and art omitted direct citing and parody.

But if I had to choose just one game, it would probably be Strider. It has many challenging ideas, like mashing typical Japanese anti-Russian and anti-China sentiments with James Bond/Indiana Jones superhero. Huge, lesser deformed than usual, almost anatomically correct characters, detailed backgrounds, architecture and machinery − all of it cohesively choreographed to a disturbing, Xenakis-like, score: it's ingenious, hands down and I doubt it can age. I also doubt that you can top something like that, once you created it. In that respect: poor Kouichi Yotsui...

I think the 'whit era' game was a typo for 32 bit era.

I enjoyed the read anyway!

 

[DevilRedeemed]

Oh fuck so many goddam typos
They should be called typoos

 

[100proof]

Years later I realise that it was the beginning of something I now hate in games - freedom = getting lost. Jumping Flash was too small to get lost on but in modern games I can wander around aimlessly for ages until I switch off. Real world lack of a sense of direction completely translates on screen.

Couldn't agree more with this. It's why I've never gotten past the first 3 hours of a Rockstar game (despite trying several times).

Not sure why you made the distinction from the N64... the technical difference between the 32-bit systems and the N64 is negligible. They are all of the same era and the only real difference is Nintendo's insistence on using a hardware-based aliasing feature so all the games looked like smeared shit. Worked great for Mario but was significantly less impressive when you realized every game used it and makes the games age even worse than other stuff from that era.

If you're going to limit it to the Playstation/Saturn/3DO, RE1 was the first "holy shit" graphical showpiece that impressed me but not really the one that ages the best. Games from that era that I still think look good are the ones where the art design allows you to overlook the technical aspect (Chrono Cross and Metal Gear come to mind first).

 

[fake]

A lot of people are talking about the games that initially wowed them, but isn't the thread supposed to be about the objectively best-looking game of the era? I'd say these are the stand-outs in terms of being technically and visually impressive:

Metal Gear Solid
Vagrant Story
Breath of Fire IV
Parasite Eve (maybe)

 

[jro]

Dino Crisis 2.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Parasite Eve (maybe)

PE2 looks better.

Alone in the Dark The New Nightmare has a pretty impressive lighting engine for the console but the 3d models kill it

 

[DevilRedeemed]

I' m completely there with you regarding Vagrant Story, fakexsound. Real magic.


About N64 being excluded, I just don't feel it was really part of the narrative or the arms race in those days. Of course it was highly influential but kind of from the margins.
I do think it can be included though, screw it.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

Silent Hill knocked me for six when I first played it. More so even than RE1

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Silent Hill knocked me for six when I first played it. More so even than RE1

Silent Hill is a perfect example of how art direction trumps raw rendering power every time. Same could be said of Metal Gear Solid, I'm sure you can find better looking PC games of that period but nothing with such great model/texture work and cinematic detail.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

Silent Hill is a perfect example of how art direction trumps raw rendering power every time. Same could be said of Metal Gear Solid, I'm sure you can find better looking PC games of that period but nothing with such great model/texture work and cinematic detail.

Exactly. And the rumble feature was so perfect for those first encounters with these genres of gaming. It was the whole package.
Yeah game design and art direction is king

 

[oliverclaude]

I think the 'whit era' game was a typo for 32 bit era.

I enjoyed the read anyway!

Thanks Steven, your freedom part beats everything, though. So true, walking sims took over the gameplay bit and I suppose 'getting lost' serves now as a recommendation. Like in a movie without a director. Well, I did mention Fujiwara and Resident Evil is my 32 bit era game. The opposite of open world, i.e. a movie with a director. Luckily one that was sadistic enough to keep me satisfied. Of course it didn't 'age well', but my memory of playing it did.

 

[GutsDozer]

Resident Evil 2 was a thing of beauty.

 

[max 330 mega]

Definitely Burning Rangers for me. The sound in that game is incredible.

 

[LoneSage]

I'll think about this later, but Tekken 3 comes to mind as the critics' favorite at the time. Would have got EGM's first perfect 10 sweeps if not for Sushi-X.

 

[Late]

I'd say these are the stand-outs in terms of being technically and visually impressive:

Metal Gear Solid
Vagrant Story

Was just coming to post these.

 

[Massive Urethra Chode]

Soukyugurentai on Saturn throws a lot of sprites around, with impressive fullscreen scaling and impressive textures that still look good no matter how close or far away they are viewed. With very tasteful use of 3D that adds just the right amount of depth.

 

[Mr Bakaboy]

Honestly I think 2d holds up the best in the PSX generation. Mega Man X4 and Mega Man 8 along with Castlevania Symphony of the Night come to mind.

 

[ggallegos1]

Parasite Eve and Xenogears come to mind for me. I'm playing through Xenogears right now and the art direction and cinematic camera panning really enhance the story.

 

[geise]

2D wise I'll go with Astal. 3D I'll throw my hat in for R4.

 

[HeavyMachineGoob]

PS1: Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill
Saturn: Burning Rangers and Panzer Dragoon Saturn

 

[Mr. Mort]

Powerslave on the Saturn is a technical marvel. Complex levels, light sourcing, smooth framerate, etc.
Vampire Savior on the Saturn also looks amazing. Stunning animation.

Ridge Racer Type 4: and Wipeout 3 really pushed the PlayStation.

 

[Leback]

I think Symphony of the night is one of the most beautiful games ever made, with great sound/music as well. If only 3D games I would say Metal gear solid and Soul Edge/Blade (Namco and Sega arcade ports in general).