Snes-16bit retro... good idea or not?

[Kyriakos]

Trying to model in the style of SNES horror games...

(updated pic first)

Ultimately for technical reasons (the forest/sky scene is an altered image placed on a plane facing the camera).

Does it look any cool?

(edit- added gif)

 

[timtofly]

It looks rad.

 

[Zelig]

Too dark / too little contrast, can't make anything out.

 

[Kyriakos]

It looks rad.

Thanks

Re tone, i think when animated it is far easier to tell what is what. Besides, it is supposed to be a night scene, and the character is about to leave before complete darkness falls.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Yes though most 16bit reto games pixels are a lot larger or should that be closer to the resolution of the classical consoles. Look at gemni Rue for example
Large blocky pixels, though it means hand crafting the background rather then trying to use filters.

 

[Kyriakos]

Pixel by pixel work is impossible for most people - myself included.

 

[Cheetah]

Looks great.

 

[Kyriakos]

Thanks

 

[Kyriakos]

Hm, what about this hybrid-sort of style? (background is a uv-mapped image onto a plane, foreground are 3d models)

 

[Zelig]

Still too dark, can't make anything out.

 

[warpus]

Talking about the last image posted:

Might work for a game with dark themes. But I agree that I had to move my head in a bit closer to really see what was there where the character is standing. Might be annoying for players, but I like the overall concept

 

[Kyriakos]

Thanks There will be local lights in the balcony & the character is not in that darkness in-game.

 

[Kyriakos]

It is the more neutral/calm room in the horror game

You like?

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I love your art. Though I am curious, what are your favorite horror-type games for the SNES?

Any recommendations for surreal (old) console games in general?

I've played LSD Dream Simulator (for PS 1), right now I'm playing Quest 64 for Nintendo 64.

Also got myself Uncharted Waters II and some of the other Koei historical simulation games.

 

[Kyriakos]

Clocktower is the only one i am familiar with, on the Snes

As for horror adventure games in general, for computers, you may like the Gabriel Knight series, Phantasmagoria (which is pretty brutal), Sanitarium has its moments, and Harvester is very dark-humour and gore ridden

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I like the pic with the buildings a lot but still think it is a bit too dark. I see you are looking for an atmospheric depressive effect but maybe you could get the same with some more light avoiding player eye strain at the same time.

In any case, once all misteries are finally resolved, the final scene could be in a luminous sunny day at the beach drinking piña colada or something to compensate.

 

[Kyriakos]

I like the pic with the buildings a lot but still think it is a bit too dark. I see you are looking for an atmospheric depressive effect but maybe you could get the same with some more light avoiding player eye strain at the same time.

In any case, once all misteries are finally resolved, the final scene could be in a luminous sunny day at the beach drinking piña colada or something to compensate.

You know that this could never be the end in a story written by me

Usually the happiest point in the stories is at the very beginning. And in this particular one - as the plot currently is set - yeah, that is very true...

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Clocktower is the only one i am familiar with, on the Snes

As for horror adventure games in general, for computers, you may like the Gabriel Knight series, Phantasmagoria (which is pretty brutal), Sanitarium has its moments, and Harvester is very dark-humour and gore ridden

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try them out.

I was already familiar with phantasmagoria, gonna play that one next

 

[Snerk]

Very cool pics! I agree that some areas are just too dark but overall the art is really cool.

 

[Kyriakos]

Very cool pics! I agree that some areas are just too dark but overall the art is really cool.

Thanks

I think that roughly 60-70% of the game is done by now, particularly the animated sequences, which are around 15 (not counting simple reversal).

Usually dialogue-option driven, or object-examination, etc. The story is the core part of the game at any rate. I think it will be roughly the size of AGS games like the very nice Sisyphus Reborn and A Date in the Park, ie up to 30 min to complete for the player. (it has more than one ending, though; at least two very distinct).