Graphics vs. gameplay. This age-old question couldn't be any more important than it is today, and perhaps even more of a problem. Since the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 came out, developers have been slaving over making their game look as eye-popping as possible, whether it be the ladies in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, or Poseidon's eyes in God of War III. Unfortunately, sound gameplay mechanics have been tossed aside in the process, and legend Hironobu Sakaguchi wants nothing of it.
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi shared some sentiments in a recent interview, some of which were aimed at the growing popularity of graphics. He stated:
There's a tendency for developers to allow all their energy to be diverted into maintaining the high quality of the graphics.
He went on to mention that graphics don't have to play as big of a role in making a game successful. Is that really true, though? If you look at virtually every game that has sold over a million copies this generation, one quality they share is that they look good (i.e. Gran Turismo 5, Gears of War 3, StarCraft II). But then again, they all play exceptionally as well.
Sakaguchi left Square Enix after the development of Final Fantasy XII at which point the company directed their full attention on visual beauty with Final Fantasy XIII. In a genre where it is expected for the world to be vast and full of activities, it's no wonder that the game was considered one of the weaker releases of the series.
If you could choose one or the other, which would be your pick: gameplay or graphics? Share your response below.
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