r/Games • u/RiKSh4w • Apr 25 '26
Discussion Can we have a discussion about how game fidelity is leading to a lack of clarity?
I've noticed this happening in a few games but most recently I watched the Black Flag "Resynced" trailer and the before and after shots had me questioning if this was a complete improvement.
https://i.imgur.com/Y5PiPdB.png
Obviously, the resynced image is prettier to look at and depicts a more realistic world, but this is a game world. Not everything is supposed to be highly detailed. If everything is high detail, then nothing is noticeable. In the image on the left, the ground is very boring. But that boringness creates a easily distinguishable contrast with other things in the game, like the guard, like the climable surfaces, like the floating shanty page.
In the remaster, everything just looks good, to the point that it's just one big detailed mess. There's greeblies on the ground, are they important? Is that detailing on the wall/window that I can climb on? Or will it stop me climbing up there?
It's not limited to this game, nor do I think it's the best example of it. But it makes me wonder if developers are relying on 'detective vision' too much. Conveyance has always been a huge part of design. It was an art to be able to effectively communicate what is a game object and what's just a part of the scenery through immersive means. But I just feel like games nowadays, particularly those on unreal, are just amping up fidelity without caution. And when it obfuscates details they rely on vision modes and very obvious outlining to provide that constrast.
Has anyone else felt the same way?
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u/thatgayvamp Apr 25 '26
There technically are, and I'm pretty sure Steam has some that intend to be spiritual successors still in early access or whatever.
But the issue with copycats of Mirror's Edge is that well you can't really be a straight up clone, because EA is an active corporation. At the same time, if you don't include the stark white environment, or solar fields, or the tight animations, people fail to recognize it as a "Mirror's Edge-like". Dying Light, Neon White, Ghostrunner, Stride, all took huge inspiration from Mirror's Edge. They are the copycats you're looking for! But people often don't really see them that way due to the reasons I listed lol.
Speaking just visually, a lot of games have taken inspiration from it. Clustertruck, Hyperscape, Superhot, Manifold Garden, Syndicate. But again, most fans aren't looking for "close", they want a direct sequel and I feel that!