Do Videogames Need More Graphical Grit?

Thanks to GamerDad for its editorial discussing whether some recent videogames, such as Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, look "too sterile and perfect" . The author explains: "The animation is fine but the world Snake runs through is too sharp edged. There's no dirt and grime in the graphics because they're perfect versions of what was seen in the original game. Somehow, these better graphics have detracted somewhat from my opinion of the newer game." He continues: "DOOM 3, for as great as it looks, suffers from a lack of grit in still shots. I'm hoping the final game will not have the plastic look of the current pictures. Even the highly polished Quake III Arena didn't come across as being plastic to me." Do other gamers share this perception of graphical sterility in some recent games?

Half-Life...

[Tickenest]

I'm one of the few people who didn't like the game, and it was largely because of the sterility of the levels. It felt like work.

I agree

[Torgo's Pizza]

Doom 3 definitely needs more smeared blood on the walls and floors.

BTW, if I'm responsible for getting the most GRIT [grit.com] into Doom 3, do I get some cool prizes?

Boxes

[J_DarkElf]

Videogame worlds are staffed by really efficient janitors, who store all the dust and grime in boxes. Which is why you see those everywhere.

artifacts are a feature!

[beegle]

How long before nVidia and ATI fanboys get into wars about which company's "dirt and grit engine" is better?

I predict that nVidia's next driver release actually adds back in some of artifacts that their old drivers used to leave all over the screen. They will claim that this is their new Enhanced Reality Engine and sic lawyers on any site that bitches about the artifacts.

Re:Boxes

[Scrameustache]

Videogame worlds are staffed by really efficient janitors, who store all the dust and grime in boxes. Which is why you see those everywhere.

Reminds of when I was playing Resident Evil...it wasn't the zombies, the green leapers or the Tyrant that were creeping me out the most, it was the Janitor, who would silently go in rooms as soon as I exited them and remove all the corpses.

Fast like a freak, with am insatiable apetite for zombie flesh...can't get much more creepy than that! ;-)