games that have an ugly 'early 3D' look

[luj1]

To be honest, this focus on single detail doesn't really capture the problem with early 3D. Like, i don't think games like Quake 2 actually count, or stuff like stretched out textures on low poly models in and of itself.

My biggest pet peeve when 3D games first started rolling out is how obviously limited the technology was in the way the enviorments were generally stripped and devoid of actual complexity, just some flat or curved terrain with a single texture stretched over it with sparse low poly assets haphazardly placed on top in a way that barely seemed natural. I rember the first time i was "shocked" by early 3D was Dark Reign 2, which is funny because Total Annihilation, despite also being very early 3D, didn't have this problem.

Just look at this shit:

Early 3D also stood out to me if it was visibly worse than whatever 2D antecedent it came to replace, which Dark Reign 2 also did as the first game just looked better to me than the texture filtered blob above. Example of this include stuff like Neverwinter Nights vis the Baldur's Gate games.

2D > 3D in any era except current, but that kinda looks nice

 

[Modron]

So what is the earliest 3D game you guys have revisited recently? Incubation: Time is Running Out would be my answer.

 

[Zlaja]

The first thing to come to mind when I think of ugly 3D is the first Dungeon Siege. Sure, it's not technically an early 3D game (released in 2002), but the game was a real eyesore. And it was such already on day 1. It didn't become ugly with time. It was ugly on release.

Some screenshots

 

[Ludwig von Eisenthal]

The first thing to come to mind when I think of ugly 3D is the first Dungeon Siege. Sure, it's not technically an early 3D game (released in 2002), but the game was a real eyesore. And it was such already on day 1. It didn't become ugly with time. It was ugly on release.

Some screenshots

I can't agree here. I remember it being praised back then for its graphics and I found them rather impressive myself. Gameplay itself was horribly simplistic and linear, but the graphical representation of the game world wasn't bad at all.

 

[Ludwig von Eisenthal]

So what is the earliest 3D game you guys have revisited recently? Incubation: Time is Running Out would be my answer.

That's a fine game, I enjoy it now and then again. Great example for a well concepted "early" 3D game. Built on the very solid, early 3D engine that also ran Extreme Assault. Both have aged rather well I think. And I begin to suspect that games that not exclusively use 3D acceleration but also have a software mode generally aged better than these 3D accelerator exclusives. Somehow developers (and greedy corporations behind them) wanted to go full steam ahead with the whole 3D accelerator hype back in the late 90ies/early 2000. They forgot how proper art direction is managed in their enthusiasm.

 

[JarlFrank]

The first thing to come to mind when I think of ugly 3D is the first Dungeon Siege. Sure, it's not technically an early 3D game (released in 2002), but the game was a real eyesore. And it was such already on day 1. It didn't become ugly with time. It was ugly on release.

Some screenshots

This is funny because I liked Dungeon Siege specifically for its beautiful visuals.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I remember playing Bioforge and finding it oppressively ugly, especially combined with the clunky controls. Some people seemed to like it though but these two things put me completely off. It might not have been 3D and just software though. Quake was probably the first true 3D game I played.

 

[whydoibother]

ITT ignoramuses calling 1996-2004 games "early 3D" lmao

Simon the Sorcerer 3 came out in 2002, and its definitely "early 3D"

 

[JarlFrank]

ITT ignoramuses calling 1996-2004 games "early 3D" lmao

Simon the Sorcerer 3 came out in 2002, and its definitely "early 3D"

It has textures so it's not early 3D, it's just bad 3D.

This is early 3D:

Real early 3D was just flat-colored geometric blocks. If there's textures, it's not early 3D, it's from a time when 3D was already an established technology.

Some devs used it well, some didn't.

 

[whydoibother]

It has textures so it's not early 3D

Heh.... you see.... where was 3D before this period of mass transition that everyone posting in this thread knows we are discussing... heh... so you are AKSCHUALLLY wrong! hehehe....

 

[Alienman]

I remember playing Bioforge and finding it oppressively ugly, especially combined with the clunky controls. Some people seemed to like it though but these two things put me completely off. It might not have been 3D and just software though. Quake was probably the first true 3D game I played.

Man, I loved that game as a kid. The oppressive atmosphere combined with body horror.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

So what is the earliest 3D game you guys have revisited recently? Incubation: Time is Running Out would be my answer.

NWN:EE. Played Swordflight 1, 2 and part of 3 last week. Never had a problem with the graphics like others have. I think they're fine... as long as you don't zoom in with your overhead camera perspective too much. The tilesets from the community could be superb.

 

[gabel]

So what is the earliest 3D game you guys have revisited recently? Incubation: Time is Running Out would be my answer.

Doom.
I haven't 'revisited' it though. I never stopped playing. And yes, Doom is 3D.

 

[Ludwig von Eisenthal]

So what is the earliest 3D game you guys have revisited recently? Incubation: Time is Running Out would be my answer.

Doom.
I haven't 'revisited' it though. I never stopped playing. And yes, Doom is 3D.

I think it's a question how you define "early 3d" - I myself thought the thread is about "early 3D accelerated" games (not about every game that features some kind of 3D perspective). So "early 3D accelerated" games is, in my book, the stuff that roughly appeared between 1997 and 2002, a time where every developer felt an irresistible urge to use these new technological possibilities and where art design (and gameplay) often fell back in the process.

 

[Modron]

There were quite a number of 3D accelerated games in 1996; Microsoft was pushing Direct3D in 1996 with Mechwarrior 2 (I know stuff like Rocket Jockey had Direct3D as a minimum requirement, Hyperblade is night and day when Direct3D is enabled). I played a number of demos for 3D games the same year Fallout 1 came on that PC Gamer demo disk for sure.

The Saturn came out in 94, hell the Playstation technically came out in 94 and the Nintendo 64 in 96. Yeah you should extend your timeframe 2 years earlier.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Hah, 94 is early 3D, what are you, 8?

Def an Amiga top-10 game, from 1989:

Braben can suck ass, this was too hard:

 

[Broseph]

The real early 3D games are not really ugly. With the introduction of textures and the initial problems that posed (texture warping, lack of Z-perspective correction on PS1 hardware) they became more ugly for a time.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Hah, 94 is early 3D, what are you, 8?

Def an Amiga top-10 game, from 1989:

Arcticfox from 1986:

 

[Glop_dweller]

No one has mentioned Die by the Sword?

 

[Great Deceiver]

Battle Realms was another damn fine game. It aged very well graphicwise. And gameplay is rather unique too. I think I should play it again sometime. I had countless hours of fun with this game.

Battle Realms is still being actively developed by the original producer (Ed Del Castillo). There's a modern Steam version:

 

[Nifft Batuff]

REAL Early 3D...

 

[Aemar]

Hah, 94 is early 3D, what are you, 8?

Def an Amiga top-10 game, from 1989:

Arcticfox from 1986:

High quality shit, especially when you take into consideration the year of its release.

 

[Dexter]

This is getting a bit silly now. I'm not sure that a lot of these line-draw constructs placed to vaguely resemble 3D shapes even technically count as 3D. Btw. here's "real 3D" from 1966:

 

[Lagole Gon]

Lmao, Codexian pissing contest of posting THE EARLIEST EARLY 3D GAMEZ! Having said that, including KotOR in the OP was pretty silly.
I think when most people mention "early 3D" they mean something around 1995 - 1999. Jedi Knight, Die by the Sword, Trespasser, TombRaider 1-3 and the Lara Corft wannabes.

Objectively, this is horrible.

But it undeniably has an unique atmosphere to it. Low resolution 3d really forces your imagination to fill the gaps and humanoid forms always look disturbing. Spooky.
Made non-horror games of that time much scarier than intended. No wonder there's a fair number of indie early-3d horror games.

 

[CHEMS]

Goldeneye 007. /thread

Goldeney had better "NPC hit reactions" than many modern shooters. Gameplay was smooth as fuck, even for a N64 shooter