Which 1st-person RPGs (blobbers, etc) had the best fake-3D art?

[mondblut]

Skeldal is weird. Very pretty environments (almost, but not quite on Ishar level), dumbo disney creature sprites, and that lame-ass toddler's first 3d model of a boat - like they had some good artists but no art director to control them.

 

[Sinatar]

Yea Gates of Skedal looks like it had 3 or 4 different art departments working on it, all of whom were given wildly different instructions.

 

[V_K]

Skeldal's sprites work better with environments when moving. As for the boat - well, it's 1998 after all, not like MM6's boats are much better looking.

 

[PotatoElemental]

I think this deserves an honorable (???) mention.

Especially for its startlingly accurate depiction of radical feminists

 

[cvv]

The feminist is spot on. But otherwise Stonekeep is probably the uglies major RPGs of all times. I'll take the early Wiz wireframes over this early digitization monstrosity any time.

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

Turning animations often look really weird in fake-3D. That is, if there are any transitions between say facing north and facing west.

 

[Alchemist]

Turning animations often look really weird in fake-3D. That is, if there are any transitions between say facing north and facing west.

Yeah if I did go with fake-3D I wouldn't have turning animations at all. It just looks awkward in every implementation I've seen for it.

 

[rohand]

I love Amberstar/Ambermoon's art style

 

[Xathrodox86]

Anvil of Dawn was the best looking 2d blobber IMO.

Is that dragon laced with dynamite? Daaaaamn!

 

[Melan]

Ishar had the best environmental art. It had a great illusion of height (things didn't look 10'x10'x10'), the occasional instances of elevated terrain (in the mountains), and a good eye for style. Its cities had canals, overpasses, bridges and cramped construction. Its forests looked dense and ancient. It had plains with menhirs and tall windmill-like towers. It had a very distinct appearance, with a hint of sword&sorcery. The dungeons were arguably the weakest, but still not bad.

It was absolutely style over substance, but what style! Even the boxes the games were sold in were beautiful; I used them for years to store tabletop RPG stuff.

 

[PotatoElemental]

Is that dragon laced with dynamite? Daaaaamn!

Sack full of gas/liquid for producing a deathbringing breath of flame + punctures from pointy metal objects + possible sparks from said said pointy metal objects scraping on scales = FUN

 

[Nael]

Might and Magic 2-5. It is not even close you fucking hipster faggots.

 

[Excidium II]

Might and Magic 2-5. It is not even close you fucking hipster faggots.

this nigga blind

 

[Baxander]

Lands of Lore. Yes, Lands of Lore.

 

[Invictus]

I would have gone for Wizardry 7, Grimoire and Might and Magic III but Ishar looks very good, I had never seen it and would love to play the amiga versions instead of the PC ones on gog
Ohh no Dungeon Master combat....no way I am too old for that shite

 

[Excidium II]

Lands of Lore. Yes, Lands of Lore.

Cool orc thing.

 

[Lady_Error]

I'd say Wizardry 7 has the most atmospheric fake-3D graphics, though those in Eye of the Beholder 2 and Lands of Lore probably look more beautiful.

Not that impressed by the Ishar graphics or Anvil of Dawn.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Didn't play it, but this looks great to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO5CxTJLiQU

 

[theSavant]

Regarding "Anvil of Dawn": how is this a blobber? It's only a 1-man-party.

+1 for Lands of Lore with best graphics. An important point to mention is, that it also got a nice, clean-looking interface. Ishar, Wizardry, Amberstar, Might&Magic, even Eye of the Beholder,... all of them had uglier interfaces. But Lands of Lore got the aesthetics right in game environment and GUI.

 

[Lady_Error]

For all its beauty, Lands of Lore was a major decline:

- You had to choose from one of four pre-made characters
- Only 2 NPC's can join the party, so a total of just three characters in the party

 

[majestik12]

 

[Lady_Error]

Of all the graphics in Realms of Arkania the 3D-graphics were probably one of the weaker parts - though still pretty good:

 

[SCO]

Ishar maybe is beautiful but it plays like ass. Also there is a unpatched game blocker bug just before the ending in all english versions of Ishar 3

 

[Dyskolos]

Since no one's mentioned it - I have a soft spot for an old Dungeon Master clone called Black Crypt (I'm pretty sure the Grimrock guys do too as they more or less jacked one of the floors for the first game). It doesn't have much in the way of environmental variety, but I love the attention to detail on the enemies.

 

[rohand]

Since no one's mentioned it - I have a soft spot for an old Dungeon Master clone called Black Crypt (I'm pretty sure the Grimrock guys do too as they more or less jacked one of the floors for the first game). It doesn't have much in the way of environmental variety, but I love the attention to detail on the enemies.

It's even been converted to Grimrock as a mod (though unfinished)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=96085337&searchtext=