I have to disagree with you about Dragon Age Origins. It had a few graphical issues, but for 2010, this game was a masterpiece in every sense of the word. EVERYONE loved it. Do want to be Good? Or do you want to be Evil? REALLY Evil...
First game I thought about when I read the title: Valheim. That game has nailed the building system, leveling progression, exploration, environment, atmosphere and reward system. The creature design varies, but it's not bad imo. I've spend soo much time playing Valheim during a more difficult time and I can really recommend the game.
To me, it feels like they really didn't know what they wanted to do with their art design. It's low-res, but also tries way too hard with the visual effects. It would have been one thing to commit to the PS1 graphical style, but it feels like an unintended limitation rather than a deliberate design choice.
I honestly loved it, its like minecraft with crazy lighting mods. All the atmosphere without needing much more graphics wise😊 i also loved the physics with the trees and smoke
I will say that the graphics look less ropey when viewed from high up as it was intended, doesn't change that ME is technically better, but viewed from above its quite pretty (for 2010) :)
I still prefer them not looking like Lego blocks drifting around in gravy. Graphics don't need photo-realism, but they also shouldn't give you an urge to gouge your eyes out
I prefer a game to have a great story and great game play to at least have okay graphics. I don't want graphics to be too grainy. It can give you headaches.
If you were born in the 1970s, all of these games look like photorealistic unimaginable witchcraft we could have only dreamed of whilst playing Arkanoid and Frogger etc. Tetris has got to be the best gameplay over graphics.
honestly I was born in 2003 but all these games look good to me. It's probably because for the longest time I couldn't play anything other than Minecraft on 30 fps on my laptop. That kind of made me appreciate all kinds of graphics, even the ones that are considered bad by many people. It's fun to see people with such an age difference see things like this in a similar way
I was thinking, my first systems were an Atari and an NES….back in the late ‘80s my little child brain would break looking at games from the modern era.
I dont disagree with gameranx, but New Vegas has such a different environment than the ruins of 3 or the pretty but also kind of generic 4. The open deserts, the cliffs, and small towns, Legion fortress, NCR bases, and New Vegas are so varied.
@@NigerianCrusadernot without mods. I adored Oblivion but the enemy scaling system just doesn't hold up at all. Fix that with a mod and fair enough. But go back to it now and it just sticks out like a sore thumb.
I can't believe you didn't mention Rogue. It's about as graphically simple as it gets, but the gameplay was so engaging and entertaining that it inspired entire genres which are still producing best-sellers nearly fifty years later. It has to be the undisputed king of this list.
I love what Dragon Age Origins accomplished and wish more games took their approach with role playing elements and focus on story. The gameplay was satisfying with utilizing abilities in combat. One of the more underrated games in my opinion
@@mtnman8783 Especially considering that Veilguard looks like the same colorful, regurgitated fantasy that studios have been pumping out lately. With dumbed down hack and slash combat as well.
It's a newer one but El Paso Elsewhere from last year. Simple graphics but a great shooter, bullet time and all. It also has a surprisingly deep story and the music absolutely kicks ass. A really great game that deserves a lot of love.
I recently reinstalled Thief Gold to play the recent fan-made full campaign mod Thief: The Black Parade. The graphics are definitely dated, but that classic Thief style stealth gameplay is as good as ever. This all new campaign is just as good as Thief: the Dark Project, and includes the classic style mission briefings, cutscenes, . . .everything. Definitely a can't miss for Thief fans.
Wasn't too keen on the first map or the final "Maw of Chaos" equivalent level, but _The Black Parade_ game was incredibly good. I too cannot recommend it highly enough.
@@slowerthinker That was sort of a spoiler as I am only on mission 6, but no biggie. What makes this mod so special is that it's like Looking Glass Studios had been resurrected to make Thief 1.5. The team who made this mod does in fact include a couple LGS alumni, including the lead art designer.
Dragon Age Origins' having a bunch of different beginnings was such a great idea and the polar opposite of the much more common "play the same forced intro and tutorial 50+ times" *cough* Skyrim* and I have no idea why it isn't more popular other than it must be more work
Dragom Age Origins may have taken me several tries to get into (mainly because I'm not a fan of the combat system) but the story made it worth it and I just enjoyed how much the story was spread across all three games
Valheim is fawkin beautiful especially at night when you stop looking at your immediate surroundings and look point your gaze into the distance and the camera's depth of field focuses and makes everything surprisingly clear. everytime i do this accidentally i am repeatedly stunned by the skybox and how good the world looks when you let yourself stop looking at the forest for the trees. and omg the water, especially in a storm with the physics ...
Wrong as always,modders are d o r k s without talents whovan only do things with the tools the developers provided & bethesda makes perfect games,these are facts.
Lately I've been playing Ancient Dungeon VR. It looks like Minecraft (which I can't stand) but the game is very fun. Each run through is randomly generated. The power ups are randomized, so sometimes you struggle and sometimes you end up very powerful. The VR mechanics for knife-throwing is insanely fun and responsive.
Number one on my list, Outward. It's not bad looking but graphics clearly weren't the first priority. There's so many mechanics and things to explore in Outward it's crazyyyy. The amount of different craftable armors and weapons.
So glad Spiderweb got some love, they are amazing games, I got them all in a humble bundle years ago but lost the Steam account... still miss them, never had a chance to play them all :)
Honestly as long as its fun and you're able to tell what you're looking at it doesnt really matter. Plus Ultrakill runs on literally anything so it's worth it.
When I heard you mention Geneforge, I gasped. I played the series back when I was a kid and I'm currently going through the remaster of the first game and it's so good. Definitely challenging, but rewarding. They just remastered the 2nd game and I hope they continue to do so to the entire series! I didn't even get past the 2nd game as a kid.
Also, for anyone interested, the remasters of the first two games are on sale on Steam until July 11th. Along with the originals! Highly recommend the remasters!
Cataclysm (both the Dark Days Ahead and Bright Nights editions) is probably one of the most in depth apocalypse survival rpgs out there. Very brutal, turn based, graphics comparable to dwarf fortress (unless you install a graphics pack). If you survive the first 50 turns you may get a chance to see the depth the game has. On a similar note and one that's technically cheating as it's getting graphical updates in the newest build, but Project Zomboid follows a similar path to CDDA/CBN of being a zombie survival game, but it has a similar level of depth. It's styled to look like the Sims 1 and 2 with a fixed camera perspective. Very tense, fun with some friends and some mods.
The "Salt and" games are SO GOOD. And really bravo to the creators for taking the sequel in a creative and different direction. Was hoping for more of the same and was very pleasantly surprised with something interesting and new-ish.
I'll just say, I prefer the way DA Origins looks as opposed to any other game in the series. The blood on the character models after a fight and just the darker atmosphere just pulls me in everytime. Even DA2 kept that white and painted blood red aesthetic
You can't discuss this topic without Dwarf Fortress. Back when I started playing it, it was still just ASCII symbols, people just barely starting to dip toes into tilesets as a thing. The complexity that's there after 20 years of development is unfathomable, but until recently, it very much came from sacrificing graphics entirely.
@@Vixlyuu Not sure how much younger Cataclysm is, but I do remember playing the early builds of that for the first time in the same span of maybe 5-6 years too. Not nearly as complex as DF, but by far the most complex zombie game out there.
Gameranx my proposition for you is to make your own evolution videos. Like „game graphic evolution”. I love these kind videos and I would love to watch your version :)
Personally, I really disagree that godhand has bad graphics at the time of release. Sure it doesn't hold up now, but back when it came out and I played as a kid, it looked as 'realistic' as any other game. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about this classic. Thank you Gameranx for reminding me of the amazing fun times I had with this game :)
Could you guys please start putting the names of the games you’re talking about back in the video chapters like you used to 🙏🏼. It makes it so much easier to know what game you’re talking about if you happen to miss it. Sometimes I’ll be fully attentive to the video and still miss it. Thanks 🙏🏼 keep up the great work!
Valheim is such a masterpiece. The sheer beauty of the world, along with the gameplay and in depth building mechanics really make up for any qualms people may have about the graphics. Honestly, I wouldnt change a thing about Valheim visually. I just wish I could find more people to join my village server
also appreciate Rimworld, long time owner of that game, it sits in the back of my steam library for days when im bored but have no internet or cell service. great colony game
Sounds like you’re just trying to get likes for a tired bandwagon joke. Pokémon’s graphics were only bad recently and the gameplay has always been excellent. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
There's a lot of games that look rough by current standards just because they're so old, but they still deserve nomination because they're old, rough and A LOT of people still play them. Oblivion.
I would recommend Baba is You, HROT, and Gunpoint as three games that prioritize gameplay over graphics. HROT, in particular, leans into the Dusk-like Quake retro aesthetic, but has so much charm and detail that it ends up being a Czech history lesson with its own brand of Build engine interactive silliness.
I would include Dead Rising in the list. Even for its time the graphics were very basic especially for a Capcom game. It shines with its simplistic combat system and overwhelming number of zombies and unique boss battles. The timer system created a sense of urgency, and with using nearly anything you find as a weapon was pretty unique for an open world zombie survival game of that time.
Making my way through the video now. If Arcanum is not on the list, it should be. An excellent game that def was not ground breaking graphics even when it came out.
@@McGeezle It really depends on what you want in a game, But PZ gives probably among the most realistic zombie experiences if you put aside the graphics, Especially so if you consider the next update adding all sorts of lore things plus a ton more depth to the crafting and progression
It took me until 2017 or so to start appreciating games with different graphics. And man am i glad i did. A trend ive noticed playing retro style and simple graphic games, and just games of old in general. but there is SO much more content usually. more things to do and find. more characters to speak to. its just all a bit rougher around the edges compared to whatever current AAA title. Games like Octopath Traveler and Dread Delusion are perfect examples of this. At the end of the day, when you stop caring so much about the graphics, you learn there are so many fun games to play.
Usually graphics is a big hindrance to content. Not always like FF7 Rebirth is just massive AND has the graphics (and the gameplay). But if you don't have to put as much effort into the graphics, you can put that effort into content.
There is also pseudoregalia, it's 3d metroidvania about movement, it isn't long, but it has enough skills to get and challenges to beat, as well as interesting and weird locations
My favorite example of this in vr is an awesome indie game called warriors of titus. It's a vr MOBA. Graphics are simple but the gameplay is soooo good and deep.
Would have been crushed if Dwarf Fortress wasnt in the top-3 or so. Good job Gameranx, you're miles ahead of watchmojo. You probably could have put Project Zomboid and Easteside Hockey Manager (the superior freeware version) on here as well. i think anything older than being released in 2000 or 2001 might be 'cheating' but there are some good ones from the early 90s
Because all its good gameplay comes from mods, maps and servers. The vanilla game has neither good graphics or gameplay, it’s honestly just a disgrace that makes at Launch bf 2042 look like Elden ring in terms of quality and quantity. And I don’t think gameranx was counting games whose “good gameplay” was done not halfway but entirely by the community and not the devs.
You nailed exactly why Deus Ex spent nearly two decades at the top of so many top 100 lists in the gaming community, most notably PC Gamer's. It would only be unseated from # 1 with the advent of Witcher 3.
Back when Quake 3 Arena was at its peak, I always intentionally lowered graphics settings below what was possible in game's options. I remember I liked to disable all visual effects and set texture mipmap in a way that there were no visible textures left. It helped with fps but also with the gameplay by removing everything and leaving only important parts - level geometry and player models.
I really enjoyed one of Rockstar's early games [the project was transferred to them from Bungie(?)]. It was called ONI. It maximized gameplay with semi-transparent walls (once the player entered rooms) and you could lock camera angles at 45°. I was the first time I remember observing NPC models with breathe animations
The "it's just a straight up game" line, it's crazy in the world of gaming where we're actually excited to buy a game and have it be just a straight up game haha
Soul searching was a great game to me and my friend. It was ugly to look at but beautiful at the same time. It’s not about the friends you make along the way, it’s not starving on a boat in the middle of the ocean
Fallout New Vegas is probably my favorite game of all time, I've been doing another playthrough recently, it's usually only a matter of time before I start a new character. And that Dwarf Fortress drunken cats bit is hilarious lmao
I used to play quake back in the day and turning off the textures made you way more efficient. It made for a very poor graphics experience but you could see other players so much easier.
I always love when Rimworld comes up. You can also build quite pretty with mods and more assets to place. Vanilla is great too though, but it will always stay this 2D style.
Another game that comes to mind is Grounded. The game looks like it made out of plastic and some of the textures (especially in the hedge) look like they're from a PS2 game, but it's one of the best sandbox survival games out there.
Mag on ps3 had 256 players on one map that came out around the time of mw2 and uncharted 2 didn't have good graphics but it was something seriously special I still hold in my heart to this day
Another good one that could be up there with Dwarf Fortress, is Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead. If you love Lovecraft and Gothic storylines, then it's right up your alley! Not to mention all the mods you can use that drastically changes the game every time you play it!
Positivly surprised to see Dwarf Fortress here. I have played countless hours. I started with a tileset, but when a new version came out and tilesets weren't upgraded quickly enough for poor DF addicted me I braved the ascii. Haven't looked back, but it is great that the official tileset and steam release got more people to play. This is still my number 1 game to take to a lonely island. 10/10, would flood the fortress again.
Thought this was a reupload for a sec 😅
ITS THE OPPOSITE! What a twist!
i read the title quickly and i had the same tought 😆
We all still clicked lmao.
I did a double take before clicking
Its basically a reupload. Wish they did something other than lists, there are just eating a dead horse.
Perfect companion piece to the Graphics over Gameplay. Thanks Jake and crew.
Always
I was just thinking of this! as I just saw the opposing video, and was like "didn't I just watch this" oh, there's no red bar. NOPE!
@@gameranxTV Do Artstyle over Graphics.
@@TheNorth15 Sound over light. 20 Best auditory designs and OSTs.
I have to disagree with you about Dragon Age Origins. It had a few graphical issues, but for 2010, this game was a masterpiece in every sense of the word. EVERYONE loved it. Do want to be Good? Or do you want to be Evil? REALLY Evil...
20: BattleBit Remastered (2023)
19: Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
18: Cruelty Squad (2021)
17: Valheim (2021)
16: Vampire Survivors (2021)
15: Salt and Sanctuary (2016)
14: Dragon Age: Origins (2009)
13: RimWorld (2013)
12: God Hand (2006)
11: Nidhogg (2014) & Nidhogg 2 (2017)
10: Demon’s Souls (2009)
09: Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass (2018)
08: DUSK (2018)
07: Geneforge 2 (2024) or any Spiderweb Software game
06: Hotline Miami (2012)
05: Pizza Tower (2023)
04: Kenshi (2016)
03: Deus Ex (2000)
02: Stephen’s Sausage Roll (2016)
01: Dwarf Fortress (2002)
Thank you! 💯🙏💯
❤❤❤❤
Thanks, handy to have a list.
Thank youuu
Thanks 🎉
First game I thought about when I read the title: Valheim. That game has nailed the building system, leveling progression, exploration, environment, atmosphere and reward system. The creature design varies, but it's not bad imo. I've spend soo much time playing Valheim during a more difficult time and I can really recommend the game.
To me, it feels like they really didn't know what they wanted to do with their art design. It's low-res, but also tries way too hard with the visual effects. It would have been one thing to commit to the PS1 graphical style, but it feels like an unintended limitation rather than a deliberate design choice.
I honestly loved it, its like minecraft with crazy lighting mods. All the atmosphere without needing much more graphics wise😊 i also loved the physics with the trees and smoke
I personally loved it except the mistlands. Eff that place
@@TrueRedRabbit2 Yes, it can be hard.
@@TrueRedRabbit2just wait until you go to the Ashlands..
Dragon Age origins had a great narrative and world building, Great medieval fantasy
👆🏻
I will say that the graphics look less ropey when viewed from high up as it was intended, doesn't change that ME is technically better, but viewed from above its quite pretty (for 2010) :)
DA:O was great but... the franchise just went down hill from there
Went back to it recently to prepare for the new game
Truly one of my favorite games of all time
A game doesn't need to have realistic graphics to be good as long it's fun it will be a good game. That's the problem with modern AAA games.
👆🤌
I still prefer them not looking like Lego blocks drifting around in gravy.
Graphics don't need photo-realism, but they also shouldn't give you an urge to gouge your eyes out
@@boxonothing4087 Agreed I just think that the push for realism can be a little too much nowadays.
I prefer a game to have a great story and great game play to at least have okay graphics. I don't want graphics to be too grainy. It can give you headaches.
100% this! Gameplay is the most important thing and I don't care about the best graphics.
If you were born in the 1970s, all of these games look like photorealistic unimaginable witchcraft we could have only dreamed of whilst playing Arkanoid and Frogger etc.
Tetris has got to be the best gameplay over graphics.
I remember when the box art was prettier than the actual game.
honestly I was born in 2003 but all these games look good to me. It's probably because for the longest time I couldn't play anything other than Minecraft on 30 fps on my laptop. That kind of made me appreciate all kinds of graphics, even the ones that are considered bad by many people. It's fun to see people with such an age difference see things like this in a similar way
I was thinking, my first systems were an Atari and an NES….back in the late ‘80s my little child brain would break looking at games from the modern era.
Tetris is boring and monotonous, in my opinion.
My first system was my older brother's old Atari before I got the nes! I know exactly what you are talking about
I went back to Dragon Age Origins after finishing Baldur's Gate 3. Even with outdated graphics it's still one of the best RPGs out there.
Thats because BG3 is overrated doodoo.
@@user-ni7qv1nd8o It's well rated tho, but hey I respect your opinion tho
Fallout New Vegas didn't need graphics, It's one of the most beloved games ever
👆🏻
I dont disagree with gameranx, but New Vegas has such a different environment than the ruins of 3 or the pretty but also kind of generic 4. The open deserts, the cliffs, and small towns, Legion fortress, NCR bases, and New Vegas are so varied.
YEP BUT OBLIVION IS BETTER
Facts
@@NigerianCrusadernot without mods. I adored Oblivion but the enemy scaling system just doesn't hold up at all. Fix that with a mod and fair enough. But go back to it now and it just sticks out like a sore thumb.
I can't believe you didn't mention Rogue. It's about as graphically simple as it gets, but the gameplay was so engaging and entertaining that it inspired entire genres which are still producing best-sellers nearly fifty years later. It has to be the undisputed king of this list.
Because its graphics was pretty standard during in 80s.
I love what Dragon Age Origins accomplished and wish more games took their approach with role playing elements and focus on story. The gameplay was satisfying with utilizing abilities in combat. One of the more underrated games in my opinion
Crazy that Dragon Age is here. It never occurred to me that its graphics back in the day wasn't great. I thought it was fine.
considering that mass effect 2 and crysis were already out i would say the graphics weren't good at all
@@gianfrancoguevara5636dragon age came out a year before Mass Effect 2.
@@halfricansaint7727 what about crysis im pretty sure that game is older than dragon age and it looks way better
I remember dragon age was complimented for its graphics actually. It wasn’t praised of course, the strength was the gameplay
I'd remove DA and put in Dungeon Siege. Way better gameplay and worse graphics when compared to DA.
actually crazy how DA: Origins ended up being the peak of the franchise.
And it likely always will be
@@mtnman8783 Especially considering that Veilguard looks like the same colorful, regurgitated fantasy that studios have been pumping out lately. With dumbed down hack and slash combat as well.
I see a "New Vegas" thumbnail, I click it! Every damn time!
It's a newer one but El Paso Elsewhere from last year. Simple graphics but a great shooter, bullet time and all. It also has a surprisingly deep story and the music absolutely kicks ass. A really great game that deserves a lot of love.
I recently reinstalled Thief Gold to play the recent fan-made full campaign mod Thief: The Black Parade. The graphics are definitely dated, but that classic Thief style stealth gameplay is as good as ever. This all new campaign is just as good as Thief: the Dark Project, and includes the classic style mission briefings, cutscenes, . . .everything. Definitely a can't miss for Thief fans.
Wasn't too keen on the first map or the final "Maw of Chaos" equivalent level, but _The Black Parade_ game was incredibly good. I too cannot recommend it highly enough.
@@slowerthinker That was sort of a spoiler as I am only on mission 6, but no biggie. What makes this mod so special is that it's like Looking Glass Studios had been resurrected to make Thief 1.5. The team who made this mod does in fact include a couple LGS alumni, including the lead art designer.
Dragon Age Origins' having a bunch of different beginnings was such a great idea and the polar opposite of the much more common "play the same forced intro and tutorial 50+ times" *cough* Skyrim* and I have no idea why it isn't more popular other than it must be more work
Dragom Age Origins may have taken me several tries to get into (mainly because I'm not a fan of the combat system) but the story made it worth it and I just enjoyed how much the story was spread across all three games
I'm the exact same. The story easily helps me get over the tb combat.
Valheim is fawkin beautiful especially at night when you stop looking at your immediate surroundings and look point your gaze into the distance and the camera's depth of field focuses and makes everything surprisingly clear. everytime i do this accidentally i am repeatedly stunned by the skybox and how good the world looks when you let yourself stop looking at the forest for the trees. and omg the water, especially in a storm with the physics ...
bethesda doesn't choose gameplay or graphics. they choose modders
It's the number one reason that they're able to retain players for years even decades
So does mojang tbf.
Wrong as always,modders are d o r k s without talents whovan only do things with the tools the developers provided & bethesda makes perfect games,these are facts.
What if instead of Gameranx it was Freakyranx and instead of ranking games they would get freaky with them
😅
Lmao
Freakbob Baldino
How do you get freaky with games? Unless your talking about the HOLE in the middle of the GAME DISC😅... mumble mumble, etc etc.
giggity
Where is EARTH DEFENSE FORCE? That game is perfect for this video and EDF 6 is coming out next month
Lately I've been playing Ancient Dungeon VR. It looks like Minecraft (which I can't stand) but the game is very fun. Each run through is randomly generated. The power ups are randomized, so sometimes you struggle and sometimes you end up very powerful. The VR mechanics for knife-throwing is insanely fun and responsive.
Salt and Sanctuary as well as Kenshi are both EXCELLENT games
7:48
Literally in the middle of hell...
The game: You feel cold.
Number one on my list, Outward. It's not bad looking but graphics clearly weren't the first priority. There's so many mechanics and things to explore in Outward it's crazyyyy. The amount of different craftable armors and weapons.
So glad Spiderweb got some love, they are amazing games, I got them all in a humble bundle years ago but lost the Steam account... still miss them, never had a chance to play them all :)
Dragon age origins is still my favorite rpg to this day. TO THIS DAY!
Salt & Sanctuary looks amazing! It's all hand drawn!
Yes, I was appalled that anyone would call that gorgeous artwork "bad" in any way.
Honestly as long as its fun and you're able to tell what you're looking at it doesnt really matter. Plus Ultrakill runs on literally anything so it's worth it.
When I heard you mention Geneforge, I gasped. I played the series back when I was a kid and I'm currently going through the remaster of the first game and it's so good. Definitely challenging, but rewarding. They just remastered the 2nd game and I hope they continue to do so to the entire series! I didn't even get past the 2nd game as a kid.
Also, for anyone interested, the remasters of the first two games are on sale on Steam until July 11th. Along with the originals! Highly recommend the remasters!
Cataclysm (both the Dark Days Ahead and Bright Nights editions) is probably one of the most in depth apocalypse survival rpgs out there. Very brutal, turn based, graphics comparable to dwarf fortress (unless you install a graphics pack). If you survive the first 50 turns you may get a chance to see the depth the game has.
On a similar note and one that's technically cheating as it's getting graphical updates in the newest build, but Project Zomboid follows a similar path to CDDA/CBN of being a zombie survival game, but it has a similar level of depth. It's styled to look like the Sims 1 and 2 with a fixed camera perspective. Very tense, fun with some friends and some mods.
Isometric is a middle ground between side graphics and full 3D that can look rather good for the effort.
The "Salt and" games are SO GOOD. And really bravo to the creators for taking the sequel in a creative and different direction. Was hoping for more of the same and was very pleasantly surprised with something interesting and new-ish.
I'll just say, I prefer the way DA Origins looks as opposed to any other game in the series. The blood on the character models after a fight and just the darker atmosphere just pulls me in everytime. Even DA2 kept that white and painted blood red aesthetic
This channel is an absolute diamond in youtube and as a gaming channel. Love you gameranx ❤. Keep up the great work.
So glad to see Kenshi on here. Love that game!
Love this compilation Gameranx! I’m going to be trying out Nidhogg and Salt & Sanctuary because of this.
Salt and Sanctuary was made by two people, I think it looks great for what they had at the time.
You can't discuss this topic without Dwarf Fortress. Back when I started playing it, it was still just ASCII symbols, people just barely starting to dip toes into tilesets as a thing. The complexity that's there after 20 years of development is unfathomable, but until recently, it very much came from sacrificing graphics entirely.
it reminds me of CDDA
@@Vixlyuu Not sure how much younger Cataclysm is, but I do remember playing the early builds of that for the first time in the same span of maybe 5-6 years too. Not nearly as complex as DF, but by far the most complex zombie game out there.
@@ledumpsterfire6474 cool
Gameranx my proposition for you is to make your own evolution videos. Like „game graphic evolution”. I love these kind videos and I would love to watch your version :)
Still wishing Battlebit will be released on consoles. Feel it’d have a soar in new players
Agreed. It reminds me of the Roblox mod phantom forces
Personally, I really disagree that godhand has bad graphics at the time of release. Sure it doesn't hold up now, but back when it came out and I played as a kid, it looked as 'realistic' as any other game. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about this classic. Thank you Gameranx for reminding me of the amazing fun times I had with this game :)
Could you guys please start putting the names of the games you’re talking about back in the video chapters like you used to 🙏🏼. It makes it so much easier to know what game you’re talking about if you happen to miss it. Sometimes I’ll be fully attentive to the video and still miss it. Thanks 🙏🏼 keep up the great work!
Valheim is such a masterpiece. The sheer beauty of the world, along with the gameplay and in depth building mechanics really make up for any qualms people may have about the graphics. Honestly, I wouldnt change a thing about Valheim visually. I just wish I could find more people to join my village server
I’d like to give a honorable mention to Mount and Blade Warband.
A personal favorite
also appreciate Rimworld, long time owner of that game, it sits in the back of my steam library for days when im bored but have no internet or cell service. great colony game
Vindication for loving the hell out of RimWorld
Pokémon chose neither.
I only play for the pokemon lol
Heretic!
Pokemon as a turn based game is one of the best out there. I think people don't understand how complex competitive Pokemon is
Sounds like you’re just trying to get likes for a tired bandwagon joke. Pokémon’s graphics were only bad recently and the gameplay has always been excellent. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
haha true if you didn't grow up with pokemon games you know how subpar they are. (same can be said about a lot of popular games tbh)
There's a lot of games that look rough by current standards just because they're so old, but they still deserve nomination because they're old, rough and A LOT of people still play them. Oblivion.
I'm surprised Morrowind isn't on here.
For sure. Morrowind looked like garbage even at the time, but it was so expansive and deep that it didn't really matter.
Also Neo Scavenger
I remember it was demanding on hardware
I would recommend Baba is You, HROT, and Gunpoint as three games that prioritize gameplay over graphics. HROT, in particular, leans into the Dusk-like Quake retro aesthetic, but has so much charm and detail that it ends up being a Czech history lesson with its own brand of Build engine interactive silliness.
Shoutout to all the slightly dyslexic who thought this was a reupload.
I would include Dead Rising in the list. Even for its time the graphics were very basic especially for a Capcom game. It shines with its simplistic combat system and overwhelming number of zombies and unique boss battles. The timer system created a sense of urgency, and with using nearly anything you find as a weapon was pretty unique for an open world zombie survival game of that time.
I agree. I loved it when it first came out. Was a bit disappointed with the Deluxe Remsater.
Making my way through the video now. If Arcanum is not on the list, it should be. An excellent game that def was not ground breaking graphics even when it came out.
At the time the graphics were good.
@@godoftwinkies574 Arcanum? The graphics were not good even for its day. That's the same year Halo, MGS2, and FFX came out.
The music in Hotline Miami is so great and compliments the gameplay so well.
Seriously surprised Project Zomboid wasn't on here
👍🏼part2
Project zomboid didn't choose gameplay or graphics
@@McGeezle It really depends on what you want in a game, But PZ gives probably among the most realistic zombie experiences if you put aside the graphics, Especially so if you consider the next update adding all sorts of lore things plus a ton more depth to the crafting and progression
You guys have been putting out some great videos lately! Big thanks to everyone behind the scenes too!
Colonization is Definitely my Favorite Basic Graphics/Infinitely Fun Gameplay Ever!!!
It took me until 2017 or so to start appreciating games with different graphics. And man am i glad i did. A trend ive noticed playing retro style and simple graphic games, and just games of old in general. but there is SO much more content usually. more things to do and find. more characters to speak to. its just all a bit rougher around the edges compared to whatever current AAA title. Games like Octopath Traveler and Dread Delusion are perfect examples of this. At the end of the day, when you stop caring so much about the graphics, you learn there are so many fun games to play.
Usually graphics is a big hindrance to content. Not always like FF7 Rebirth is just massive AND has the graphics (and the gameplay). But if you don't have to put as much effort into the graphics, you can put that effort into content.
Kenshi is adorable
A forgotten mention about Salt & Sanctuary and Salt & Sacrifice is that they're both able to be played same-screen co-op throughout!!!
when we're talking about gameplay over graphics, i'm surprised that minecraft and/or terraria didn't make the list but good list, nontheless
legit
There is also pseudoregalia, it's 3d metroidvania about movement, it isn't long, but it has enough skills to get and challenges to beat, as well as interesting and weird locations
Yay Gameranx daily post
Vampire Survivors is just about the best value for money in gaming since The Orange Box.
My favorite example of this in vr is an awesome indie game called warriors of titus. It's a vr MOBA. Graphics are simple but the gameplay is soooo good and deep.
Some of this games are just old. They weren't made without visuals concerns. This would be the same as adding X-Com to this list.
Would have been crushed if Dwarf Fortress wasnt in the top-3 or so. Good job Gameranx, you're miles ahead of watchmojo. You probably could have put Project Zomboid and Easteside Hockey Manager (the superior freeware version) on here as well. i think anything older than being released in 2000 or 2001 might be 'cheating' but there are some good ones from the early 90s
I don't believe you skipped Minecraft...
Because all its good gameplay comes from mods, maps and servers. The vanilla game has neither good graphics or gameplay, it’s honestly just a disgrace that makes at Launch bf 2042 look like Elden ring in terms of quality and quantity. And I don’t think gameranx was counting games whose “good gameplay” was done not halfway but entirely by the community and not the devs.
You nailed exactly why Deus Ex spent nearly two decades at the top of so many top 100 lists in the gaming community, most notably PC Gamer's. It would only be unseated from # 1 with the advent of Witcher 3.
That valheim ganeplay was so bad lol
i swear gameranx always uses the worst gameplay, but it's also hilarious, even if unintentional
So was the battlebit gameplay 😂
Back when Quake 3 Arena was at its peak, I always intentionally lowered graphics settings below what was possible in game's options. I remember I liked to disable all visual effects and set texture mipmap in a way that there were no visible textures left. It helped with fps but also with the gameplay by removing everything and leaving only important parts - level geometry and player models.
Glad to see the appreciation for Spiderweb Software. Old school RPGs with great writing! Love the Avernum series.
I got one for ya. Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom. It’s on Steam and is a lot of fun. Looks like an N64 game. There’s a demo too.
I really enjoyed one of Rockstar's early games [the project was transferred to them from Bungie(?)]. It was called ONI. It maximized gameplay with semi-transparent walls (once the player entered rooms) and you could lock camera angles at 45°. I was the first time I remember observing NPC models with breathe animations
Deus Ex and Dwarf Fortress were mandatory for this list, and you didn't disappoint!
The "it's just a straight up game" line, it's crazy in the world of gaming where we're actually excited to buy a game and have it be just a straight up game haha
Love the longer video!! I am sure they are harder work but still same quality as always.
Team gameplay right here!🔥
👍
Gameranx honoring us with two videos already in a days time? God bless 🙏 🔥
Soul searching was a great game to me and my friend. It was ugly to look at but beautiful at the same time. It’s not about the friends you make along the way, it’s not starving on a boat in the middle of the ocean
Fallout New Vegas is probably my favorite game of all time, I've been doing another playthrough recently, it's usually only a matter of time before I start a new character.
And that Dwarf Fortress drunken cats bit is hilarious lmao
I used to play quake back in the day and turning off the textures made you way more efficient. It made for a very poor graphics experience but you could see other players so much easier.
I always love when Rimworld comes up. You can also build quite pretty with mods and more assets to place. Vanilla is great too though, but it will always stay this 2D style.
Another game that comes to mind is Grounded. The game looks like it made out of plastic and some of the textures (especially in the hedge) look like they're from a PS2 game, but it's one of the best sandbox survival games out there.
It's immersive in a "honey, I shrunk the kids" way. Insects can be a real challenge (orb spiders) or annoying (mites).
Just what I wanted. Now I can see what games to play on the SD
Love these lists! Thanks!
Another one with simple graphics is Battle Brothers. The gameplay is so good and addictive. One of my all-time favourites
These are so rad i do think the battlefield clone needs more distruction to allow for more variety
I think Mount & Blade deserves a place here. Lol
OMG this channel is just getting BETTER... YOU GUYS ARE UNSTOPPABLE...
These are the best kind of games. They are so fun to play and everyone can play them, doesnt matter how strong the pc is. Thats why i love em
Salt and Sanctuary looks like it came straight outta newgrounds! Ahhh the days 😢
Thanks Jake!
Mag on ps3 had 256 players on one map that came out around the time of mw2 and uncharted 2 didn't have good graphics but it was something seriously special I still hold in my heart to this day
Another good one that could be up there with Dwarf Fortress, is Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead. If you love Lovecraft and Gothic storylines, then it's right up your alley! Not to mention all the mods you can use that drastically changes the game every time you play it!
Playing valheim in god mode should put you on the no fly list
Positivly surprised to see Dwarf Fortress here.
I have played countless hours. I started with a tileset, but when a new version came out and tilesets weren't upgraded quickly enough for poor DF addicted me I braved the ascii. Haven't looked back, but it is great that the official tileset and steam release got more people to play.
This is still my number 1 game to take to a lonely island. 10/10, would flood the fortress again.
Darkwood is another honorable mention here! Great game, also very tense and creepy
Entertaining as always! Love you guys! Shout out to all the work behind the scenes!
Surprised you didn't mention Neo Scavenger, the graphic is tough for some people but it's probably among the complex survival games out there..
Plz JAKE , make Video on
GAMES THAT CHOOSE STORY OVER GAMEPLAY OR GRAPHICS ❤❤🎉