Why Visuals Alone Don’t Make a Great Game

Hello everyone it is Tim coming to you with another op ed to kick off 2026!

You saw the title of this article so you know it is going to be contentious. Well the awards season is over and we all saw what games won the much wanted Game of the Year awards. Honestly this year's gaming conversation around Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has been eye opening.

Are You Addicted to Pretty Pixels?

Say what you want about the game itself but the fanbase and discussions around it have been a rage bait fest. People take every chance to put down other turn based games especially in the JRPG genre. All of that can be distilled down to story characters and graphical fidelity. Today we will be focusing on the graphical fidelity aspect going from Expedition 33 to gaming in general.

I saw many viral opinions claiming that the success of Expedition 33 is because of the realistic Unreal Engine 5 graphics. While I agree that this game looks fantastic the way it is used by netizens to trash Final Fantasy and other JRPG games is heartbreaking. Calling them japslop or anime games ignores the fact that the creators of Expedition 33 are fans of the genre. Their love for these games is so deep that they even thanked Hironobu Sakaguchi the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise. While the graphical art style seems realistic the world is very much alien compared to Earth. The Unreal Engine 5 textures definitely make the game feel real and that is a positive appeal even though the gameplay is turn based which historically is a bottleneck for casual players.

This obsession for realistic graphics is downright not productive because game variety will become stagnant and all games will look the same. Look at 2K sports games FIFA football or the Call of Duty franchise. These games release every year with realistic graphics but minimal improvement. There is no innovation in gameplay or even art style but since these games are tailored to the casual market meaning high graphical fidelity they sell great. If they are selling the same product with minimal changes why bother to change?

Change is innovation. Let us look back at Clair Obscur Expedition 33. This game had a 10 million dollar budget and did more with that than big blockbuster franchises especially since it was developed by a new studio with no franchise fame to back them up. This case is an outlier not the norm. Sandfall Interactive caught lightning in a bottle and I wish them well but I don't expect them to replicate the same success with their sequel if they want to be more creative and use a more unique art style.

The Pitfalls of Only Playing Good-Looking Games

Previously I mentioned the ball and gun games and how they are becoming more linear and expected thus removing any room for surprises. Look I will be honest the complaints that gaming is dead or gaming is in a rut come from people who only play one genre. They are mentally blocking themselves from playing games that look different from realistic graphics. If you have these complaints I want to see your gaming history because there is no way you feel that way with the amount of bangers we receive. We are literally in a three year streak of incredible gaming and I don't expect this to slow down at all.

It is funny because Cyberpunk 2077 is the prettiest game this generation in terms of graphical fidelity and art style but the conversation around it wasn't this toxic. Grand Theft Auto 6 coming hopefully in 2026 will again appease the casual market however the art style of GTA was always like that since the San Andreas entry. I mean think about it if gaming becomes a habit instead of a hobby the feeling of repetition will settle in and you will be stuck in a downward spiral. It is a natural course that you have to recognize especially if you play predatory games that claw your attention through microtransactions. You end up justifying the time because you invested in it.

I speak from experience because I was the same in 2020. I played Apex Legends Call of Duty and Garry's Mod religiously and I lost my passion. I had a two year hiatus from gaming until I bought a Nintendo Switch to play The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. The freedom I had playing that game was just the right feeling to reignite my passion and branch out. I discovered more games that I overlooked over the years. That is why this year I bought a PS3 to play the old bangers stuck on that console and I am having so much fun.

Don't be stubborn

Through this op ed I want you to realize that video games are truly the supreme electronic media ever invented by humankind. There are so many variations and stories to be told. It is truly a shame to be stuck in one genre just because of preconceived stereotypes and other silly stuff that doesn't matter. So then go out and explore the vast universe of video games.

Try something new especially with Game Pass or other subscription services that allow trying multiple games for a fraction of the price. You might have that gaming spark reignite your passion transforming a routine to escape real life into an adventure that you will never forget.

Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts by tweeting @nitpicktim and @LifeisaGameMag. I am curious if this article sparked some thoughts in you.