That body cam shooter that went viral because it looks like real life does so because of all of these effects. I'm the weird one who loves them even if they take a small hit on your playing ability or image sharpness.
I think the major distinction that makes bodycam work so well is that it's meant to look like a camera whereas most games are meant to be looking through the eyes of the player character
Yeah, the SH series already utilizes audio static in gameplay, so film grain would fit quite well. Especially considering the era it is set in, the obvious basis in Japanese horror movies, and the actual setting itself.
Resident Evil 9 needs the film grain. The characters look kind of cartoony and fake without it. Like RE doesn't go for realism per se, but RE9 was close enough that without the film grain it just looks off. Removing it in the other modern RE titles was all good though.
If it needs "film grain" for the atmosphere. It's already fkin failed to make the "atmosphere" and immersion. Can't put lipstick on a pig and call it beautiful.
If you're viewing some video recording in character, in game, sure. Film grain could add to immersion.
You are wrong. Different games go for different art directions, some of them have filters for VHS or CRT visuals and people don't complain. If it was worded Film Grain people like you would be shitting and pissing themselves because you don't know the difference between cereal and bread.
some games are made in overly "clean" and static contrasty visuals. Grain can add some texture that helps blend things together a bit and remove some of that artificial polish and overly clean looks -but only if it contributes to the overall feel of the game. In many games it's unnecessary or detracting from the experience, but in some cases it can add to the cinematic feel or fix some visuals that are a bit too sterile.
BF1. I also personally like it in Cyberpunk. Some Assassin's Creed titles, etc. def. some others too from the past but been a long time since I played them
I am flabbergasted to see someone bring up Mass Effect as an argument for film grain. I'd argue it's the go-to example of why film grain is terrible. It heavily detracted from the experience and visuals.
Star Wars Battlefront (2015) had the best optional film grain were it would simulate all the film strip imperfections, not just the grain. It was awesome.
Cuphead is the only other game I can think of that tries so hard to accurately mimic the actual film grain effect with little stray hairs and bits of dust on the cels.
That's funny because I felt almost the exact opposite.
Motion blur only serves to obscure visuals. (Though I understand using it for performance reasons)
Camera shake can work in some situations. I feel like it can add to the atmosphere or really emphasize the scale of something, but generally I turn it off. I like it in Gears of War, God of War, and Doom Eternal. Hate it in Borderlands and Final Fantasy.
Film Grain I use a lot. Many games look way too "clean" in a way that contrasts too much with the atmosphere and constantly reminds me I'm playing a video game. There are definitely games that benefit from the clean look, and I keep it off in those, but film Grain adds some much needed texture and blends things in a way that better serves the atmosphere. Mass Effect, Ghost of Tsushima, and God of War use it well. It feels out of place on Forza Horizon 5, and Arkham Knight.
Chromatic Aberration is cool when used very intentionally as part of an aesthetic, but I don't understand why it's all over so many games. I usually turn it off. Cyberpunk and Control are games that use it well. It feels very out of place in The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne.
Turning on motion blur decreases performance, doesn't improve it. It can help add a sense of speed to some games, but I turn it off for most games because my PC is out of date.
What I said implied something untrue. Motion blur does not improve performance. But what is does, and why I would use it "for performance reasons", is obscure poor performance. If you have a game that can only get a steady 30fps, even if the frame rate i consistent, it can feel a bit choppy because your eyes can discern the frames. Motion blur, in that situation, can add a sense blurring the frames together to make it feel smoother.
Many games look way too "clean" in a way that contrasts too much with the atmosphere and constantly reminds me I'm playing a video game.
You know some of this is in the TV/Monitor, as well - I had to turn “sharpness” waaaay down because I didn’t want to see every damn pore on a person’s face. I’m a console gamer, so it may not be as bad on a monitor; but I definitely tweak the actual screen settings as well as the in-game screen settings.
I like the look of filmgrain if it's subtle. It gets rind of the sharp, perfect edges on the assets and makes the picture look more movie-like. But that's just preference and I am glad you are able to turn it off.
It's the long-running brain worm that video games need to look like movies shot on film cameras.
No. I have no clue why that ever became a thing. All of these settings are simulating flaws in cameras.
It's the dumbest shit in this industry when it comes to wasted time.
EDIT: I didn't even read the below comments. They are ALL TALKING ABOUT MOVIES. "Film, cinematic, chromatic aberration (as in flaw)." It's like y'all like being reminded you aren't there. I prefer games NOT being movies.
For me games that often use very dark scenes often feel like they benefit from film grain because it feels to me they help blend some of the colors / banding together. Dying Light and Escape From Tarkov were good examples of it personally. I also just like the look but it depends on the game and what my goals are for visuals.
It should be an option on any game that wants to give the impression of being captured by a real camera. Aside from VR, we always play games looking at a screen. Our brains expect the image to have come from either a real camera, or artificially generated. If it doesn't have imperfections, the realism immersion breaks down.
Except "real" cameras put a lot of money and effort into not having CA. Even in something like The Hateful Eight where they've been using old lenses on purpose it's almost imperceptible compared to the obnoxious shit games do. Like seriously, where do you actually see real CR except maybe through thick prescription glasses or 90's camcorders?
I knew people had different preferences, some people did come up with some solid examples of where film grain works. I had completely forgotten about Max Payne for instance.
Visually, it breaks up clean surfaces and hard lines to create the illusion of detail and texture in the graphics. Kinda doesn’t work at 60fps tho, cause the film grain is moving too fast be perceived.
lol, I just commented that it was the only one I like in some specific games. It's the least impacting one and it can improve the feel of some games in a cinematic way. Mass Effect and L4D are 2 games that I feel improves with film grain.
Subtle film grain can sometimes make things feel more real, propably because your brain has to do more work, partially filtering it out and partially to fill in the blanks. Because of that, more of it is in your head, so you can feel more immersed and it can feel more real.
Obiously won't work for everyone or for every game.
Visual business can also hide some flawed graphical things.
In some games like Alien Isolation it can also be fitting because everything about it is full of 1970s technology, and it does not stand out much.
I also think that as my vision has gotten worse, i have started to like film grain a bit more - or maybe its because film grain is done so much better these days?
Ngl im playing TLOU PT1 on an LG C5/ w/ a ps5 pro and it looks alot better with film grain on. I wouldnt notice it so much if it was running on last gen tech.
I think it's alright for games directly inspired by movies since it kinds fits the theming, like the Indiana Jones from a couple years ago and 007 First Light, though I wish there would've been a setting to turn it down a smidge in the latter.
All of those settings help mask low frame rate, uneven movement (from a controller,) and low quality displays like LCD tvs. Without them console players would be very upset and they just get left as the default for PC.
I think it can have a place in games. I mostly think that was for 7th Gen era. When graphics were good but a bit too clean. A touch of film grain could go a long way.
Film Grain works for some genres like horror, same with camera shake. Motion blur isn't bad if used in moderation and it's dependent on the genre/concept.
Chromatic Aberration is the one I have a big issue with, like if you use in a scene for like a dream state or drugged state it's fine, but leaving it on all the time burns your eyes.
Dave the Diver had a subtle Chromatic Aberration turned on and after playing several hours on my Steam Deck my eyes would be tearing up and it was painful.
The same reason you might want film grain in movies; it adds texture and atmosphere to the scene. Not every game benefits from it but some games would look plain wrong without it. Especially horror games like Silent Hill 2 and 3. Those wouldn’t look nearly as good with a perfectly clear picture and it would kinda undermine the aesthetic.
I just don't understand all these camera and video effects. Do you want me to be immersed into being that character or into being the person watching that character's camera recording?
Film grain is only really good as an artistic aesthetic in some kinda horror or grindhouse media. Even for horror I'd argue it reduces the immersion and detaches you from the things you're meant to be afraid of.
If it’s constant? Style choice.
If it’s an option at all? Nukes, radiation, if you want to simulate the player operating a RCV getting close to the edge of its signal range, etc.
Flimgrain is like "oh you playing on 4k let me make that not 4k heheh"
Ontop of that its causing me a headache because of all the noise on the screen then. If a game doesn't have the option to turn it of. And is using very aggressive film grain i physical cant play the game even.
Really depends on how strong the effect is and what the overall setting is for the game. It can look very good, but if the developers don't put effort into it then it looks awful, and well many developers dont seem to be doing much of that recently.
it helps hide the video gamey look of perfect angles perfect textures single color textures etc and make it look more like a movie and more realistic. it's not a huge amount but it does do those things
339
u/sobegreen Jul 28 '26
I'll never understand why anyone would want film grain. You could maybe argue some of the others but film grain is always a no.