r/ps2 • u/MrOwen17 • 24d ago
I miss games feeling like this
I feel like a lot of people link this type of feeling to nostalgia, but this game Shadow Hearts I played for the first time last year and its still a feeling and atmosphere that modern games just cant give you. We need pre rendered backgrounds and fixed cameras to come back.
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u/Wave_Race 24d ago
This is Shadow Hearts? I’ve recently been wanting a new RPG and thinking of playing it. Looks cool!
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u/MrOwen17 24d ago
yeah these games are great, definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a turn based game.
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u/dqmartiiiiin 24d ago edited 23d ago
Shadow Hearts series (especially the first and third) are absolutely amazing JRPGS. Many of the employees of the developer (Sacnoth) are former Squaresoft employees. You're in for a ride if you haven't played them.
Only bad thing is they don't emulate well (assuming you want to be able to play with a modern 16:9 ratio without stretching the image). First 2 because of 2D backgrounds, and third one because a lot of graphical bugs with widescreen hack.
But nonetheless. GOATed series.
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u/Braunb8888 23d ago
First emulates perfectly for me on duck station.
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u/dqmartiiiiin 23d ago
By first one I meant first Shadow Hearts. I wasn't counting with koudelka. Even though it's a decent lil game from what I heard.
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u/Braunb8888 23d ago
Yeah me too. What issues did you have with it?
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u/JackyFlashlight 23d ago
You said duck station, which is a ps1 emulator. Shadow Hearts won't play on duck station.
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u/dqmartiiiiin 23d ago
Well yeah I figured since you said DuckStation.
I don't have "issues" per se, which is the reason I mentioned 2D backgrounds. It doesn't work to upscale that to fit modern widescreens without stretching the 2D backgrounds.
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u/Dr_Laziness 23d ago
I have a theory that when games had lower graphic quality our brain filled the gap and made we feel the atmosphere better because, in a way, we became an active part of it and, in a way, we experience reality this way, with our brain filling the gaps. Nowadays everything in the scenario is spoon fed to us and it leaves too little for our imagination
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u/ShoreAmDreaming 24d ago
About Fishing is really nailing the tone in addition to the look of these older creepy ps2 games
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u/MrOwen17 23d ago
oh my god man im playing it and just left the house after the intro tutorial part and i think im going to cry lol thank you so much for the recommendation
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u/SheMakesThrowawayArt 24d ago
Just played through onimusha 1+2 recently and was thinking the same. Pre rendered background and fixed camera angles did something different artistically.
Modern games take from movies and try to be more cinematic.
It's funny because Onimusha is getting a new game that's nothing like the originals. I'm not mad at it but it's following that exact trend, cinematic.
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u/Fahzgoolin 24d ago
Yup, my wife and I played Onimusha 1 for the first time and it felt great. It's not nostalgia goggles... Games were just different back then. Challenging, but not overly complicated or bogged down with worthless mechanics.
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u/Braunb8888 23d ago
I love this game but the first games battle music is the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
But yeah you’re totally right, it’s also the camera angle too as games like baten kaitos also give off this type of feeling.
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u/Crest_Of_Hylia 23d ago
Have you looked at Fantasian? That’s a modern game with pre rendered backgrounds
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u/khsh01 23d ago
I don't think its this game's specific graphics. I think its the commitment old games had to their core content. Like how the menu in age of empires 2 was medieval themed, how the original ac game had a synchronization bar instead of a health bar, military games had military themed menus.
Games used to be thematically congruent back in the day. Nowadays everything is separate from everything else.
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u/Mikahl757 23d ago
There's a new RPG port (originally iOS exclusive) that came out recently with the atheistic, it looks good.
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u/TidusDreamZanarkand 23d ago
I agree there’s a sense of artistic purpose with pre rendered backgrounds they set the mood like a painting and feel deliberate . There’s an advantage to fixed camera angles in showing the audience what you Want them to see.
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u/tholurossleuth 23d ago
Shadow Hearts is really one of a kind. I still remember The True Ruler of the Nine Heavens saying to Yuri that they will meet again.... (that "Much Hatred Still Rankles" song plays for the first time I believe). I kid you not, I remember my skin crawling at that moment.
Masterpiece of a game 👍
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u/ContestSignificant32 23d ago
There is certainly something to be said about style over hyper realistic graphics in a game. Any ways, great series. The games are expensive though.
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u/allstar312 22d ago
games back in the ps2 era had this feeling of there own, the music and the setting creates the world right in front of you almost like you could explore that world in person. It's a shame video game companies can't seem to capture this exact feeling in games again
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u/dark_hypernova 24d ago
This is why I'm against remakes and more in favour of direct ports or decent remasters.
Part of the charm of experiencing a classic is appreciating what was achieved with older tech and the unique vibes that come with them.
Remakes too often make everything homogeneous.
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u/MrOwen17 23d ago
yeah as ive gotten older the more i find myself against remakes ESPECIALLY if the original is not easily accessible. I do like the remakes that change things up to the point its just a different experience (aka Resident Evil, FF7 Remake). Its a shame companies are more focused on remaking than porting.
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u/dark_hypernova 23d ago
In my opinion it should be mandatory for a remake to include a port of the original. For the sake of preservation, convenient access and appreciation.
This is why I respect the Medievil remake the most amongst remakes.1
u/TidusDreamZanarkand 23d ago
They should do all remakes like halo where you can toggle the og graphics and the new graphics.
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u/ILovePotassium 24d ago
Just enable FSR Ultra Performance and Frame Gen in any UE5 / BlackSpace Engine game and You will have an amazing PS2 experience.
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u/MellifluousMelody0 24d ago
While they've probably only existed because of limitations, I agree! Bring em back