I’ve heard the word “character” be used to describe PS1 visuals, and I think that might just be the quickest way to describe what makes them work. Granted, the PS1’s…style can just as easily be attributed to technological shortcomings as artistic ambition, but there is something so charming about this time when developers were clearly shooting for the moon in terms of video game visuals and were forced to try to make this console produce a reasonable interpretation of the graphics they dreamt were possible. Yet, projects like this Bloodborne demake or even new indie titles such as Omnibus show that quite a few people seemingly do have fond memories of PS1 visuals and have helped create a modern market for graphics that were often considered to be “ugly” even at the time that some of these games were released.Īfter all this time, though, I’ve finally realized that all of this love for the PS1’s “bad” graphics is as much about respect as it is nostalgia. In the early 2000s, I convinced myself that nobody would ever be nostalgic for the era of PS1 visuals. Games on the PS1 that were striving for a kind of “realism” that they were never actually going to achieve will always be at least partially defined by their shortcomings. A game like Chrono Trigger looks pretty much exactly how the artists intended it to look. Whereas many SNES games still look visually impressive simply because it’s easy enough to look past the console’s technological limitations and appreciate the artistry, it is incredibly difficult to look at PS1 games now and not see the wrinkles. Strangely enough, most PS1 games somehow look even worse when you try to play them on anything but the CRT displays there were clearly designed for. Things get worse when you actually try to play these games and find yourself staring at a nightmarish blend of constantly warping textures and scanning/filtering issues all complimented by absurdly long load times. Most PS1 games were incredibly blocky, filled with “fog,” and packed with low-res textures (at least in games that weren’t pre-rendered). Yes, PS1 graphics improved over time as developers mastered the hardware (as is always the case), and yes, certain PS1 games looked considerably better than others (and still hold up reasonably well today in the proper context), but PS1 technology had limits that even the greatest developers weren’t able to overcome. With all of that out of the way, it has to be said that time has not been kind to PS1 graphics. The PS1 (and, to be fair, the Sega Saturn) managed to convince millions of people to embrace the 3D gaming age (and all the complexities that came along with it), which is the kind of feat that can’t be easily overlooked. It also has to be said that PS1 developers were bold enough to use the console to create true 3D games at a time when many people rightfully doubted that 3D console games were ready for primetime.
Of course, that also means that it’s a fantastic opportunity to talk about just how awesomely bad the PS1’s graphics were. While Bloodborne PS1 Demake does incorporate a few modern gameplay concepts that you certainly wouldn’t have found in an “authentic” PS1 game, the project does an excellent job of recreating the PS1’s unique visuals.
#BLOODBORNE PC RELEASE FOR SALE FOR FREE#
While the project won’t go beyond the boss fight against Father Gascoigne (though its creators say it will feature “extended areas and some bonus post-game content”), Bloodborne PS1 Demake will be released for free early next year, so there’s really no reason not to try it if you’re one of the many PC gamers who still lay awake at night wondering when FromSoftware and the PlayStation team are finally going to port Bloodborne to that platform. Fan developers Lilith Walther and Corwyn Prichard have revealed that their beloved PS1 “demake” of FromSoftware’s Bloodborne will be released for PC on January 31, 2022.Īs the name suggests, Bloodborne PS1 Demake is an elaborate fan project that recreates Bloodborne in the style of a PS1 game.
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