The Problem with Modern Cel-shaded Games

[K.Rool Addict 718]

How come so many damn games that use cel shading techniques, look like freakin' ps3/ xbox 360 releases? I find it absolutely mind-boggling how Idolm@ster Platinum Stars has better Cel-shaded character models than ANY other game in existence! For comparison:

 

(Remember to set all videos to 1080p, btw :P) And before you ask, yes, Platinum Stars runs in real time on PS4; it's not pre-rendered.

 

I mean, the only other game I have seen in which the character models don't look completely half-assed is Ni No Kuni 2, but even there it's clearly a step down from Platinum Stars.

Now, I'm sure many of you will claim "Oh well Idolm@ster focuses SOLELY on the character models and there isn't much else to render due to the way the game plays". Now, that is most assuredly a good point, but Cel-Shading is NOT a taxing graphical effect (as far as I am aware).

 

If you would kindly take a brief look at the videos below:

 

 

 

^It is clear as day that the extra graphical prowess Uncharted 4 & Horizon Zero Dawn showcase is NOT on display with any of these cel-shaded games. So, since even a base Ps4 with a measely 1.8 TFLOPS of GPU power AND a CPU running at ONLY 1.6 Ghz can somehow handle games like this, why the hell can't ALL cel-shaded games have character models that look as good as Platinum Stars? Just chalk it up to the developers' laziness?

Edited April 11, 2017 by K.Rool Addict

[Scrubbed user 3,416]

You listed Horizon: Zero Dawn (which is a stupid name) and Uncharted 4. Those are 1st party games so they actually know best how to get the most performance (as little as there is) out of a PS4 or PS4 Pro. Also note that both of those run at a slideshow mere 30 FPS, (which shows the respective devs aiming for 4K rather than a smooth framerate) while Platinum Stars and Dragon Ball Xenoverse run at 60 FPS. The cel-shading is used precisely because it's less taxing, so it can run at a higher framerate.

[K.Rool Addict 718]

1 hour ago, Vulon Bii said:

You listed Horizon: Zero Dawn (which is a stupid name) and Uncharted 4. Those are 1st party games so they actually know best how to get the most performance (as little as there is) out of a PS4 or PS4 Pro. Also note that both of those run at a slideshow mere 30 FPS, (which shows the respective devs aiming for 4K rather than a smooth framerate) while Platinum Stars and Dragon Ball Xenoverse run at 60 FPS. The cel-shading is used precisely because it's less taxing, so it can run at a higher framerate.

 

Platinum Stars has character models that are WORLDS away in quality when compared to Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. My question is why most "anime-esque" games that offer a cel-shaded presentation do not offer visuals like Platinum Stars (specifically in regard to the character models). The complexity and detail on those models is downright jaw-dropping. In general, cel-shading seems to be used as an excuse to not put effort into character model composition. 

When I bring up Horizon: Zero Dawn and Uncharted 4, I do so merely to showcase that there is significant overhead available to these devs. In other words, they don't really have an excuse to be using character models that would fit at home in a Ps3 game.

Speaking of a Ps3 game take a look at the last gen Idolm@ster:

 

^I very rarely see any new current gen cel-shaded games that use character models/ animations which surpass even this last gen (semi) low-budget title.

Frame rate is not on trial here. I have no problem with them lowering fps to a 30 lock, but why don't most devs incorporate highly detailed character models into cel-shaded games?  It's very clear from recent Japanese games like NieR:Automata, Final Fantasy 15, and The Last Guardian that Japanese developers generally prioritize character models over anything else in the game. So why does this design philosophy not carry over to Cel-Shaded games? Another good example that I cannot get out of my mind :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQruYctgUTk

 

In fact, The Last Guardian's main protagonist WAS Cel-shaded, and if you compare the detail of his model to that of the giant "bird-dog" thing (as people like to call it lol), Trico, it looks like a full generation gap. This is an amazing example since the game includes both cel-shaded and non-cel-shaded character models that you can compare directly to one another, and within the same game can tell the huge difference of quality. The stark backgrounds here are also on display contrasting to the higher detail put on Trico himself.

 

Edited April 12, 2017 by K.Rool Addict
better example

[K.Rool Addict 718]

Here is another good example:

 https://youtu.be/QAHlOJlQhsU?t=2m48s