What are some factors which add realism to a game?

[StaceyPowers]

In this post, we were talking about how wobbling while walking or a bit of wobble aiming down a gun sight can add a more realistic flavor to a game.

@The Blackangel mentioned that smart enemy AI makes a big difference in how realistic a game feels as well. Both @killamch89 and @Alyxx mentioned that realism is most important to them when a game is in first person. In fact, we could just add first person to the list of what makes a game feel realistic, I suspect--though there are some exceptions (TLOU feels very real to me, to the point where I can forget I am perched over Joel's shoulder).

What are some other factors that can make a game feel more realistic?

Off the top of my head:

• Graphic and sound quality (obviously).
• Little details--like when wet ground makes a different sound than dry ground, or when you can see subtle kicking up of dirt or snow when walking.
• A minimalist soundtrack (cause real life has none).
• Solid dialogue and strong voice acting.
• Complex characters with well developed backgrounds and motivations.

What can you come up with?

[Alyxx]

Pretty much agree with everything you said though I feel characters should not only be well developed and such but also ACT realistically. In a lot of games (Human Revolution for instance), a lot of characters ONLY talk about ONE issue or like in Half-Life, EVERYONE knows who the protagonist is. This just feels unrealistic and not like how real people act so it can feel extremely unrealistic.

[kingpotato]

For me its the camera angle.

[skyfire]

Graphics, plot, finishing touch (which many 3D characters don't have and show edges in the design like minecraft). 

[The Blackangel]

The plot of a game makes all the difference in every way. It can be a game in the most popular and best selling series in gaming history. But if it doesn’t have a great plot, it’s gonna flop, and could possibly have enough affect to destroy the series. Newbies whose first experience with a series that started on a terrible entry will usually see no reason to check out any other entries.

[skyfire]

Also the thing is that with the changing 2D and the 3D touches in the angle. I think that can add some realism too along with the music. 

[kingpotato]

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most realistic game I have ever played, the amount of details in the world is amazing, for example the mud in the streets will get on your clothes if you fell down, your boots will also leave a visible print, if you get wet it will be noticeable on your clothes and only on the areas where the water actually splashed you, if someone hits you it will leave you with a black eye for a while, your beard will grow as the days pass, man I can just go on and on about the details that add the realism to this game.

[Shagger]

Never underestimate the importance of sound design in a video game. Sound can alert you mind and provoke responses is a way visuals, no matter how detailed they are, can't. Poor sound design can also take you out of a games world very easily, I'd say more so than lower quality visuals.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Shagger

[kingpotato]

2 hours ago, Shagger said:

Never underestimate the importance of sound design in a video game. Sound can alert you mind and provoke responses is a way visuals, no matter how detailed they are, can't. Poor sound design can also take you out of a games world very easily, I'd say more so than lower quality visuals.

This reminds me, the sound from the Resident evil 2 remake almost made me shit my pants xD its like in all horror games you always hear strange noises in the background but most of the time they are just that just background noises, but in RE2 the sounds are real, I mean if you hear a weird noise in the background is because there is something around the corner and probably its a naked Mr. X...

[Shagger]

36 minutes ago, kingpotato said:

This reminds me, the sound from the Resident evil 2 remake almost made me shit my pants xD its like in all horror games you always hear strange noises in the background but most of the time they are just that just background noises, but in RE2 the sounds are real, I mean if you hear a weird noise in the background is because there is something around the corner and probably its a naked Mr. X...

 

That's re-defined what goes through my mine when I hear "X Gon' Give it Ya".

 

 

Back on topic though, another good example of great sound design immersing you in a game is Helblade: Senua's Sacrifice. For those who don't you, in that game, you're playing a Senua, a Celtic Warrior suffering from severe mental heath issues. The programmed the sound to, if you're wearing a suitable headset or headphones, to make it feel like the voices in her heard are really in YOUR head. I played the game like that it really is very uncomfortable and makes what is already a very daunting game that much more frightening. An amazing job Ninja Theory did on that.

[Xianders]

Huge replay value. In the game Kingdom Come Deliverance you can complete tasks completely differently because you do not know what can happen. For example, there is a task to kill one person who is in the Cathedral, which can only be accessed by becoming a monk. And the game says, " Become a monk." But nothing prevents you from sneaking into the Cathedral at night, finding a target and killing it.