What's with the graphics?

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

So, as an avid player of grand strategy games and colony sims like Total War and Dwarf Fortress, I regularly here good things about Kenshi, and want to try it for myself. And every time I do, I'm blown away by just how... ugly... the graphics are; I don't know any other way to put it.

I understand that good graphics are hard and a game can be good without them, but something about Kenshi's graphics rubbed me the wrong way. I think it's a combination of the colour palette being overwhelmingly brown, to a degree not even seen in other dark fantasy games like Dark Souls or Outward, and the models and textures not being retro (like Runescape) as just dated. Any advice on how to get over this hump and enjoy what is probably an amazing game?

[Hatsune Neko Gaming]

Kenshi is a world in ruin, very few places support greenery. even after 2,000+ years since Armageddon happened, the world is still ravaged.
areas are still being blasted from space. the world has been poisoned.

this is pretty much the synapsys of the world. you are playing in a world that never recovered.

but this game also started a long time ago. back when the graphic's the dev used where really good for back then. since development started like 20 year ago by one guy. and he hand crafted the games primary engine. the engine is still using old technology.

[Apocalypse]

By just playing, let the gameplay take over and before you know it you'll forget the ugly cover the album came in and just enjoy the music.

Also you might want to try a shader mod and/or the less clutter mod. Kenshi is full of trash-like objects, and with the less clutter mod I would swear the entire game feels cleaner looking.

[Cattrina]

Well, Vain is purple and Okran's valley is green. Vain is imho the most beautiful of them all. But you are right, Kenshi is not beautiful to look at. It is intentionally not beautiful. To hone the desperation in.

[Bandy]

Originally posted by Fear Denies Faith:

...I'm blown away by just how... ugly... the graphics are; I don't know any other way to put it. ...

Beauty in eye of the beholder, so ugly a mother can only love, etc on the cliches.
Maybe it just takes some imagination on your part, huh?
'nough said, no time for this thread.

[BobOnix]

Originally posted by Bandy:

Originally posted by Fear Denies Faith:

...I'm blown away by just how... ugly... the graphics are; I don't know any other way to put it. ...

Beauty in eye of the beholder, so ugly a mother can only love, etc on the cliches.
Maybe it just takes some imagination on your part, huh?
'nough said, no time for this thread.

No no, the textures are horrible, the models are horrible, the animations are stiff, the poly count on everything is tiny. the shading, lighting, colour scheme, its all pretty bad.

it is a good game tho, but erm, KENSHI 2 WHEN?

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

I can certainly understand tolerating Kenshi's graphics to enjoy the game underneath, but calling it beautiful is a bit of a stretch.

[Bandy]

Originally posted by Fear Denies Faith:

I can certainly understand tolerating Kenshi's graphics to enjoy the game underneath, but calling it beautiful is a bit of a stretch.

Maybe someone else did but I did not call it "beautiful" necessarily, but certainly could show you some Kenshi screenshots that would make you look and think twice. Game has its moments that resonate, IF the player is willing to get their head-out-of-the-4K-sand...

Have said this before on this forum, I truly hope Kenshi 2 is not going to simply follow "the herd" on game graphics and loose its charm. Some games are perfectly fine looking like a game; but no self-trumpet I like playing old games, they are incredible.

Kenshi has its own look and feel, "painterly" is a well-used adjective here:

Painterly /pān′tər-lē/
adjective
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a painter; artistic.
Having qualities unique to the art of painting.
Of, relating to, or being a style of painting marked by openness of form, with shapes distinguished by variations of color rather than by outline or contour.

[Bandy]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2926155978

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3149826808

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3149828354

Yeah, the two other worlds are iconic, and in most of the best screenshots ¯\(o_°)/¯
I have a good system so everything is maxed, modded, and also use reshade.

[Sigmar's Faithful]

Night scene is legit the best out there

[Dark Sun Gwyndolin]

Wow, those screenshots look FAR better than anything on the Store page. That actually does make me want to learn the game; I'll watch some reviews or Lets Plays tonight. Any recommendations for a Kenshi newcomer?

[Bandy]

Originally posted by Fear Denies Faith:

... I'll watch some reviews or Lets Plays tonight. Any recommendations for a Kenshi newcomer?

Why yes!

I swear on my mother's grave, I had COVID in early March 2020, among the first in North America, sick for 9 days fever etc... and spent time watching Kenshi videos and play through series. Absolutely got me through that. This one started it all for me, wonderful sense of humour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u6snmQNTRQ

[Bandy]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3150157189
Please note, screenshots are quick visual grabs of moments that are quirky and beautiful to me in their own way, but may not represent majority of game play moments. Watch Nurse's video, you hopefully will know whether the game is for you or not.

Also, 'The Making of..." is really a fan fav:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4xExgudU_g

[Cattrina]

Originally posted by BobOnix:

Originally posted by Bandy:

Beauty in eye of the beholder, so ugly a mother can only love, etc on the cliches.
Maybe it just takes some imagination on your part, huh?
'nough said, no time for this thread.

No no, the textures are horrible, the models are horrible, the animations are stiff, the poly count on everything is tiny. the shading, lighting, colour scheme, its all pretty bad.

it is a good game tho, but erm, KENSHI 2 WHEN?

The shader mods help a lot, but the overall reason why everything is so low poly is just because it is so old a game with a game engine that was basically hand made with bubble gum and duct tape. A great achievement 20 years ago, but sure is dated now.

Some of the modern computers can run Kenshi with more high res textures, but the engine being what it is cannot really fully take an advantage of the new graphic systems. Which means, even with today's tech, mediocre computers suffer a performance hit when they try to use higher visual settings, shadows being one of the bigger issues. Altho I hear the reshaders fix the shadow issue somewhat. That is why most play without shadows.

Kenshi 2 is still couple years away.