Great game but the graphics...

[Darkbirt]

To be fair, I really like the game, but I never could go up to defeat the last boss. Up to the third boss, I didn't get further. From the fourth bio tome (the mountains) on the graphics start to become a problem. I play Valheim in console style on my television on 4K. But, their is so much white in the mountains that you can't see the depth and contrast properly with the current graphics, and then I've heard it is even worse in the Mistlands.

I hope their will be some improvements for the graphics, so that the game becomes better playable. I know the Valheim development team is small and it's impossible to get fine details like a needle or hair strand to be seen. I hope it will be possible to see some contrast in the face, leafs that are rounded (now they are blocks), and that we can see the cuteness of the piggy's.

I've only played for around 380 hours (300 hours for building a stone base) and I really like the concept of building bases and hunting for treasure while trying to stay alive, but I'm afraid that a lot of gamers will leave for this reason (I don't see another reason, because if you exclude the graphics, this game is a masterpiece.)

[votadc]

It Is more design choice than graphics I think. Graphic/size ratio Is great.

[Zathabar]

I wish more modern games that we rush though barely able to see the fine graphics are literally POINTLESS as we never can see the details !

[Mharr]

They've gone with PS2 pixel art textures so they can go hard on dynamic lighting and weather effects instead of detail. There's nothing to see up close, it's all Minecraft style grass and leaves, but the animated vistas are incredible.

[Munkey]

The low-poly models and low-resolution textures are intentional. Not only is it an artistic choice, but it matches the low-poly nature of the voxel terrain and allows the player to build more complex structures before the performance drops too low.
There are mods to replace the textures and such if you really want though.

[electricdawn]

As others have already said, the graphics are a conscious design decision and, actually, which is for me a great part of the appeal of this game.

[Avetembi]

Originally posted by Darkbirt:

To be fair, I really like the game, but I never could go up to defeat the last boss. Up to the third boss, I didn't get further. From the fourth bio tome (the mountains) on the graphics start to become a problem. I play Valheim in console style on my television on 4K. But, their is so much white in the mountains that you can't see the depth and contrast properly with the current graphics, and then I've heard it is even worse in the Mistlands.

I hope their will be some improvements for the graphics, so that the game becomes better playable. I know the Valheim development team is small and it's impossible to get fine details like a needle or hair strand to be seen. I hope it will be possible to see some contrast in the face, leafs that are rounded (now they are blocks), and that we can see the cuteness of the piggy's.

If playing around with the game's graphics settings isn't helping (stuff like shadows, depth of field etc) then play with your device settings (eg gamma/contrast). There are tons of gaming mediums out there and within each type there can also be a ton of graphics variations. Sometimes even adjusting the light in the room you use makes a huge difference. There are mods for almost everything by now and an active modding community.

As others have said, the graphics style is a dev choice for both aesthetic and technical reasons.

[vinyblaster]

I really like the graphics, yes it is surprising at first and you wonder if you have some weird settings turned on. But once you take the time to see how the lighting effects work it looks amazing.

Where the OP has a point is that the mountain biome was really rushed. The blizzard are ugly, useless and cpu/gpu resource wasters. The overall style is not great. The mountain is a total missed opportunity for a game design perspective.

[Tanyon]

I love this "art style" that's what it is.. their vision and it's quite beautiful. I would not hold your breath on them updating it. It is what it is and I'd say most of us like it that way.

[Nobbler]

Originally posted by Darkbirt:

To be fair, I really like the game,

Hell yea, Darkbirt! All I needed to see was 300+ hours in. Good!
If you can't the boss, there are.. ways to be un-harmed and squash that bugger

[Cosmic Cat]

I just looked at the screenshot section for this game, and first thought everyone who posted were playing on potatoes. But then I saw this thread...

Don't know why they chose that, but downgrading to this level of graphics after playing games like Conan Exiles won't be easy.

[Zep Tepi]

There are HD texture mods out there, but that probably won't help with the contrast between this patch of snow and that patch of snow. Adjusting your TV might be the best option. Look through the screenshots to find the ones that look like oil paintings. Those are modded.

[Tanyon]

Originally posted by Starlet:

I just looked at the screenshot section for this game, and first thought everyone who posted were playing on potatoes. But then I saw this thread...

Don't know why they chose that, but downgrading to this level of graphics after playing games like Conan Exiles won't be easy.

ONCE again this was a design choice it is not a "downgrade" I have hundreds of hours in both Conan and Valheim both amazing games with different art style.. neither one being better than the other just different. I love going out on my boat during storms in Valheim and just seeing the different biomes. To me the game is beautiful the way it is.

[Cosmic Cat]

Originally posted by DarthTanyon:

Originally posted by Starlet:

I just looked at the screenshot section for this game, and first thought everyone who posted were playing on potatoes. But then I saw this thread...

Don't know why they chose that, but downgrading to this level of graphics after playing games like Conan Exiles won't be easy.

ONCE again this was a design choice it is not a "downgrade" I have hundreds of hours in both Conan and Valheim both amazing games with different art style.. neither one being better than the other just different. I love going out on my boat during storms in Valheim and just seeing the different biomes. To me the game is beautiful the way it is.

It's a downgrade from my perspective, in comparison to CE - that's what I'm trying to say.
I had a similar issue with "7 days to die", where it looked so atrocious that I had to refund the game (apparently they improved the visuals later though).

Yes, visuals isn't everything, but for some players there's a certain "limit" for what they'd expect to see in modern games.

[Wrinkly]

Have you tried playing on any other panel? Graphics are great although I'd really like to see a RTX path tracing option.

[Salty]

I crossplay with my xbox and I was really surprised to see that my computer runs valheim smoother and clearer than the xbox. my computer is not a gaming computer, i can't even run diablo4 smoothly on the lowest settings, so it was crazy to me. the lower detailed graphics along with the great lighting add to the ambiance, in my opinion. and the almost abstract, paint brush, appearance of the world make it look more like a dreamscape. which is what it is supposed to be, i think. I prefer it to a game where every detail is crystal clear, like in Sons of the Forest for instance. You aren't wrong, but, ya.