What is the highest graphical VN currently translated?

[Kendjin]

So you are probably wondering why I'd ask such a question and honestly its pretty simple, I booted up rewrite and not only am I really excited by the story.

I'm loving the artwork and with the higher res, everything feels really sharp, if I had one complaint, it makes me wish I had studied Japanese years ago when I had planned so I could just import the latest VNs, but that's something I'll have to deal with.

What I was wondering, what is in your opinion the highest "graphical quality" VN currently translated?

[Steve]

Well the "sharpness" might simply be because it is in 1280x720 over the classic 800x600 which most translated VNs have.

But I wouldn't call it "graphical quality" but rather artstyle. It is KEY so there is high quality for CGs and characters but there are people who prefer different style.

You can look at games that are 10 years old and still see beautiful characters, but just because it is rendered in lower resolution (this one is even 640x480) doesn't make it less good

the static art used in VNs is eternal and it only depends on the artist.

there can be VN with 1080p resolution but bad artist and the fact they have "better graphics" doesn't actually make it nicer.

Rewrite is just combination of relatively good resolution, awesome artstyle and UI design (the moving parts and all that looks very nice).

But then you can look at some of the games that have animated CGs, are in realtime 3d or have the new live2d technology - and it is graphically more advanced than rewrite which just uses static sprites on BG and nice CGs.

So what I say is that there is no "graphics" in visual novels, not in the sense you use it for other games, there you look at the texture resolution, polygon count on models, antialiasing and all those technologies that allow you to render the 3d game in realtime. In normal VNs there is no realtime rendering so there is no need have technologies that save graphical power - therefore no graphics - its just an image and it depends on how the image is drawn.

Also lot of gamers mistake graphics for aesthetics. There can be game that has inferior graphics but has good world design and aesthetics and looks better than for example BF3 which has so powerful graphical engine, but is ruined by all the wrong decisions from developer side, blue tint over the screen, lens flares etc ruining the whole picture.

But that is just my opinion on it, some people might like these effects, for me it ruined the game.

And the same way it is with VNs, there can be so good artstyle that I love but other people don't. Because both artstyle in VNs (which is often times linked to the author) and aesthetics in videogames are very subjective thing.

I can say I love character design that looks like this where as other people prefer very different one and even hate to see this style in VNs.

So to at least little answer the topic, FOR ME Rewrite is the best looking game that has English patch but as mentioned above, it is very subjective. There are people who like style like http://vndb.org/v7576 but I don't enjoy it at all.

[Steve]

Also one more example of the point, try to have this rendered in 3d as in RPG, it would be almost impossible with all the details you can see there. But when it is just image, the author can add any detail he wants and it doesn't affect performance at all.

This is actually a CG from a VN ( http://vndb.org/v8036 )

[Down]

Hm, actually graphics are one of the least things I care about in a VN. I've never encountered a VN that made me tell 'wow this has incredible design'.

Sure, Key works have well-done neat CGs (and terrible sprites...) but they're just rather plain. Nothing much outstanding.

Thus I don't really care about doujin VNs with terrible art such as Higurashi or Tsukihime, it doesn't matter as long as writing, story, music and such follow.

If I had to choose though, Kara no Shoujo has a really good art and a style I like a lot.

[Kendjin]

Yeah, I guess I meant... I was wondering what game blends amazing art with a good resolution that doesn't make it look dated.

Great post though Steve, it was really helpful

[Zakamutt]

As long as the vn actually maintains its aspect ratio, it's actually not that bad to have it sized up a bit. However, sometimes I really wish they had a setting to preserve the original window size but fullscreen it with black all around it in the middle of the screen.

As for my graphic quality list... I'd say G-senjou no Maou wins out; that's one of the 800x600 vns though afaik. Analogue: a Hate Story also had pretty good graphics (that said most of it was interface anyway, but the sprites were really good) and was sharp even at 1920x1200. Honorable mention goes to Symphonic Rain, which was also 800x600 but had a really unique and pretty artstyle.

[Forythos]

I agree about Rewrite, I was also really impressed with the resolution and overall quality when I first played. I've actualy been thinking about making a topic like this ever since I tried the demo for Grisaia no Kajitsu, which has really impressed me with both its art style and "graphics". In fact I'd say Grisaia is the one I've found most impressive so far. Personally I'd rate art quality and presentation(interface, resolution, etc) as two different entities that can both affect your enjoyment in different ways.(I still enjoyed some pretty ugly looking VNs and play lots of old video games, so don't mistake me for a graphics whore lol.)

I also keep hearing how Muv-Luv Alternative is one of the most visualy impressive ones available in english, but I haven't played it so I don't really know.

[RusAnon]

I'd say School Days HQ is one of most graphical ones. Animation everywhere.

MLA got impressive animations in mecha scenes, but overall its just 'good'. Sprites and CG are good, but not stunning.

In terms of artwork, games like Sharnoth are very impressive, I love Liar-Soft's art style.

From untranslated ones I'd advice to check Gekkou no Carnevale (best art in "dark" category) and anything Happoubi Jin worked on (Bishoujo Mangekyou is HD, with animations and perfect art, you cannot beat this guy in gothic-lolis nukige genre, Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo is great as well)

[Kaguya]

I'd say that I got impressed by the sprites in Hoshizora no Memoria when I played it. The reason is probably because I usually play really old VNs, and I started with the "new"(2006+) [or at least graphically good] VNs recently. I really liked the way they made the eyes of the Steins Gate characters as well.

[Snowtsuku]

I love the art of the 3 VNs made by AB2, and Kamidori Alchemy Meister.

When it comes to Resolution, it's Your Diary which I saw to have the same one, TL is not yet done though.

[Widi]

As for my graphic quality list is aneimo 2 second stage the art,bgm and op is really damn good but sadly there is no one going to translate this VN, ,

[Metaler]

I don't really care much for graphics, but good art style and direction can definetely pull me in.

Though if I had to pick one of the most visually stunning VNs I've played, it'd have to be either Rewrite or Bishoujo Mangekyou. The latter has some of the most stunning backgrounds I have ever seen. I swear I want to print some of them out and put them on my wall. They'd make great Progrock album covers too.

I love the style in Cross Channel, too. The choice of colors is especially efficient in providing a hollow sensation to the world and the story, like there is something missing, yet you can't quite put your finger on what it is. I imagine that this is due to the efficient use of white, which can pretty much blend in with any color.

Finally, while I'm not a big fan of the character designs in Steins;Gate, the style somehow fits perfectly well with the urban environment of Akihabara, the town of electronics. The colors, once again, play a huge role in giving a contemporary yet "dirty" feel, like watching a garage band perform: it's bad, but it fits very well with the idea behind the Lab, which is, well, like a garage band except for science.

[shcboomer]

I agree about Rewrite, I was also really impressed with the resolution and overall quality when I first played. I've actualy been thinking about making a topic like this ever since I tried the demo for Grisaia no Kajitsu, which has really impressed me with both its art style and "graphics". In fact I'd say Grisaia is the one I've found most impressive so far. Personally I'd rate art quality and presentation(interface, resolution, etc) as two different entities that can both affect your enjoyment in different ways.(I still enjoyed some pretty ugly looking VNs and play lots of old video games, so don't mistake me for a graphics whore lol.)

I also keep hearing how Muv-Luv Alternative is one of the most visualy impressive ones available in english, but I haven't played it so I don't really know.

I agree with Rewrite as well, it isn't just about the art quality but also art style. I've always loved Key's art style and story so that made it a good match for me.

[Oxidian]

I was impressed by Kimi no Nagori wa Shizuka ni Yurete CGs, not only the quality is really reqally good even in fullHD, but it isn't even stretched in full screen since they added black bands on the right and left side. I hate playing in full screen because of that.

[REtransInternational]

I was impressed by Kimi no Nagori wa Shizuka ni Yurete CGs, not only the quality is really reqally good even in fullHD, but it isn't even stretched in full screen since they added black bands on the right and left side. I hate playing in full screen because of that.

Most of the backgrounds are at a resolution of 1200x800.

[Lithglir]

I really love art in Sona-Nyl, but it's not translated.

Well, Sharnoth and Inganock are nice too. I also like graphics in Kamidori and Ef.

[Beato]

Wait resolutiuon or art quality?

If it's currently translated VN's with high resolution I think it's rewrite.

If it's art quality of currently translated VN's, well most VN's have pretty bad art ( ) but probably Sharnoth or Kara no Shoujo (Fate/Stay Night, Utawarerumono and Hoshimemo also looks pretty good)

[Oxidian]

Wait resolutiuon or art quality?

If it's currently translated VN's with high resolution I think it's rewrite.

If it's art quality of currently translated VN's, well most VN's have pretty bad art ( :(/>/>/>/>/> ) but probably Sharnoth or Kara no Shoujo (Fate/Stay Night, Utawarerumono and Hoshimemo also looks pretty good)

I did find FSN bad qualitywise even among many of the same year

Most of the backgrounds are at a resolution of 1200x800.

The game windows is large 1000x600 so 1200x800 doesn't match, even redimensioned it would be 1000x666. Aside from that you meant that the game uses common CGs/background/etc... for the windowed game and more high resoluted images for the fullscreen view ?