Why do so many games have that glossy look?

Look at:

Bioshock
Far Cry 2
Assassin's Creed
Fallout 3
Rainbow Six Vegas 2

All those games have a really glossy look to them, like all the textures are plastic? Why is that?

Game artists and designers are still trying to find that sweet spot of "realistic" glossiness.
From someone who does a lot of digital art, I can tell you it isn't easy.


As for Bioshock, everything is shiny because everything is wet. The air in Rapture is probably thick with moisture.

I guess it makes some things realistic though, I mean, would you rather it was some bland boring colour with no shine like Link's clothing in Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess?
It does get on my nerves IF there is too much though yeah. I feel the games mentioned didn't quite go over the top but had an appropriate reason for when they did have allot of it though.

Missing Resistance 2, and Gears 2. It's overdone sometimes though, yeah...

Only game I can REALLY say has none of this, is Killzone 2. Honestly.

"Missing Resistance 2, and Gears 2. It's overdone sometimes though, yeah...

Only game I can REALLY say has none of this, is Killzone 2. Honestly.
"

Make it look good...

That would Unreal Plastic Engine 3.  The true successor to the Doom 3 Plastic Engine.

Honestly, the shiny normal mapping look doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as the desaturated grey & brown look pervasive in games.  Bring back the blue skies & green grass, god damn it!

"Sentry said:

"Missing Resistance 2, and Gears 2. It's overdone sometimes though, yeah...

Only game I can REALLY say has none of this, is Killzone 2. Honestly.
"

The designers on the Killzone 2 team seem to be the best in the business, they have achieved an almost perfect balance of glossiness and overall this game just looks amazing.

Another game that has a TON of shiny would be Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
"

A lot of it has to do with many games using Unreal Engine 3 ...it's sort of one those that is associated with UE3.

Yeah, starting to hate that look... a lot.

It's ok as long as it doesn't get overused, I used to love that look when it was new...

Because it looks good most of the time....

i hate the look of plastic men but glossy environments are pretty good looking

Yeah it'smoslty with games that utilize the Unreal Engine 3 look at Gears it also has alot of this "glossy" parts in the game just like Unreal Tournament 3

They look great, i dont c many "Glossy Ones"

"Look at:

Bioshock
Far Cry 2
Assassin's Creed
Fallout 3
Rainbow Six Vegas 2

All those games have a really glossy look to them, like all the textures are plastic? Why is that?
"

perfect dark zero was the worst. it was like laminated land.

Makes it look nicer?

Only games that use UT engine that I can notice are stuff like UT3, Turok, Dark Void, Fallout 3, R6V1/2, Bioshock a bit, AC a tiny bit, Mercs 2, Gears 2, and some other shooters...

But games like Mirrors Edge prove you can use the engine without it looking like a UTE game.

To try and make to game more realistic.

i really don't know what to tell you xruntime !

Well, they're trying to find a good balance.

And Rapture is watery

"Sentry said:

"Missing Resistance 2, and Gears 2. It's overdone sometimes though, yeah...

Only game I can REALLY say has none of this, is Killzone 2. Honestly.
"

The designers on the Killzone 2 team seem to be the best in the business, they have achieved an almost perfect balance of glossiness and overall this game just looks amazing.

Another game that has a TON of shiny would be Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.
"

There just trying to make it look realistic and good

"There just trying to make it look realistic and good"

It looks.. Better? Producers choice I guess.

Welcome to Direct X 9.

"Thunder said:

"There just trying to make it look realistic and good"

by making people look like toy figures?
"

its called too much bloom

'Bloom' would be a good word for this..

Best of both worlds. Not only does it make the game look better but it appeals to the market. Plastic Semi-Dark Realstic With Tons of Shade make a games graphics seem far superior.

Even last generation this applys.

i think most games that use unreal engine 3 always look way too glossy, bloomy, shallow (things just dont feel like they have weight), and too much contrast

Same here, its usually just UTE based games, or games that base their tech off of the UT engine.

I suppose its just designers experimenting with stuff to see how it works.

Never really noticed it until it was just mentioned. 

I didn't really notice the plasticwrap look in Fallout 3 or Assasin's Creed

Well personally, I just don't like it all plastic-looking. It looks less realistic...and I don't feel as immersed when the world looks like wax