Motion blur, chromatic aberration, bloom… we've discussed many times whether these effects deserve a spot in a game's settings menu or are the hellspawn of Satan's computer graphics division. Now it's time for you to chime in. One final reckoning; until I have the same idea again in five years' time. I am nothing if not returning to this well over and over again.
It's your classic knockout format: Two effects go head-to-head and only one makes it through to the next round. There are four initial rounds, then we'll move onto semis, then regional semis, regional quarter semis, semi regionals… nah, we'll make it quick. There are three rounds total.
Here are the initial head-to-head rounds:
- Depth of field vs vignette (voting is open)
- Chromatic aberration vs dirt (voting is open)
- Motion blur vs lens flare (voting is open)
- Film grain vs bloom
Got it? Get your votes in below. Then y'all can argue about it in the comments, and say stuff like, "well, actually, motion blur serves a very important purpose." Yeah, whatever.
Examples
Bloom
Bloom is very easy to overuse, though it can be used smartly at times. Here it is in Deadlock, used for a bright projector on a screen.
Film grain
I don't really care for film grain, yet it was the effect I had the most trouble tracking down. In all the games I tested, it was never as bad as I remembered it to be. Anyways, here it is in Phasmophobia. It's sorta visible at the top of the frame.
