Why don’t more games use simple graphics but deeper world simulation?
I’ve been thinking about this after playing games like Animal Crossing and older handheld games.
Modern hardware is ridiculously powerful compared with the DS/3DS era, but most of that extra power seems to go into graphics: higher resolution, lighting, textures, draw distance, realistic animations, cinematic presentation, etc.
But what if a studio deliberately kept the graphics simple? Not ugly, but stylised. Something closer to DS/3DS/Switch-lite quality. Low-poly, clean textures, simple animations, modest environments.
Couldn’t that spare hardware budget be used to make the world far more dynamic?
For example:
- NPCs that remember more of what you did
- items that are actually functional instead of just decorative
- objects staying where you left them
- shops, vehicles, furniture and buildings having real gameplay purpose
- villagers having jobs, routines, relationships and consequences
- towns changing based on your decisions
- more persistent world state
- deeper simulation rather than prettier set dressing
Animal Crossing is a good example of the frustration. It has a beautiful vibe, but so many items are basically props. You can buy an electric scooter, bikes, gym equipment, food stalls, instruments, arcade machines, etc, but most of them don’t really do anything.
I get that making things functional creates design problems: collision, animations, save data, bugs, NPC pathing, balance, edge cases. But surely modern hardware could handle a richer world if the graphics budget was intentionally kept modest?
Games like Stardew Valley, RimWorld, Dwarf Fortress, Kenshi, Minecraft and Project Zomboid show that people will accept simpler visuals if the systems are deep enough.
So why don’t more studios make games that are visually simple but mechanically rich?
Is it mainly because graphics are easier to market? Is it because simulation is harder to test? Or do players say they want depth but actually buy visual spectacle?
I feel like there’s a huge gap for a cosy/life-sim/open-world game that looks modest but feels genuinely alive.