Retrogathering

Modern games can draw on infinitely more resources compared to 80s and 90s games. Their graphics can be hyper-realistic and their worlds massive, almost to a point where you might forget that you're playing a game. And here is the thing: I don't like that. The reason I play games is because I want to feel like playing one, not to be part of an interactive movie-like experience where fiction and reality become one. Up until the early 90s, Sierra games had a very distinct art style. Space Quest III is a perfect example - it literally illustrates my point. Sierra had to "modernize" and change their style in later years, of course, to not fall behind. Their graphics became smoother and, to a degree, more mainstream. I might be one of the very few who didn’t like that particular switch. I preferred their original chunky pixel art. To me, those 80s and early 90s games will always be emblematic of Sierra’s legacy. Whenever I replay the older Sierra classics, there’s something comforting about them. They had to work with limited color palettes and low resolutions, yet every shot was packed with detail. It was easy to get lost in them and your mind did the rest, it filled in the blanks, because those games left room for your imagination. I assume younger generations might not see it the same way. And yes, maybe nostalgia is hitting me way too hard, but I still believe one of the main reasons so many of us remember Sierra is because of their art style. It had a certain magic that has never been replicated.