Strijkbout: Well yes, I think it's a case of less is more and it's why games like Race the Sun look so artsy.
The same could be said of why vectorgrahpics are so appealing (at least to me).
RetroCodger426: I feel the same. Sometimes, the simpler things are the best. I haven't played Race the Sun; I'm aware of it though and know what you mean. Things often go full circle, like the trend of 8-bit graphics and chiptune soundtracks in recent years. When done right, like with Shovel Knight, it's not just a case of style for the sake of style; it's the modern developers recognising that those games had to be well designed and fun because of their technical limitations, and of course, the added nostalgic feeling is a bonus too! They capture the whole lot, rather than just the style. Years ago, they were obviously limited by technology and so had to make their ideas and gameplay really count in a lot of cases (not all). So what was once the best hardware can muster, now becomes an artistic choice In games like Race the Sun. And besides all that, it just looks cool eh? :)
I feel with old "naked" polygons, the games tended to have much more depth, replayability, and often better physics because beyond the basic immersion they didn't care about realistic shadows, explosions and the rest. I feel like the sparse look with these older games allows us to create our own atmosphere in our own minds without the games' creators forcing their idea of an atmosphere on us. Maybe because they give you a 3D world and truly allow you to experience it freely... without "go here. Do that." linearity, 20 minute cut-scenes and set-pieces getting in the way.
For me maybe it's nostalgia but in some sense also appreciation of the technology of that time and the creativity in the way the developers used it.
