This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Blur needs to be added to the list of Post-Processing Video Effects. (No pun intended.) From the Real Is Brown page:
Tomb Raider: Anniversary introduced 'Real is blurry', where everything not near Lara is blurred for de-emphasis. Views and scenery that would otherwise be stunning look pastel and foggy as a result. A tremendous waste of visual art. You'll think you need glasses.
- With sufficient adjustment of sharpness, contrast, brightness, etc. on the TV it's possible to get the dust motes hanging in the air to stand out clear and sharp, but not the background.
- Tomb Raider: Underworld added blur
as well.
It's pointed out in the Underworld link that, since the blur is added in post-processing, it's an additional strain on the graphics engine and hardware. Developers are burning CPU cycles to make the game harder to see.
Going from a game like Ratchet And Clank: Going Commando (2003) to Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007) is an amazing step down in graphics quality. Even worse, since Anniversary opted for drab colors, the graphical detail lost to the blur can be critical for playing the game successfully. - Jove Hack
