We’ve all come a long way! 

We may not like to admit it sometimes, but we’ve seen the beginning of a lot of things – especially when it comes to tech. We were there during the birth of several classic game franchises, which means we’ve seen them at their graphical worst. But these games, like us, have since come a very long way.

It’s all part of growing up, right?

Tomb Raider

Lara Croft is an icon that has successfully made the leap from gaming to the big screen. But before she was associated with none other than Angelina Jolie, she was debuted in 1996 with an angular look and without hardly any distinguishable facial features. And yet, even then, she was the talk of the town.

Screenshot via YouTube/badassgamez

But now we see everything, from a single strand of hair to the dried blood on her face. We have to admit though, Lara Croft is still pretty gorgeous.

Screenshot via YouTube/theRadBrad

Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy franchise has gone through a lot of characters, musical scoring and monsters. But if there’s one thing that has stayed true, it’s the fans’ love for the game. Way back in 1987, things were simpler. Everything looked like it came out of a cute cartoon as the clothing was basic and the magic was not quite a spectacle.

Screenshot via YouTube/LordCloudStrife

Now the game is so much more complicated – both graphically and in terms of gameplay. The battles look amazing, the characters are incredibly life-like and Square Enix has thought of everything from how the wind hits clothing to how hot food smokes.

Screenshot via YouTube/Zanar Aesthetics

Diablo

The gameplay of Diablo hasn’t really changed over the years, but there’s no denying the franchise has been giving itself facelifts over the years. At the beginning, things weren’t quite right in terms of perception and the movement was still a little stiff.

Screenshot via YouTube/Eversor Fatalis

But now everything seems more 3D – from the way characters move to the extravagant portrayal of gore.

Screenshot via YouTube/ReformistTM

Tekken

Let’s face it, the graphics of Tekken used to be scary. The faces of our favorite characters like Paul and Jin looked like they belonged in bad wax museums. But there’s no blame to put on anyone really, because we fell in love with the game anyway.

Screenshot via YouTube/MgameP1

Things are much better now. While Bandai Namco never let go of its rather versatile library of weird characters, the game developer has definitely gotten better with that digital pen. Who knew Hwoarang  could be so great to look at?

Screenshot via YouTube/Zanar Aesthetics

Resident Evil

Resident Evil has arguably always been one of the scarier gaming franchises for all generations, but once upon a time the graphics weren’t doing it. The characters looked like they were in front of a green screen. It was more about the surprise factor more than anything. 

Screenshot via YouTube/Antony Quintana

But now the game half relies on graphics to give its players the spook. The darkly lit hallways, creaking steps and ghostly characters all just add to the effect.

Screenshot via YouTube/Shirrako

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out where the time has all gone. But there’s nothing like looking back at old games, movies and photos to make us realize how far we’ve come.