The Art Style and Graphics Discussion

[UpSideDownGRUNT]

Epic aren't making this game, Microsoft's in-house Gears team The Coalition is.

 

[Tyaren]

Epic aren't making this game, Microsoft's in-house Gears team The Coalition is.

That would explain why the game feels different in art style (colors, architecture, not as Hulk-like main protagonists).

 

[Jadeinchains]

It looks great. I've never really been a fan of its gameplay though. A lot of crouching behind conveniently placed waist high walls in those games.

 

[Tyaren]

It looks great. I've never really been a fan of its gameplay though. A lot of crouching behind conveniently placed waist high walls in those games.

Yes, the level layout certainly says: Don't forget this is a video game. I usually hate that because it breaks immersion. XD

 

[Argentus]

I never liked how Gears looked, its why I never really got into the series, only playing N hour or two of the first game.

Everything, from characters, to weapons, to environment, all just blurs together to look like rubble. Plus the main characters are comically disproportionate like Warhammer figures.

I remember in a character design class I took, the instructor showed a regular space marine and a Gears character. He asked the class which was the better design.

The class unanimously decided the regular soldier looked better, but the instructor said the GEARS guy was a better design because he was made to look like a walking tank which is "a more interesting design". We then had an hour long debate as the class argued that no the regular soldier looks better because the gears guy is so comically bulky that its hard to take it seriously because he shouldn't be able to move. Its just a stupid design.



Anyways the first gamee came out at a time when I was burnt out on "gritty realistic shooter" games so GOW passed completely under my radar.

 

[Tyaren]

Y'all are wild I have a picture of jellyfish as my wallpaper

And I usually have pretty game photos that I did and that I am proud of as my desktop background. (Who would've thought, right? XD)
These were the ones that I had in the last 4-5 months. The last one being the most recent:

I prefer darker ones where the app icons stick out more.

 

[UpSideDownGRUNT]

I just use a Mirrors' Edge Catalyst promo wallpaper...

 

[Chapstick]

And I usually have pretty game photos that I did and that I am proud of as my desktop background. (Who would've thought, right? XD)
These were the ones that I had in the last 4-5 months. The last one being the most recent:

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View attachment 20468

View attachment 20467

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I prefer darker ones where the app icons stick out more.

I do use an edited screenshot I took of dangerzone for my phone

Full pic-

 

[Russian-chiropractic19]

why does Star Ocean 5 look worse than Star Ocean 4?

 

[Argentus]

why does Star Ocean 5 look worse than Star Ocean 4?

You know what she looks like?

 

[Jadeinchains]

You know what she looks like?

You just hit me with a nostalgia bomb posting that!

 

[Tyaren]

why does Star Ocean 5 look worse than Star Ocean 4?

Don't know if it objectively looks worse but it doesn't look much better than Star Ocean 4 because it was developed for the same console generation (just in HD for the PS4 version) and because it uses a very similar art style. Some more screens of Star Ocean 5:

Characters:

Environments:

Spoiler

It's a PS3 game in HD with prettier textures, shaders and lighting. @Argentus, these character models are actually close to PS2-level. Look at the blue-haired boy's collarbone area. You can literally count the polygons there from a mile away:

Or here on her chin, face outline, mouth and the little bit of fingers that we can spot here:

They really should add some sort of nostrils to the characters. o..O Like this it looks a little strange...

 

[UpSideDownGRUNT]

Its looks fine to me?

 

[Argentus]

@Tyaren poly count aren't the only factor in how things look, remember? You can get away with low poly count with good texture work/appropriate art style. These actually make for a consistent art style and it comes across more as a clean visual aesthetic like dragon quest heroes or blue dragon, rather then simply bland and featureless mannequins like KOF XIV.

Granted I haven't seen star ocean in motion but from the pictures that's the impression I get.

That collarbone does look a little off though


I know you hate me saying the kof models look ps2ish but they really do, especially in the face and hair.

 

[Tyaren]

@Tyaren poly count aren't the only factor in how things look, remember? You can get away with low poly count with good texture work/appropriate art style. These actually make for a consistent art style and it comes across more as a clean visual aesthetic like dragon quest heroes or blue dragon, rather then simply bland and featureless mannequins like KOF XIV

Now you are basically repeating what I told you from the very first time on when you called KoF models PS2 quality models.

My point here also was not that SO5 models looked bad and that this was due to their low polygon count, I just pointed out that these models are close to PS2-quality character modelling that you apparently saw in in KoF14. If I would guess the SO5 models are made up of no more than 10k polygons. The KoF character models are probably made of at least 80k. Street Fighter 5's character models are for example way blockier and less detailed than KoF14 models and I know for a fact that they are made up of about 60-80k polygons:

Here's "Hot Ryu" in triangels/polygons:

Spoiler

Anyway, talking about anime/comic art styles, how do you guys like the look of the new Ratchet & Clank remake for the PS4? These new screens were just recently released:

Over on Gamersyde you can watch new uncompressed HD gameplay of the game. Direct links to each of the videos:

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_novallis_gameplay-36856_en.html

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_aridia_gameplay-36855_en.html

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_kerwan_gameplay-36857_en.html

Looks pretty, huh?

 

[werewolfgold]

I'm temporarily stopping by this topic (it's not worth scrolling past the 84 huge-ass pictures per page all the time [wtf this is what spoiler tags are for]) to mention that Terry's KOF14 look appears to be a throwback to his original appearance in Fatal Fury 1.

Spoiler

FF1

KOF 14

His sleeveless look came later, "iconic" as it may be.

 

[Tyaren]

I'm temporarily stopping by this topic (it's not worth scrolling past the 84 huge-ass pictures per page all the time [wtf this is what spoiler tags are for]) to mention that Terry's KOF14 look appears to be a throwback to his original appearance in Fatal Fury 1.

Spoiler

FF1

KOF 14

His sleeveless look came later, "iconic" as it may be.

I think we all knew that about Terry's design.

But I do agree we (or rather I XD) should limit the image overload per page a little. The last thing I want is turning away people because of this, when I'm always happy a lively discussion takes off in this thread at all. Let's limit the "huge-ass" pictures outside of spoiler tags to 5 per post as a beginning.
As tiny pictures as werewolf's imho don't really need to be in a spoiler though.

 

[Jadeinchains]

Now you are basically repeating what I told you from the very first time on when you called KoF models PS2 quality models.

My point here also was not that SO5 models looked bad and that this was due to their low polygon count, I just pointed out that these models are close to PS2-quality character modelling that you apparently saw in in KoF14. If I would guess the SO5 models are made up of no more than 10k polygons. The KoF character models are probably made of at least 80k. Street Fighter 5's character models are for example way blockier and less detailed than KoF14 models and I know for a fact that they are made up of about 60-80k polygons:

Here's "Hot Ryu" in triangels/polygons:

Spoiler

Anyway, talking about anime/comic art styles, how do you guys like the look of the new Ratchet & Clank remake for the PS4? These new screens were just recently released:

Over on Gamersyde you can watch new uncompressed HD gameplay of the game. Direct links to each of the videos:

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_novallis_gameplay-36856_en.html

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_aridia_gameplay-36855_en.html

http://www.gamersyde.com/hqstream_ratchet_clank_kerwan_gameplay-36857_en.html

Looks pretty, huh?

That last picture of the game stands out to me as the best. I love games with cartoony art styles with amazing graphics that make all the vibrant colours pop. Not to mention the contrast of the cartoons art style with the realistic shading.

 

[Tyaren]

That last picture of the game stands out to me as the best. I love games with cartoony art styles with amazing graphics that make all the vibrant colours pop. Not to mention the contrast of the cartoons art style with the realistic shading.

Have you watched one of the videos? It all looks so smooth and fluid. The last jump 'n' run that I bought was Super Mario Galaxy many years ago, lol, but this game makes me consider if I shouldn't give another jump 'n' run a try:

Here's a great direct comparison video of the original PS2 Ratchet & Clank and the PS4 remake:

 

[werewolfgold]

I think we all knew that about Terry's design.

I don't think you did. You can't fool me. lol

You said that his sleeveless look was his "original" design in your posts. It's not. Just to clarify for everyone. If you like the sleeveless look better though, that's cool.

But I do agree we (or rather I XD) should limit the image overload per page a little. The last thing I want is turning away people because of this, when I'm always happy a lively discussion takes off in this thread at all. Let's limit the "huge-ass" pictures outside of spoiler tags to 5 per post as a beginning.
As tiny pictures as werewolf's imho don't really need to be in a spoiler though.

I mean, after a certain size, the site itself puts a limiter on it where you have to click to make it larger. But, even so, having so many pictures causes the page to jump around all over the place when you arrive on it because all the pictures are popping into the page as they load (like it did when I came back here to reply to this). Even for smaller pictures like mine. Spoiler tags help with that because you're the one consciously choosing to grow the page.

And then heaven forbid you have to go back and find something that somebody said and not a picture. Good luck trying to find that amongst the sea of pictures and page loading. lol

Just something to keep in mind.