The QT3 Character Art poll - what do YOU like?

[Doug Erickson]

What's *your* preferred art style in computer and console games?

Thought I'd move this discussion out of the Disgaea thread.

Me, I'm not picky, although I really don't like strictly rendered character designs, and I'd prefer they clothed folks a bit more. The cel-based, pie-eyed anime style gets old, especially with the silly lingerie they insist on putting most females in. Conversely, Western airbrush work can become painfully predictable and equally gratuitous.

I'd like to see some more risks in the art style of games, like those taken with Disciples and Disciples 2.

[balut]

I LOVE the Disciples series' art style. Very gothic, anime-inspired design, but distinct in its own way.

[Bub, Andrew]

Whatever fits the game -and- is consistent and tasteful. For HOMM it was that boardgamey look they had until IV, for Zelda it's storybook (love the smoke when the baddies die), for Freedom Force it's Jack Kirby, for The Hulk it's Cel-Shading, etc.,

I love Mario Golf's look just as much as I love Tiger Woods 2003. Planescape Torment had wonderful artwork. Icewind Dale had terrific portraits. Disciples is a good example. XIII looks great, and Diablo 2, even at that low rez, looked good. I love the simple style of the old Mario platformers....

and so on.

[Dirt]

I liked the style in Devil May Cry. Gungrave looks cool too.

[Charles]

I don't have much of a preference, but I find things that try and look real get boring after a while. I much prefer stylized graphics like XIII, JSRF, etc.

[JD]

Depends on the game. I usually prefer a more 'realistic' look in RPGs, however, games like Zelda: TWW, Paper Mario, Grim Fandango or Day of the Tentacle wouldn't be what they are with a different style approach.

While we're at LucasArts adventures, I always preferred the look of Monkey I&II over the comic-style in Monkey III&IV. The first two, of course, also integrated comic elements, but I found the older character look - especially the close-ups in the first game - a lot more atmospheric.

[graller]

Where is the big boobs and scantily clad option?

[Angie Gallant]

Where is the big boobs and scantily clad option?

That would be the cheesecake portion of "Burly, chiseled beef with a side of air-brushed cheesecake, please."

[BDGE]

Half the reason I played Disciples 2 was to look at all the pretty art.

Half the reason I avoided HoMM 4 was to NOT look at the art.

[Murph]

I really liked Arcanum's portraits, actually. I'd never seen a half-orc look so believably half-orcish.

But I also like most of Bioware's portraits, and, well...Anything that doesn't completely suck. (Though it's hard to beat that outfit that they put on Aribeth!!)

[Dave Long]

I love the anime look. I love the "realistic" look if it's done right. What I don't like is when developers try too hard to show off some graphical effect. I also hate "plastic" characters and environments. A lot of the DOOM stuff turns me off because it looks like plastic or clay. Yuck.

Most importantly, I like when the graphics are created in service to the gameplay. Warlords Battlecry II always impresses me because the graphics are understated when it comes to the terrain, as they should be since it's just a "game board" but the characters themselves are full of life.

I think my biggest pet peeve with art is how so many western developed games are made using only brown, black, red and white. There are other colors in the spectrum guys.

--Dave

[Xaroc]

I like a variety of styles but I generally don't like the little kid anime stuff that seems to dominate Japanese RPGs. There are exceptions, I liked FFVII and Dark Cloud 2 was ok but DC2 I enjoyed it despite the characters. I am not anti-japanese art completely, I like the art in Mark of Kri for example. That definitely has a Japanese developer feel to it without having some little gimp with a wrench running around. I didn't vote in the poll because it is impossible to zero in on someones taste in art styles in a poll.

-- Xaroc

[Boss]

Mark of Kri is an American made game done by former Disney animators.

[Xaroc]

Mark of Kri is an American made game done by former Disney animators.

That must explain why I like it so much then.

-- Xaroc

[Midnight Son]

Heaving cantilevered breastages straining to be from from spandex!! Oh, wait, I had a teenage flashback. Realism is best for shooters, IMHO.