something like alpha gameplay from 2009?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JciyoGmnGyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JciyoGmnGyo
I love that video. I wish the athmosphere in the final game would be like that at some point. I just love the dark gritty tent. And the soldiers doing work out and everything. Even the broken barrels and the reaction to it was a bit nicer. :/ Still the second one is a great game.aquasplash said:
This alpha looks better to me than the actual final game. A lot better to be honest, atmosphere, Geral't armor, the way the Aard sign works.
The only thing ridiculous is that QTE which is practically the only thing that actually made it into the final game.
But Witcher 3 has similar themed screenshots so far so there is yet hope.
The only thing ridiculous is that QTE which is practically the only thing that actually made it into the final game.
But Witcher 3 has similar themed screenshots so far so there is yet hope.
Asking me. TW2 introduced some neat art directions for the flashback scenes, for an example and generally, I didn't think the world was too light. It's the actions that occur in the world that make it dark medieval. I mean, back then in the dark ages of Medieval, there was the same light and darkness as it was back in Rome or any other age.
Yes and no. People were a lot dirtier, also the streets were littered in fecal matteres and garbage. I want more dust, cobwebs, grime, polluted rivers. Smaller villages might not have been as bad, but military camps for sure were and bigger towns/cities as well. There was hardly any sewage in most places. We need toilets and garbage dumps and all those things that make the world ugly and believable.ParcivalGodrigson said:
Sure in the forest it might look nice, even magical like in Flotsam Forest in places. Although we seem to miss dead trees and rotting shrubbery, mushrooms and insects.
Most places still look too perfect and colourful because they are missing the byproducts of humanity and the decay of nature.
TW2 most definitely. A colorful world with a very dark and mature premise. TW1 was amazing at that time, and the art direction being bleak and less colorful was probably due to technology being different and more archaic than today's standards; not to mention it was utilizing a different engine.
Judging by the screenshots they've shown a couple of months ago, I believe they'll retain that art style and direction from the Witcher 2. Besides, haven't any of you seen The Last of Us developed by Naughty Dog? The art style and direction were colorful and breath-taking, yet the premise is very dark and brutal. The same goes to Far Cry 3, God of War, and the likes of such games. It depends on the loactions, I suppose.
Judging by the screenshots they've shown a couple of months ago, I believe they'll retain that art style and direction from the Witcher 2. Besides, haven't any of you seen The Last of Us developed by Naughty Dog? The art style and direction were colorful and breath-taking, yet the premise is very dark and brutal. The same goes to Far Cry 3, God of War, and the likes of such games. It depends on the loactions, I suppose.
Art and graphics in TW3 should be darker than in TW2, in my opinion. I have a simple explanation to why it should be like that. The events in TW3 will supposedly set the Northern Region in time of war chaos and conflict. People will be dying by the hundreds, armies will be marching through enemy lands and many town`s will be sacked during this conflict. When all of this is taken into consideration it seems natural to me that a darker graphic style should be used. It will help a lot better to build ambiences of the scenery and more to build a whole narration of a game in general than shinny, colourful graphic style of TW2.
I know what you're saying, but this is a theme which we see in paintings all the time, the juxtaposition of the indifference of the natural world and the actions of humanity. Besides being interesting to observe, and kind of humbling, the fact is this trend exists IRL, i.e. the world doesn't become "darker" simply because of our actions, it has the capacity to remain colorful, bright, or beautiful. Yes, we can neuter or stain the world, but it only remains that way till the next spring or rain.
I would link some photojournalism, but I think that might get too serious for this board to handle.
I would link some photojournalism, but I think that might get too serious for this board to handle.
"Shiny", as in the overuse of bloom common in TW2, isn't suitable, but "real is brown" doesn't actually apply to human works of any time or place. What Kricfalusi called "pee and poo colors" aren't edgy, aren't realistic, they're a relic of habits like showing WWII footage in black and white because so many of us saw the war in newsreels.UncleJoe said:
Peasant life was not the color of dirt but as bright and cheerful as people could afford. War and the aftermath of war are not dark and dirty but garish and shocking.
Delacroix, "Massacre at Chios" (1824)
I have to say TW2 is the worst looking game I have ever played. It hurts my eyes because it is way too bright and has too much contrast not to mention the sharpening filter. I thought it would look somewhat like the alpha video but sadly it didn't. It's even more disappointing because TW1 had absolutely perfect colours and art. Sometimes I wonder if the games were made by completely different teams.
@ Guy: good point. Being colorful or brightly colored doesn't automatically imply "peace" or "happiness"; you have to seek out the subtext.
i think the art style from witcher 1 left a lot to be desired, but witcher 2's at style basically nailed the whole thing shut. i don't think there is really any way to improve on that. if anything, they should just focus on technical and visual improvements at this point.
agreed with guy on the whole gloomy brown filtered nonsense that everyone associates with realism and war. that's just what happens when every war movie gets bleached to hell and the kiddies make no distinction between movies and reality.
agreed with guy on the whole gloomy brown filtered nonsense that everyone associates with realism and war. that's just what happens when every war movie gets bleached to hell and the kiddies make no distinction between movies and reality.
seamusgod said:
This. Only I really want the gloomy caves and swamp levels from TW1 back. And if we could get more mist filled, decayed forests, like that section outside of Flotsam where the Nekkers tended to roam, that would be fucking awesome. I wanted that shit to go on forever. The RED engine looked at its best in dimly lit and low chromatic areas. Where it was bright sunlight and green trees or brush, colors seemed too saturated. The latest TW3 pics show that this issue may have been fixed.
Well i just asked Kevin VanOrd from Gamespot how were the flashbacks from the Witcher 3 E3 demo, comc style as in the witcher 2 or painting style like TW1 and he said, he clearly remembered that it was like in TW2.
Too bad, i was hoping it'd be like in TW1.
Too bad, i was hoping it'd be like in TW1.
I wouldn't say a "colourful" style is the best phrase to use when comparing the two for the purposes of this poll, because the two are worlds apart in so many respects. It doesn't seem that simple to me.
The whole art style of W1 reminded me of a water colour painting and was in fitting with the graphics. It had a real bleak tone throughout and was the perfect introduction the Witcher world. I was completely drawn in by the art style of W1 and it seemed to fit in well with the books' Polish folklore feel. W2 was so stunningly vibrant (someone else mentioned Bosch and I've always thought of him/ Breugal when I see W2 art and animations because of the colours and the vibrancy in details). It's realistic whilst still being surreal at appropriate points. It has a 'rose-tinted spectacle' vibe, however, they've retained the ability to capture those 'bleak' areas but have just used a different approach than the first game. The colours draw out a lot of that melancholy, e.g: {Possible spoilers, but on my phone so can't stick in a spoiler tab} the state of Flotsam if you side with Iorveth and the way it contrasts to when you first arrive; Roche's camp is pretty grim in the lower section, which I think intends to give you a sense of foreboding and I'd say the same for the poorer, shanty town district in Vergen as well as the wooden huts and rocky outcrops in various chapters; then there's Loc Muinne, where I felt more at ease where the monsters spawned/ in the sewers/ ruins than around the main city among the NPC's (this area had incredible atmosphere because of the build up to events). This was mainly achieved by that 'colourful' art style. It also served to highlight hypocrisy - (spoliers) e.g. stringing party banners/ wreaths up around the gallows and having that hazy, rosy filter.
You also have to remember that the whole story had a different tone in W2. There aren't as many of those open, bleak areas that there were in W1. The only area I think could be directly compared would be that of the two swamp areas. The Flotsam swamp (where the hanged man is) was small compared to the W1 swamp but they were incredibly similar in feel. Granted, the Flotsam forest seems to have a different kind of ecosystem, but I just felt like it was a climate more unique to Flotsam and it's surrounding area - I think Flotsam gives you a skewed view of the colour because of it's particular climate.
Weather also plays a huge factor in changing the feel of the art style throughout the game. The weather was warmer in the W2 and I'd take a guess that it will vary more in the W3.
Anyway, I get the impression that even though the art style will remain the same in W3, we will see more muted areas and plenty of those bleak, open areas. I think that would satisfy most who are looking for some more of the W1 style.
The whole art style of W1 reminded me of a water colour painting and was in fitting with the graphics. It had a real bleak tone throughout and was the perfect introduction the Witcher world. I was completely drawn in by the art style of W1 and it seemed to fit in well with the books' Polish folklore feel. W2 was so stunningly vibrant (someone else mentioned Bosch and I've always thought of him/ Breugal when I see W2 art and animations because of the colours and the vibrancy in details). It's realistic whilst still being surreal at appropriate points. It has a 'rose-tinted spectacle' vibe, however, they've retained the ability to capture those 'bleak' areas but have just used a different approach than the first game. The colours draw out a lot of that melancholy, e.g: {Possible spoilers, but on my phone so can't stick in a spoiler tab} the state of Flotsam if you side with Iorveth and the way it contrasts to when you first arrive; Roche's camp is pretty grim in the lower section, which I think intends to give you a sense of foreboding and I'd say the same for the poorer, shanty town district in Vergen as well as the wooden huts and rocky outcrops in various chapters; then there's Loc Muinne, where I felt more at ease where the monsters spawned/ in the sewers/ ruins than around the main city among the NPC's (this area had incredible atmosphere because of the build up to events). This was mainly achieved by that 'colourful' art style. It also served to highlight hypocrisy - (spoliers) e.g. stringing party banners/ wreaths up around the gallows and having that hazy, rosy filter.
You also have to remember that the whole story had a different tone in W2. There aren't as many of those open, bleak areas that there were in W1. The only area I think could be directly compared would be that of the two swamp areas. The Flotsam swamp (where the hanged man is) was small compared to the W1 swamp but they were incredibly similar in feel. Granted, the Flotsam forest seems to have a different kind of ecosystem, but I just felt like it was a climate more unique to Flotsam and it's surrounding area - I think Flotsam gives you a skewed view of the colour because of it's particular climate.
Weather also plays a huge factor in changing the feel of the art style throughout the game. The weather was warmer in the W2 and I'd take a guess that it will vary more in the W3.
Anyway, I get the impression that even though the art style will remain the same in W3, we will see more muted areas and plenty of those bleak, open areas. I think that would satisfy most who are looking for some more of the W1 style.
Interesting poll results. I've always preferred TW1's more matte art style, but I didn't realize so many others agreed. Witcher 2 had something, I dunno... I've heard it called too much bloom, but not being an artist I don't have the vocabulary to describe my preferences. It was beautiful but somehow didn't draw me in like TW1's environments did.