Favourite Artstyle?

[Jou05]

Favourite Artstyle?

TW1 had a unique artstyle and a slavic "touch"

TW2 on the other hand dropped that (and as a result the classic Witcher feel) and went in a different direction.
It was a more colorful world with a very dark and mature premise
The story supports that, instead of more classic Witcher work, Geralt got caught up in Politics etc.

TW3 clearly goes back to TW1's style

Whats your favourite?
And why didn't they stick with one? It makes the games feel too different (mainly TW2)

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

I'm glad you feel that way. I didn't play TW3 yet, but I liked the feeling of TW1 more than that of TW2 (to be clear, both are great, but TW1 has that feeling which somewhat lacks in TW2). So if TW3 is closer to it in your opinion - it sounds good to me

 

[Garrison72]

I'd argue TW2 is the best in this aspect, given the amazing lighting, atmosphere and armor designs it had. But I've not seen all that TW3 has to offer.

 

[Domhnallaich]

I was quite disappointed that they changed the font styles and stuff in TW2. I much preferred everything from an aesthetic point of view in TW1. I know technically TW2 is better in graphics but TW1 did not try to exaggerate the world to the extend TW2 did (made it feel more Holywood IMO). I am glad to see TW3 largely go back to TW1 style. I also disliked things like Cat potion in TW2 that kinda let you see through walls. That kind of stuff was a wrong move IMO. Still an amazing game but I definitely prefer TW1 in almost every way.

 

[Jou05]

I was quite disappointed that they changed the font styles and stuff in TW2. I much preferred everything from an aesthetic point of view in TW1. I know technically TW2 is better in graphics but TW1 did not try to exaggerate the world to the extend TW2 did (made it feel more Holywood IMO). I am glad to see TW3 largely go back to TW1 style. I also disliked things like Cat potion in TW2 that kinda let you see through walls. That kind of stuff was a wrong move IMO. Still an amazing game but I definitely prefer TW1 in almost every way.

Yeah the slavic feel was definitely gone in TW2 but I didn't mind that much

 

[Domhnallaich]

Yeah the slavic feel was definitely gone in TW2 but I didn't mind that much

Yeah, the game was still awesome but I think it would have been better still had they kept it.

 

[Jou05]

I'd argue TW2 is the best in this aspect, given the amazing lighting, atmosphere and armor designs it had. But I've not seen all that TW3 has to offer.

Agreed, TW2 does feel very different than TW1 and TW3 (in a positive way)
I liked the atmosphere there a lot more

 

[spacehamsterZH]

I like TW2 fine, but I have to say I also noticed how much more the environments in TW3 resemble the first game, just with AAA production values. Best of both worlds, I'd say.

 

[K.Constantine]

The Witcher 1: best atmosphere

The Witcher 2: best armor designs
http://vitaln.com/ehalos/witcher2/

The Witcher 3: best armor concept art that didn't make it into the game

WHERE IS GERALT'S BANDOLIER IN TW3 CDPR? AND THE FUR ACCENTS ON ARMOR???

 

[Jou05]

^Damm those armor designs look great maybe they will get added via DLC?

 

[SmilingSword]

TW2 wins hands down in my book. Amour, lighting, level design they were all amazing. The atmosphere, created from all those aspects was just too good. Also the character design was top notch, Iorveth in particular.

 

[Noobseals]

I prefer the political style in TW2

 

[Mezziaz]

TW2>TW1>TW3

The first Witcher has the best atmosphere though. The Witcher 3 feels like a completely different universe to me compared to the previous two titles unfortunately.

 

[Marthenil]

TW3>TW1=TW2 in my opinion.

TW1 had a more dark, european feeling. TW2 was a more "Hollywood" approach, as someone else put it. TW3 is the best of both worlds. I haven't seen everything there is to see, but so far, it feels amazing. Especially Novigrad.

 

[Amioran]

Atmosphere:
TW1 > TW2 > TW3

Now if CDPR changed the damn lightning in W3 (for example to how it was in the 35 min demo) it would be another story but as it is, imo, W3 is the worst of the three as far as color scheme/atmosphere goes. It has a very good day/nigth cycle + weather effects etc. but the lightning is all wrong and completely removes that "dark" feeling W1 had while at the same time trying to replicate it instead of going for a full brilliant colorful direction as W2 did.

Either you go on a direction or you go on the other: in this case a mix of both doesn't work as well. IMO the decision to go back to the W1 atmosphere was a good one (I don't personally think the W2 "fantasy" look fits the lore), but they butchered it with the execution, sadly.

 

[Jou05]

TW2>TW1>TW3

The first Witcher has the best atmosphere though. The Witcher 3 feels like a completely different universe to me compared to the previous two titles unfortunately.

Really? For me TW2 feels like a completely different universe than the other two
Its my favourite no doubt but it doesn't have any of the classic Slavic atmosphere

It was more fantasy like too, compare the locations there (Flotsam forest, Vergen, real Elven ruins, Loc Muinne) to the locations in TW1+TW3 (Wyzima, Novigrad etc.)

 

[Mezziaz]

Really? For me TW2 feels like a completely different universe than the other two

Yes, the game feels too nice and "happy" now compared to older titles and I'm not fond of the character redesigns they made late in development.

Spoiler

Letho for example looks more like teddy bear now than ruthless mass of meat.

 

[Aalda11]

The Witcher 1: best atmosphere

This. The vibe, contrast and colour palette were much more mellow and nuanced. Lightning and colour palette in TW2 and TW3 are way too oversaturated, overcontrasted and too Disney-like, probably to cater to the mass-market tastes.

Contrary to others in this thread I don't think they have nailed the Slavic atmosphere in TW3, they went with too vibrant colours and nuclear sunsets in Velen. C'mon what are we, the southeast Asia with sunsets that literally hurt your eyes?

As a result most White Orchard and Velen ended up half bland, half cartoonish and not very atmospheric.

On the other hand they nailed Skellige BEAUTIFULLY. I really couldn't get enough of the vistas, the landscape design, the textures and so on. Skellige is definitelly a high point of this game, atmosphere-wise.

 

[redwood36]

How did TW1 feel more slavic? Unless some evidence is given I'm going to interpret that statement as coming from the grimdark feeling of 1 as being slavic.

In terms of artistic touches 3 has the most slavic touches directly. Many of the peasant houses are painted in a slavic manner with colorful floral patterns. Not to mention the tavern in white orchard is painted in something that seems reminiscent of a slavic aesthetic. Secondly the landscape very much feels like something straight out of a Shishkin painting.


TW3 in terms of environments. However 2 had the best armors, namely the Seltkirk armor which is the best armor in any game ever.

Also the point of having beautiful environments is tied to the narrative argument. Life is inherently beautiful and has value. Geralt sees the nature this way because he believes in the basic value of life above all dogmas, creeds or ideologies. The contrast of a horrific noonwraith in a beautiful golden field IS part of the narrative focus.

 

[K.Constantine]

How did TW1 feel more slavic? Unless some evidence is given I'm going to interpret that statement as coming from the grimdark feeling of 1 as being slavic.

In terms of artistic touches 3 has the most slavic touches directly. Many of the peasant houses are painted in a slavic manner with colorful floral patterns. Not to mention the tavern in white orchard is painted in something that seems reminiscent of a slavic aesthetic. Secondly the landscape very much feels like something straight out of a Ruskin painting.


TW3 in terms of environments. However 2 had the best armors, namely the Seltkirk armor which is the best armor in any game ever.

Also the point of having beautiful environments is tied to the narrative argument. Life is inherently beautiful and has value. Geralt sees the nature this way because he believes in the basic value of life above all dogmas, creeds or ideologies. The contrast of a horrific noonwraith in a beautiful golden field IS part of the narrative focus.

Act IV of TW1 is literally a slavic folk tale in video game form. The closest Witcher 3 comes to that is The Devil By The Well, but that completely misses the point of family and the "village" unit in slavic culture.
>source:
Although genetically Thracian/Slavic/Asian mixture, I was raised in a country with Slavic culture.