Troyen
Jun 19, 2017
Like in my case I am only interested in story rich games, from time to time I might feel like going for something for a gameplay but generally it is stories what I am looking for in games, and when it comes to stories it is Anime style ones that I like, (There are extremely few stories that have noting to do with Anime that I liked)
I'm not knocking you for liking something specific, that's totally up to you, it's just hard for me to understand how gaming preferences can be attributed to an aesthetic. Which is why I sometimes express bafflement when people go, "Didn't like the art. Downvoted."
While I think people can be too picky in some regards, I'm not sure why you think aesthetic can't be a deciding factor on whether or not to pick up a game. I mean, twenty years ago, some people were relying on box art to draw them to a new release.
Art isn't the only factor that decides whether or not I enjoy a game, but it's one of the easiest to quickly assess. If a game has a poor story, unless it's so bad it's obvious right off the bat, it can take a while to figure out the game is going downhill and not going to get any better. Gameplay can kind of be judged up front in respect to genre, but there are nuances in gameplay systems that make the difference between "this is still fun 10 hours later" and "plz make it stop" and it takes a while to figure out which one applies.
I don't think this is limited to games either. I certainly don't go see movies where the visual style in the trailers turns me off.
Where I disagree with DarkWolf is that I don't feel like art should define the story/gameplay. Just because something has the manga look shouldn't mean the story must then follow all the manga tropes. There should be room to experiment and mix/match all three.
Franka
Jun 19, 2017
While I think people can be too picky in some regards, I'm not sure why you think aesthetic can't be a deciding factor on whether or not to pick up a game. I mean, twenty years ago, some people were relying on box art to draw them to a new release.
Well yeah, but I'd say there's a big difference between deciding factor and not giving something a chance. Sure, if I've got game A and game B, and all else being roughly equal, A has more appealing art (to me), I'd lean toward A. That's different from looking at B and going, "looks like crap, would never play" (not quoting any specific person here).
But yeah, I bought Barbarian 2: The Dungeon of Drax because of the box art...
Troyen
Jun 19, 2017
Even there, there are scales. I can't stand pixelated games anymore, so I completely skip them regardless of anything else. Why spend forty hours on something that's just going to visually bug me the entire time? But if there's a game where I'm neither enamored nor repulsed by the art, I'll give it a chance and let the story/gameplay decide if I continue.
Franka
Jun 19, 2017
I'm less inclined to play pixel games myself, depending on how heavily pixelated it is. I do still play some Rogue(-likes) with ASCII art from time to time though.
Jaeger
Jun 20, 2017
When I played Darkstalkers Resurrection, I opted to turn off the filters because I prefer the sharp edges of pixels over the blurry effect that the filters use.
Personally, I think pixel art can be beautiful. I love the stuff produced by SNK back in the 90's. However, a lot of indie devs these days use pixel art for time/budget constraints or trying too hard to appeal to nostalgia.
jack1974
Jun 20, 2017
With your avatar I thought you might like pixel art
Yes I think like always there can be also good-looking or bad-looking pixel art (when it's too much pixelated).
DarkWolf
Jun 20, 2017
Where I disagree with DarkWolf is that I don't feel like art should define the story/gameplay. Just because something has the manga look shouldn't mean the story must then follow all the manga tropes. There should be room to experiment and mix/match all three.
I didn't really say that art
should define the story but more that that is how it usually is. Even just between different Manga/Anime styles you can usually tell a lot about a story by having a look at art style as most Anime, Manga and VNs tend to use an art style that fits the story. Like you won't often see cute MOE style in let's say a dark military story, or heavily dramatic or psychological one and vice versa. And offcourse this is just one example.
jack1974
Jun 22, 2017
Yes personally I find really jarring when there's manga art on the cute side, with some more dark or even horror games. I picked Loren's art style for a specific reason. I couldn't imagine Loren drawn for example by Deji, even if she does great stuff. I think wouldn't fit well the more mature themes of that world.
DarkWolf
Jun 22, 2017
Yes personally I find really jarring when there's manga art on the cute side, with some more dark or even horror games. I picked Loren's art style for a specific reason. I couldn't imagine Loren drawn for example by Deji, even if she does great stuff. I think wouldn't fit well the more mature themes of that world.
I don't think Deji's art style is that much on a cute side, when I was talking about cute MOE style I was referring to style like one in Hyperdimension Neptunia series for example.
jack1974
Jun 22, 2017
Haha I really don't like that super stylized/cute manga style
but of course I know that it's very popular, so I wouldn't have problems to use it in a game.
felyarpg
Jun 29, 2017
I'd say my favourite art style is manga, but I have quite hight standards
For example I don't like too much when male characters are too much feminine looking, or seem overly young, and in a lot of cases it happen to male characters in some manga styles, expecially if is for a female public.
jack1974
Jul 11, 2017
During the Summer Sale, many people played Heirs & Graces. All the new reviews starts with "if you can get past the bad art" and "forget the art" etc etc. But then, basically everyone (except 1 review) thought the writing/story/characters was great (and indeed it is, as I said several times I think it's one of my best written games).
So in summary those people held off buying for the art and then when they finally did it, for some the art didn't even matter much. I think it's a problem of modern gamers being totally spoiled
Which is a good thing of course, from their perspective! but basically last year I made two games with non-manga art, and for both that was one of the key factor for people to not even TRY them. Lesson learned
pahldus
Jul 11, 2017
During the Summer Sale, many people played Heirs & Graces. All the new reviews starts with "if you can get past the bad art" and "forget the art" etc etc. But then, basically everyone (except 1 review) thought the writing/story/characters was great (and indeed it is, as I said several times I think it's one of my best written games).
So in summary those people held off buying for the art and then when they finally did it, for some the art didn't even matter much. I think it's a problem of modern gamers being totally spoiled
Which is a good thing of course, from their perspective! but basically last year I made two games with non-manga art, and for both that was one of the key factor for people to not even TRY them. Lesson learned
Well that just sucks ... not that I hate or even dislike manga style art, but that there it isn't economically feasible to do any other style. I really hate the hivemind mentality that is pervasive in our culture today. There is simply no room to be different, and that will stagnate us as a society.
...
Okay, stepping off my soapbox
Callista
Jul 11, 2017
Yeah, it is interesting how some VN fans will favor art over writing, story, etc., while others are the opposite. Personally, I think the writing is the most important factor so even if the art isn't to my liking, I can overlook it.
jack1974
Jul 11, 2017
Yes of course I know that not EVERYONE is like that. But the majority? sadly yes
Troyen
Jul 11, 2017
Yeah, it is interesting how some VN fans will favor art over writing, story, etc., while others are the opposite. Personally, I think the writing is the most important factor so even if the art isn't to my liking, I can overlook it.
Thing is you can't judge the writing until you start reading/playing it. But when you're browsing a list of a hundred titles, what do you see? The banner art and some screenshots. So art helps more in the selection process, writing is what keeps you hooked or makes you bury that title in the trash can.
jack1974
Jul 11, 2017
That's why I always tried to have good art for my games, but the moment I tried to do something different = instant fail
Personally I don't think PSCD or Heirs & Graces art is so HORRIBLE as some people say, just different style. As said many times, if it's stylized/cute manga, then mouth/nose/eyes/ears/body proportions can be all wrong and nobody cares (especially if it's the boobs size
) but if you try to make something slightly anatomically wrong in painted/realistic style=you're doomed!!
Jaeger
Jul 11, 2017
There is a fine line between stylization and mistakes. Even a cartoonists should have a strong background in realism, otherwise they will limit themselves even in their preferred style.
That being said, it's possible to like a piece of art even if you notice a mistake. That's where subjectivity comes to play.
