Bloodstained Graphics Discussion.

Right, but that's not a discussion of graphics. The question you are posing is one of base design aesthetic. This is two different concepts. The base design asthetic of the game is to be fairly colorful and somewhat Anime-esque. They've already pretty much discussed that.

Really, what this conversation boils down to is. "I don't like Anime in my Bloodstained." which, is fine. That's an opinion one can have. But I staunchly disagree. To be fair, Lament of Innocence wasn't as well received among Igavanias, even graphically, as opposed to their other works that did. However, one can maintain a presence in both (Such as the fabeled StoN, as well as AoS and OoE), which they are making some strong attempts to and we're arguing over minute details that aren't even fully realized yet.

I doubt discussing that matter further is going to have a profound impact on the game, as design aesthetic is the primarily the decision of the director, and is one of the first decisions set into stone. You have to, as the rest of the rendering, lighting, and whatnot all has to be dictated by that early decision.

As far as the general discussion of the graphics go. I don't mind the more hard-edge lighting that was introduced, although fine-tuning it will be difficult, knowing what I do of 3D graphical manipulation. People were right to cite borderlands as the potential key-marker of such a route and its catching points asthetically.

As far as trying to replicate the hard-edges of 2D game. That's probably something the fan-base may have to let go of. Replicating it in 3D is a hard task that photo-editing will likely not be able to do true justice to.

It is graphics discussion because it's dealing with the visual representation of the game. I don't mean anime but I mean it has a very child like cartoon vibe to the image. No one claims Lament was a visual feat, it was very repetitive visually, I'm saying the visual art design was more gothic and that was a good thing. It felt like a mature game, bloodstained VISUALLY looks like they're still hanging too close to the handheld audience instead of the more mature audience prior to it.

Color isn't my issue, even SOTN had color. It's the visal style.

It's not just a darker color palate although that would help. It's just the general designs. Look at the banisters in the Lament pic vs that bloodstained. You have a much more realistic look vs a very overly blocky look. It just gives it a more cartoon mighty number 9 vibe over a darker gothic castle themed feel.


That doesn't mean stay away from colorful moments, I just personally wish it had a more gritty look over the more cartoony vibe im seeing. ( sorry don't know how else to describe it)

Nothing here looks cartoony or anime like at all. I don't get where some people get this notion of. All I care about is that the game looks exactly if possible to the art that Koji Igarashi has made for this game and those are the screenshots that Astaroth linked. I don't want 3D looks on it like Lament of Innocence or Dracula X Chronicles remake of Rondo on it.

For what I see from Iga's art it reminds me a bit of Order of Ecclesia and I loved the art style of that game and it looks like this is the direction that they will take. From that video that I saw of the game running, they are not that far off from achieving the desired look, with time they may achieve what Ark System Works did and maybe surpass them but using Koji Igarashi's art instead of anime.

Is there a way to say this without people mis-reading me?

I'm not saying grimdark. I never said I want ultra realistic. I never said I don't want color. I'm saying it looks blocky and a bit more like the DS games in style but with that Mighty No 9 visual design. The rooms have the doll house look. It's overly bright, the textures are pretty simple, and things like the banisters look unusually thick and blocky ( again cartoony mighty no 9 style)
In comparison the world design in lament has lots of color but was textured more gothic like.

That's what I'm saying.

The only problem I can see with the bannister in the Bloodstained shot is that the railing's a bit too thick. Otherwise it looks like a normal bannister.

I may be misinterpreting again, but are you saying that you think the environment shown looks a bit too pristine, too sterile, and you'd prefer it have a more lived-in look? Because I kind of get that vibe from the shots too, though I'm hoping that's just for that specific room and the entire castle isn't like that. I think it's more an issue with the textures being higher res but not high detail. Lament looked "grittier" because while the textures were low detail they were also low res and blurry, which gave the environment a dirtier look. Is that what you mean? Or have I completely missed the point again?

So basically the difference between a game that went gold and a game in the stages way before pre-alpha.

That should be taken in consideration. I'm not saying it cannot be used in comparison but it shouldn't be held as the only way Bloodstained should go. That is why they are testing the community with these concepts. They are ideas. To ignore or build upon. Which will be very different from what they game will be when it is prepared to go gold.

I don't like the graphical style. That's all I'm saying.

I'm syre the game will be good but I think ever since Kojima left the series the art design has taken a hit for me artistically. It went from a very gothic style to a much more universal look that a younger audience can grab onto. The artists who did Order of Ecclesia were pretty great though.

That's just my personal opinion

I think you guys are letting the character art color your opinions of the actual games. Yes, Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin adopted a (IMO) shitty art style for the character portraits. However, the actual in-game art design (stuff like character sprites, enemy designs, and environments) were consistent in all of the Symphony-style Castlevanias except for Circle of the Moon. Certainly all of Iga's games kept the same style in-game. This could have merely been due to the constant recycling of assets from game to game, but either way the visuals were consistent.

I don't get how Bloodstained looks "kid friendly" to anyone. It looks like a typical Igavania to me, except rendered in 3D. I'm not saying you guys are wrong (it's all subjective anyway) but I just don't see it. I dunno, I still think it's the pinkish walls/border throwing people off.