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Thoughts on SwSh's art direction?
- Thread starter shoz999
- Start date
Care to flesh this out past the usual tree pic?
I didn't mind it all that much. Seriously. Just wish that they had more time to smooth out the rougher edges, meaning some of the backgrounds, having the towns be more interactive, etc.. Those being a couple of examples off the top of my head.
Honestly hoping for a more interactive environment in future games, incorporating the more open world.
I didn't mind it all that much. Seriously. Just wish that they had more time to smooth out the rougher edges, meaning some of the backgrounds, having the towns be more interactive, etc.. Those being a couple of examples off the top of my head.
Honestly hoping for a more interactive environment in future games, incorporating the more open world.
shoz999
Back when Tigers used to smoke.
When a game doesn't have great graphics, what do they often fall back on? Artstyle which was something Xenoblade Chronicles had to fall back on for the Wii. The pic above is the Switch Version which uses much improved graphics to further improve the artstyle. As for GameFreak, practically everyone admits the graphics feel subpar. Reasonably, GameFreak is new to console games but considering what Monolith had to work with on Wii Hardware, what do you fall back on? The artstyle. As I've stated before, a game doesn't need amazing graphics to look pretty and yet, the artstyle feels strangely subpar in certain areas. Not just the tree mind you. The entire Wild Area feels like it has this problem. Some areas like the route between the Grass Gym and Water Gym don't depend much on art creativity at all, and thus are basic, if not forgettable. There's also the little details like the rough edges and the buildings/objects in the distance like the factory you see when you first step out of Motostoke. There are pockets of areas that make good use of the artstyle like the mushroom forest that lead up to the Fairy Gym. There's also the concept art that looks great on paper but in execution, it still feels like it doesn't quite capture that feel.
Not saying the game's artstyle is bad, it can be good, but certainly not great as I've explained and because of that, unlike most Nintendo games that rely on artstyle as a selling point to prove you don't need great graphics, Pokemon Sword & Shield feels like it falls short in this area. Kind of strange in some ways, because one of the original goals for XY and SM/USUM was to deliver both good graphics that push the 3DS's hardware and a beautiful artstyle that Kalos and Alola could call it their own. For Galar, it does sometimes feel like it needs some extra work.
Oh I agree with you there. I'm thinking a lot of what you mentioned could have been ironed out, had they had more time. Look at the DLC, they got better with it and it was an improvement over the main game. That said, hopefully they'll take more time with future entries in the series, given the larger scope.
They definitely cut some corners this time, that much is true.
They definitely cut some corners this time, that much is true.
shoz999
Back when Tigers used to smoke.
There is also something strangely superficial about it too. Personal opinion of course. Sounds strange too when talking about art-style but do you know what the difference is when you are thrown in the starting area of Xenoblade Chronicles and when you are thrown in the starting area of Pokemon Sword & Shield. You cannot only see the art you're surrounded by, you can interact with it, specifically you can explore over there and take a closer look. This applies to Breath of the Wild as well. Now some may think that's too much for GameFreak, they're too inexperience to let the player run around in the entire farm-landscape that is unveiled to you when you're about to get your first Pokemon but I still do think it would make quite a difference in how the player responds to the art surrounding him or her. After all, the wild area's art-style is most noticeable when you're interacting with it. It's one of the reason why I mentioned the mushroom forest too. Everything you see, it isn't blocked off from you. It's a small area but it makes an impact.
Now that I think about it, I suppose video games are less like paintings and more like art museums full of paintings lol.
Yea I've noticed that as well, more so with the recent Pokemon games. Like burn out or something. Don't get me wrong, they were well done and that's what separates them from Sword and Shield. They had enough time to get the finishing touches done to them.
Good point about Xenoblade and BOTW. They're both beautiful and expansive games. The latter, I have a blast exploring.
Good point about Xenoblade and BOTW. They're both beautiful and expansive games. The latter, I have a blast exploring.
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Spider-Phoenix
#ChespinGang
The art has some pretty aesthetics but execution leaves a lot to be desired specially with the mentality of "needing to make it accessible for people who are into mobile games and would get bored of a game that's too imersive". I'd say in some regards, LGPE looked prettier and more polished than SwSh. But there's room for improvement if the DLC is any indication.
Yea, LGPE was more polished. Iirc, wasn't the more experienced team the ones who worked on those games? That could explain why LGPE looked better. They have more experience.
janejane6178
Kaleido Star FOREVER in my heart <3
I say that if they intend to cutting corners like that, they should go back to 2-D games. Gen 4 style is beautiful
Ultra Beast Lover
Well-Known Member
I don't mind the art style and graphics, it could use work but it's not the worst thing ever like some people proclaim. I dunno, I lived in the gamecube era, my best looking games were Tales of Symphonia, Harvest Moon A Wonderful Life, and Colosseum. The rest were the ones with the little sprites. So I guess I'm more used to the art not being top notch. I'd love for some Xenoblade 2 levels of graphics and art but I'll take what I can get as long as they don't start seriously downgrading.
NPC
sleep researcher
There is a recurring issue with Nintendo Switch games I've noticed where the environments of 3D games feel curiously empty and devoid of life. This applies, IMO, to Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey as well. Both are games with strangely monotonous color palettes and abundantly reused assets which eventually make the game world feel like one big, empty space. The copy-pasted shrines of BOTW are an especially grievous offender. In Odyssey's case, there is an abundance of ugly, clashing textures which don't feel like they belong in the vibrant cartoon-world of a Mario game; almost as if they had been repurposed from a different project.
This probably has something to do with the Switch's graphical capabilities, but it also has to do with Nintendo's direction this generation. They've placed a lot of importance in games that provide wide, open spaces to explore, which has never been Nintendo's design philosophy. And I think they don't have much experience filling those spaces up in a way that feels organic or aesthetically pleasing.
This isn't about texture quality or number of polygons. Switch games aren't competing with the PS4 or 5 in terms of graphical horsepower. It's a clash between Nintendo's ambitions and their ability to fill these games with unique assets that don't feel haphazardly copy-pasted all over the map. This is what creates the drab, flat environments of the Switch's launch titles.
Of course, this probably has to do with the way the Switch and its launch-window games were also rushed to make up for the Wii U's failure. I fully expect Nintendo games to look visually much more compelling going forward.
This probably has something to do with the Switch's graphical capabilities, but it also has to do with Nintendo's direction this generation. They've placed a lot of importance in games that provide wide, open spaces to explore, which has never been Nintendo's design philosophy. And I think they don't have much experience filling those spaces up in a way that feels organic or aesthetically pleasing.
This isn't about texture quality or number of polygons. Switch games aren't competing with the PS4 or 5 in terms of graphical horsepower. It's a clash between Nintendo's ambitions and their ability to fill these games with unique assets that don't feel haphazardly copy-pasted all over the map. This is what creates the drab, flat environments of the Switch's launch titles.
Of course, this probably has to do with the way the Switch and its launch-window games were also rushed to make up for the Wii U's failure. I fully expect Nintendo games to look visually much more compelling going forward.
Auraninja
Eh, ragazzo!
Most of the aspects discussed in this thread have less to do with art direction and more to do with 3d design.
If you were to look at the credits in Sword and Shield, you would notice that James Turner is the Art Director.
Maiko Fujiwara is the 3d Graphics Section Director.
Whatever you look at in Pokemon Sword and Shield in terms of actual art direction can be attributed to James Turner by principle. James Turner is an artist by nature and designed many of the Pokemon in Sword and Shield. Remember the 2D pictures in the Pokemon Sword Shield DLC direct. That can be labelled as art direction because you need to determine what the actual art in the games is going to look like overall before you actually program it to the game.
Then there is a matter of taking those art assests, and putting them into the 3d engine. The person that works on that is Maiko Fujiwara. While people criticize how Pokemon Sword and Shield look, Fujiwara has first worked on some graphically lauded games first starting Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver while latter on doing games like Black 2 and White 2.
Of course, it would be inaccurate to say one person alone worked on either field, but hopefully, people can determine what is art direction and what is graphical design in a video game perspective.
If you were to look at the credits in Sword and Shield, you would notice that James Turner is the Art Director.
Maiko Fujiwara is the 3d Graphics Section Director.
Whatever you look at in Pokemon Sword and Shield in terms of actual art direction can be attributed to James Turner by principle. James Turner is an artist by nature and designed many of the Pokemon in Sword and Shield. Remember the 2D pictures in the Pokemon Sword Shield DLC direct. That can be labelled as art direction because you need to determine what the actual art in the games is going to look like overall before you actually program it to the game.
Then there is a matter of taking those art assests, and putting them into the 3d engine. The person that works on that is Maiko Fujiwara. While people criticize how Pokemon Sword and Shield look, Fujiwara has first worked on some graphically lauded games first starting Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver while latter on doing games like Black 2 and White 2.
Of course, it would be inaccurate to say one person alone worked on either field, but hopefully, people can determine what is art direction and what is graphical design in a video game perspective.