There's very little consistency in the sculpt of Satarfire's face over the years between various comic artists. The most consistent features are the generic qualities that pretty much every female character has (high cheekbones, big lips, small nose). I'm not particualrly bothered by the fact that NR tried to give their characters actual faces, just as I wasn't bothered by DOA5 assigning actual faces in place of interchangeable anime shit.
I dunno, it just feels off because superheros are supposed to be idealized unless explicitly stated otherwise. To see them turned into just, well, regular looking people, is kinda off putting.
Reminds me of when comics tried to reach a middle ground between Wolverine's actual design of "Short hairy ugly" with Hugh Jackman's "Tall shaved and handsome", and the end result was Jack Black.
I dunno, it just feels off because superheros are supposed to be idealized unless explicitly stated otherwise. To see them turned into just, well, regular looking people, is kinda off putting.
Okay, but unlike physique, an "idealized" facial sculpt is entirely subjective. Personally, I think the wider faces are more "ideal" than the narrow, jaw-focused faces depicted in early western comics. I can agree that making an overweight Spider-Man merely to be "PC" makes no sense since he is an athletic character. But the specifics of comic characters' facial sculpts change all the time, and picking which among them is "ideal" would be impossible since there is no objective criteria for it and everyone is going to have a different preference.
With this in mind, I think characters' faces are fine in Injustice for the most part (the Joker is admittedly atrocious).
Okay, but unlike physique, an "idealized" facial sculpt is entirely subjective. Personally, I think the wider faces are more "ideal" than the narrow, jaw-focused faces depicted in early western comics. I can agree that making an overweight Spider-Man merely to be "PC" makes no sense since he is an athletic character. But the specifics of comic characters' facial sculpts change all the time, and picking which among them is "ideal" would be impossible since there is no objective criteria for it and everyone is going to have a different preference.
With this in mind, I think characters' faces are fine in Injustice for the most part (the Joker is admittedly atrocious).
well i mean, i get its subjective but the injustice designs are really stretching it. Like Cheetah and Poison Ivy don't even look particularly attractive, more in the "meh" category. Which is really odd for Poison Ivy, of all people.
whereas in Arkham, they managed to make Ivy look realistic, while still keeping her looking gorgeous in a supermodel way.
its like if Superman was portayed without a prominent square jaw. Its just how the character is overall designed.
Like Starfire has been drawn many ways, but she's always still looked like Starfire. That injustice face....doesn't.
For another x-man example, its like when artists try to make Storm look more "black", and it comes across as not looking like Storm anymore, because she has VERY distinctive features.
well i mean, i get its subjective but the injustice designs are really stretching it. Like Cheetah and Poison Ivy don't even look particularly attractive, more in the "meh" category. Which is really odd for Poison Ivy, of all people.
I realize that I don't exactly hold conventional standards of beauty, but I'm not convinced that the anthro Cheetah (ie: "not just a girl in a cheetah suit") was ever supposed to be attractive in an "idealized" way. Maybe to some semi-furry fetishists, but that's hardly "idealized beauty." That said, I wouldn't say that she is "meh" in Injustice. She's rather hideous, but that's kinda the point of her character. People see her as a freak.
I realize that I don't exactly hold conventional standards of beauty, but I'm not convinced that the anthro Cheetah (ie: "not just a girl in a cheetah suit") was ever supposed to be attractive in an "idealized" way. Maybe to some semi-furry fetishists, but that's hardly "idealized beauty." That said, I wouldn't say that she is "meh" in Injustice. She's rather hideous, but that's kinda the point of her character. People see her as a freak.
well no, Cheetah, the barbara minerva version (aka the actual catgirl) has always been a looker, even when she was being portrayed as more feral. And she's never had a problem with "people seeing her as a freak". She willingly chose/stole the Cheetah form, and loves every second of it.
Looking at her injustice design again, though i guess it's not THAT bad, it might just be because they tried to make her look specifically more like a CHEETAH instead of a general catgirl, and the cheeks throw off my personal tastes.
its not that that's a bad looking woman, per se, kinda average, my problem is it just doesn't look like IVY. I mean she's a redhead and controls plants, but that's about it.
The injustice designs look more like cosplayers than the actual characters. That make sense?
well no, Cheetah, the barbara minerva version (aka the actual catgirl) has always been a looker, even when she was being portrayed as more feral. And she's never had a problem with "people seeing her as a freak". She willingly chose/stole the Cheetah form, and loves every second of it.
Well that varies depending on incarnation, but even when she's accepted her appearance, that doesn't mean that the average person is supposed to see past the veneer. But yes, NR clearly wasn't trying to make a character furries would get off to. At least, I don't think they were...
Well that varies depending on incarnation, but even when she's accepted her appearance, that doesn't mean that the average person is supposed to see past the veneer. But yes, NR clearly wasn't trying to make a character furries would get off to. At least, I don't think they were...
eh, i think furries get off on anything so long as there's a tail and muzzle.
But I don't think anyone has ever been put off by Cheetah's appearance. I mean hell, she wound up dating Snapper Carr, who was like the Rick Jones of DC. (regular human guy sidekick for the heroes. kinda. he can teleport by snapping his fingers.)
What version were you talking about where she was dealing with the whole "i'm a freak they dont like me" schtick?
Also, to keep on topic, can I just say I LOVE that costume? (tuck this under Art Style).
Its one of those simple, "less is more" designs that I love.
Not a fan of how current dc outfits are all so, segmented and cluttered armor chunks with bits and pieces everywhere. Even moreso in Injustice.
Also been playing crash and I managed to get a pic of JUST tawna. No crash, no crates, no cortex. Makes for a decent standalone image, I think.
I am loving the graphics update on the game. Specifically the motion blur addition to the animations, but I do think the colors dont pop as much as the ps1 version due to the updated lighting effects meaning more shadows across stuff.
eh, i think furries get off on anything so long as there's a tail and muzzle.
But I don't think anyone has ever been put off by Cheetah's appearance. I mean hell, she wound up dating Snapper Carr, who was like the Rick Jones of DC. (regular human guy sidekick for the heroes. kinda. he can teleport by snapping his fingers.)
What version were you talking about where she was dealing with the whole "i'm a freak they dont like me" schtick?
Also, to keep on topic, can I just say I LOVE that costume? (tuck this under Art Style).
Its one of those simple, "less is more" designs that I love.
Not a fan of how current dc outfits are all so, segmented and cluttered armor chunks with bits and pieces everywhere. Even moreso in Injustice.
Is that supposed to be fur or just orange skin with spots covering her? It doesn't look like fur, but then the "costume" you like has no fabric covering her...little cheetah. So it might be dense fur after all, otherwise I can't see how they can get away with putting that crotchless costume on her.
To be honest, it sounds more like you think all female super heroes have to be sex bombs. By how their body looks and what they wear. Normal, attractive women don't cut it. Why is that? The men aren't also all sex bombs in addition to their super powers. Maybe it really is about time that female super heroes look, dress and act a little more normal and stop being mere sex fantasies of the male fans. They imo still are (in Injustice 2 for example), just not that insultingly sexed up.
Also been playing crash and I managed to get a pic of JUST tawna. No crash, no crates, no cortex. Makes for a decent standalone image, I think.
I am loving the graphics update on the game. Specifically the motion blur addition to the animations, but I do think the colors dont pop as much as the ps1 version due to the updated lighting effects meaning more shadows across stuff.
Overall I agree that the Crash remaster looks good. They took the time to really refine the old areas and designs but without betraying their original concepts. This, SSHD, DOA2U, the upcoming FF7, etc. are the way re-releases should be, as opposed to bullshit like the DMC HD collection. Merely upping the resolution doesn't warrant a re-release.
Full blown remakes are definitely preferred to just HDmasters, they can take time to add little details and just make the games more immersive/detailed. I mean, Midgar in VII Remake looks so good from the short glimpses of cottage we've seen.
And Yeah, Crash N. Sane is a great example of a Remake done right. I still hear washed out complaints but most of the time in comparisons N Sane Trilogy actually has more colour and saturation than the originals lol
It seems like they've changed what Midgar is like quite a lot in the remake from the trailer. In the original game it looks like it's just filled with small cootage type buildings but in the trailer there was full on skyscrapers etc. Midgar seemed very...steam/cyber punk in the original so I hope it still has that feeling.
Also honestly what the hell's going on with cheetahs pants? Is she just flashing everything there or what?
Is that supposed to be fur or just orange skin with spots covering her? It doesn't look like fur, but then the "costume" you like has no fabric covering her...little cheetah. So it might be dense fur after all, otherwise I can't see how they can get away with putting that crotchless costume on her.
personally, I was assuming it was just pants that had leather print that matched her actual, not chaps that exposed her fur. The former is part of why I like it, because that's stylish and clever, while the latter would be ridiculously stupid. Now that said, she just as often DOES go without clothes and her fur covers everything up so its a Barbie Doll effect, with no visible anatomy.
Is that supposed to be fur or just orange skin with spots covering her? It doesn't look like fur, but then the "costume" you like has no fabric covering her...little cheetah. So it might be dense fur after all, otherwise I can't see how they can get away with putting that crotchless costume on her.
To be honest, it sounds more like you think all female super heroes have to be sex bombs. By how their body looks and what they wear. Normal, attractive women don't cut it. Why is that? The men aren't also all sex bombs in addition to their super powers. Maybe it really is about time that female super heroes look, dress and act a little more normal and stop being mere sex fantasies of the male fans. They imo still are (in Injustice 2 for example), just not that insultingly sexed up.
As I specifically stated, the issue is more that the Injustice designs just dont look like the characters. They look more like random cosplayers, and not even particularly good ones at that.
You can tone down the sex appeal if you want, while still keeping their general faces intact. Arkham does this well enough. They just didnt, for some reason.
Or in the extreme cases, like Power Girl, there's literally NO Way to even tell its supposed to be who it is beyond the health bar having their name, because the design is so far away from ANYTHING the character looks like, from face, to costume.
Overall I agree that the Crash remaster looks good. They took the time to really refine the old areas and designs but without betraying their original concepts. This, SSHD, DOA2U, the upcoming FF7, etc. are the way re-releases should be, as opposed to bullshit like the DMC HD collection. Merely upping the resolution doesn't warrant a re-release.
Hey, let's talk about beautiful open world cities, their architecture and layout.
The imo two most beautiful cities that I had the great pleasure to visit as a virtual tourist were both from two massive open world RPGs: Beauclair of The Witcher 3 and Meridian of Horizon Zero Dawn. Imo no other two game cities are so beautifully designed, are set in so breathtaking locations, so full of fairy tale architecture and brimming with so much detail.
In this first post let's take a look at The Witcher's Beauclair:
The city Beauclair came with the expansion Blood and Wine to the Witcher 3, it is the grand capital of the wealthy, cultured and peaceful Duchy of Toussaint.
Beauclair sits on several hills between lakes and a river and before the backdrop of a massive mountain range with snowy peaks.
It is dominated by the palace, a mixture of gothic and art nouveau architecture, which is perched on the highest hill, overlooking the city.
From nearly every point in the Duchy of Toussaint you are able to see the palace in the distance.
The city is divided into 3 parts: 1) The palace with its lush gardens, 2) The wealthy high city with the aristocrats, wealthy bourgeoisie and shop owners:
3) The port, where obviously the port is located and where the port workers, craftsmen and poorer inhabitants of the city work and live:
All three city parts are designed with the utmost love to detail and in a way they feel like a believable city. Each part is brimming with life. The best part, everything is fully explorable, even many interiors of houses. You can (if you manage) climb the roofs and really walk anywhere inside or outside the city. No invisible walls at all. (Yeah, I am looking at you FFXV cities. >__>)
Into spoilers (even though it breaks my heart) I'll pack some more details of the architecture of Toussaint, which is a beautiful mix of Southern European and Central European medieval and renaissance architecture:
Wow your post actually reads like a professional article, It's really well presented. I'm looking forward to seeing what you say about Meredian so I won't mention it in my post for now. I'm remembering now just how open and how much larger the cities of Witcher felt compared to the ones in XV. Altissa already felt incredibly restrictive but in comparison to a city like Touissaint it doesn't even feel like a city and more like an on rail experience. Not to mention that Touissaint actually has a *GASP* lore and history behind the location and people unlike Altissa where we speak to Hillary Clinton in an office and that's the closest we get.
Although small I'll admit I really liked Lestallum though. It managed to have a sort of casual just fun hub area feel to it. It still isn't near to witcher level but it's better than Altissa.
Also lol I have to admit my mind goes strange places when asked "favorite open world city" Although varied results is interesting and all that so I'll just say for example that immediately I thought of the "Realm of Edenia" from Mortal Kombat Deception. Now the amazing thing about MK was that it was a fighting game...With an open world! Like a full on adventure mode with an open world. r.e.v.o.l.u.t.i.o.n.a.r.y and in this open world you could go to the realm of Edenia's capital city... ( We don't learn it's name so I guess it's just called Edenia too lol like Luxembourg being the country and city. Well regardless this was one of my first experiences with an open world and I always loved that game so maybe it just kind of stuck in the back of my head... Jade lives there too so maybe I'm biased but I'll not go into a big MK lore thing in this post lol.
Sadly I can't find any good shots of it ( The game is really not that great looking so It wouldn't be beautiful anyway.
Here's art of it anyway
And lol the other one that's coming to my mind is "Station Square" from Sonic Adventure! XD but that is more a hub world than an open world... And the city gets destroyed by a tital wave at the end of that game anyway. And omg seriously off topic but as a child seeing that happen was so amazing because it was the coolest thing in a game I'd seen at the time! Here it is -
Still Iconique.
and the opening -
Child me was snatched BALD bitch. This game was released in 1998 by the way just to make it clear!
Okay so I've decided that If I get XII I'm going to get it later when it's cheaper because it's £30 right now but I saw that The Last Guardian is actually on sale right now on PSN for £16 so I decided to get it! It just finished downloading and I'm at the main menu! And I'll try to remember to take lots of photos. One thing that's good is that because I'm on ps4 it will be lots easier to post them here!
Alright, as promised earlier, let's talk about Meridian, the imposing capital of the Carja, also called the City of the Sun.
Other than all other so far known people of Horizon Zero Dawn, the Carja are a very sophisticated and advanced civilization. They especially take pride in their skill as architects and engineers and Meridian certainly displays that skill.
Meridian is build on top of several mesas connected by suspended bridges.
It is divided, exactly like Beauclair, into three parts:
1) The city on the main mesa with it's many shops, imposing mansions, the Sunring (the arena) and the Sun Temple:
Notice the two iconic wooden elevator towers connecting the city with the village at the foot of the mesa ? They actually work.
2) The Palace, the ornate residence of Sun King Avad:
3) Meridian Village at the foot of the mesa, where farmers, fishermen and most of the Oseram (the tribe formerly enslaved by the Carja) live:
In comparison to The Witcher 3's cities Meridian lacks a bit in overall accessability and bustling life, you can also hardly enter any building save a few exceptions.
What the city lacks in those regards it makes however completely up in uniqueness of overall design, beauty of architecture and love to detail.
To create Meridian, Guerrilla Game's mixed Middle Eastern and Indian architecture influences with some crazy sci-fi/fantasy additions. In the spoilers (oh, how much it pains me to lock them away like this! D: ) are more detailed views of the city and its gorgeous architecture:
