Bloody gorgeous! Looks like the Naruto team's been busy :-) I dig. I just wish they'd color those outlines and do something about that lava glow, since all the other particle effects are so graphical.
I love it, kinda has a grungy concept art style to it.
My only crit is the environment textures do look a bit too Photoshop filterish to me.
It must be hard to keep the style cohesive, I imagine all the artists would really have to be on the same page with a solid art bible to follow.
Looking forward to seeing it in motion.
Honestly, I don't care how it looks...but if it plays anything like Assassin's Creed I'm going to go on a baby punching tangent. I'd really just be happy if they took the first PoP (not the old old ones, but the first of the new set) and just made new levels :P
meh, why the balck outlines?? they need to take notes from Valkyrie Chronicles.. make the outlines a darker value of the same color, not black.. black looks stupid..
this is how it should be done, see doesn't look like crap..
looks pretty shity to me, cell shading on the character just flatens them out and seperates them from the environment.
sums up my opinion at the moment.
This look works better for a cartoon based game like naruto. the cell shading mixed with semi realistic textures just feels like a quick attempt at a unique look
Arman, I am Persian too, and I must say his nose is way too European . Anyway, I think I like the textures more than the effect?
yeah the guy does not even look Persian at all!!!! which is a bummer my brother looked like the prince of Persia with the long hair and everything, heres a picture of me i was messing around with yesterday in photo shop, looks that nose its not pointy look at those eyebrows there huuuuge . i think they went the wrong direction with this especially the character which i don't like at all but what are you gonna do.
Looks tight. They should drop the outline and run with the watercolour style a bit more.
Case in point:
When you focus the artwork on more of the areas without the outline, it looks superb. To me, anyway. I think it DOES look unique and different and that its apparent there was more than simple filter passes done to achieve this (re: not "cheap") but I think the black outlines really mix to styles that shouldn't be mixed.
Either way, badass.
While I'm at it here, I can't look at this and think 'cell shaded'. While it is classified as resembling something hand drawn, the black outline around it doesn't scream "HAND DRAWN!" like other games that have in the past. It really looks like some sort of water painting to me with a shitty black outline around the silhouettes. Either way I hope it's dropped and they loosen it up even more.
yeah, im gonna go ahead and hate on the black outlines. It just jars against the watercolour theme too much; you wouldn't get a solid, continuous black outline with watercolours and it just hurts it. Maybe if the line was slightly broken in places, and had varying weights, dont know if that would look nicer.
I like how the characters are flattened, actually, its just that one thing thats turning me off. Not sure I quite like the vivid colours on the main character either but thats a personal thing.
Really liking the environment stuff though. I think I saw some of this in Gamestm magazine whilst skimming, and just passed it off as early concept art. Pleasantly suprised to see it isnt.
Some of the characters-shots look really nice, but the environments do strike me as being too filtery. Which is a shame, since I do enjoy the atmosphere. And I agree, black outlines are a bad call, they should've gone with a dark colour, not black.
i think the characters looks great, although yes, i agree the main guy doesnt look at all like a persian (baby-blue eyes? wtf...) and even less like a prince.
damn i want posteffects outlines too :°(
but i really have to say, that those ps filtered textures look like pure lazyness, nah change that... they suck
I just dont see any "PS filtered" texturework. If they are, the end result is still very impressive.. I do agree that the outlines are a bit harsh and it removes the characters from the beautiful composition of the environments.
I can paint awesome textures too. It does look solid though, don't get me wrong. The water color style is something I've yet to see in a game so I am looking forward to it.
Even if they ran it through some filters in Photoshop - who gives a shit? (EDIT - not specifically directed to you Matabus. :P)
Everyone of us cuts corners with the art work we do to save time and achieve what we're after to please the gamer (all while still taking pride in the work we do, right?). Sure it seems cheap, but if the end result is something refreshing that works, I'm willing to look past the 'cheap' route taken.
I think this looks unique and am interested to see how the style develops before it comes out. I think most of you are drunk as hell thinking it looks like crap or shitty
It's not about how much effort it took, Adam. Don't turn this into a lesson on how 'shortcuts need to be taken', it's just that I don't like the textures. The end.
It's not the process, it's the result. With some more texture to it, and a bit less of the blobby overbright look, I might actually enjoy it. Nevertheless, I like the atmosphere it all conjures up, so I look forward to seeing more of it.
The way the textures look.. heck, the way the game looks, is subjective. I'm not here to give lessons, that's just silly. The comment was directed towards those who think some filter work here and there is a cheap-trick, which I guess you do not.
the fighting in the first pop was a bit poop, baddies teleporting right ontop of you when you need a break.. the running jumping and the lighter feel (pre-emo phase) was much more appealing to me though in the first. Theres an article in this months edge on it, and it sounds like all the good bits from ass creed will be utilised
True, the camera did add a wee bit of a poop-i-fying effect to the combat in PoP 1, but one thing I did like, and this will prolly sound silly, was that each bad guy type had one particular counter move to use to take them out and there were only a handful of moves to master. I kinda liked the simplicity of that compared to more elaborate combo systems of the sequels where a move may or may not work against a particular monster depending on stance, position etc etc.
Call me old fashioned, I guess :P
I just dont see any "PS filtered" texturework. If they are, the end result is still very impressive.. I do agree that the outlines are a bit harsh and it removes the characters from the beautiful composition of the environments.
the whole rockwall screams filterwork, honestly ubisoft has the ressources and people to do it right, giving the textures to one of their awesome conceptartists wouldn't hurt and would push the whole style way more, don't get me wrong, i really like what they did with the colors and love the overall style i just don't get why they are saving money on something that wouldn't cost much but help to strengthen the style, of course shortcuts are beeing taken everywhere, but i really think it's a pity that someone with the ressources isn't taking the time and little extra money to go further down the road it's not like opo is a weak brand and wouldnt get the money back
Really, take a backstep and consider the target consumer... it isn`t going to be aimed at you the 3d/2d artist/expert/photoshop abuser, the only thing that joe gamer will notice is that it looks different/cool/crap.
Still don`t like the effeminate `persian`. Change it. thxbye.
looking fine to me so far, minus the outline, perhaps. what's wrong with filtering those textures? is that like animators, bashing mocap for not being artsy enough?
well i kinda understand what you mean, but mocaps that aren't cleaned up by an animator are pretty much the same as filtered textures, they just look cheap and unfinished.
While i agree that the normal gamer wouldn't see the difference i have to say, that it's the development team who makes the games and that at least i'd try to do it right. Of course shortcuts can be taken, but without any cleanup? I think that's cheap, that's just my personal oppinion. It's like pixar starting to just filtering photobackgrounds for their movies, wheres the passion, wheres the commitment, that's the way i think as an artist, of course i could just see it the way a businessman sees it, but i'm not a businessman, i'm an artist for games.
it just feels like "i have no time to paint the textures" (which i'd understand, timeplans are tight, but i don't understand it on such a big brand) or "hell i can't texturize, normally i just throw photos on my objects, now i'll just use some filters, hopefully no one will see it"
Not all Artist in the industry can paint. Paint Well that is,
nooooooooooooo away with these production realities, we want to make great portfolio pieces and purely visual worlds, not games or we would be pointless.
Not all Artist in the industry can paint. Paint Well that is,
that's why i said, letting their awesome conceptartist paint over those filterworks wouldn't hurt anyone but would push the look way further, they have the guys who can do it or they could hire them. You for example, or Pior or some of the other painter dudes around here wouldn't have much problem with getting hired for PoP to get ne new look done, and/or developing a working pipeline for the cheap production of painterly textures, at least i'd asume so
Replies
badass!
A. Awesome
and
B. Fuckin' awesome.
My only crit is the environment textures do look a bit too Photoshop filterish to me.
It must be hard to keep the style cohesive, I imagine all the artists would really have to be on the same page with a solid art bible to follow.
Looking forward to seeing it in motion.
this is how it should be done, see doesn't look like crap..
http://akayuki.com/2008/03/03/new-valkyrie-chronicles-screenshots/
sums up my opinion at the moment.
This look works better for a cartoon based game like naruto. the cell shading mixed with semi realistic textures just feels like a quick attempt at a unique look
yeah the guy does not even look Persian at all!!!! which is a bummer my brother looked like the prince of Persia with the long hair and everything, heres a picture of me i was messing around with yesterday in photo shop, looks that nose its not pointy look at those eyebrows there huuuuge . i think they went the wrong direction with this especially the character which i don't like at all but what are you gonna do.
Case in point:
When you focus the artwork on more of the areas without the outline, it looks superb. To me, anyway. I think it DOES look unique and different and that its apparent there was more than simple filter passes done to achieve this (re: not "cheap") but I think the black outlines really mix to styles that shouldn't be mixed.
Either way, badass.
While I'm at it here, I can't look at this and think 'cell shaded'. While it is classified as resembling something hand drawn, the black outline around it doesn't scream "HAND DRAWN!" like other games that have in the past. It really looks like some sort of water painting to me with a shitty black outline around the silhouettes. Either way I hope it's dropped and they loosen it up even more.
I like how the characters are flattened, actually, its just that one thing thats turning me off. Not sure I quite like the vivid colours on the main character either but thats a personal thing.
Really liking the environment stuff though. I think I saw some of this in Gamestm magazine whilst skimming, and just passed it off as early concept art. Pleasantly suprised to see it isnt.
but i really have to say, that those ps filtered textures look like pure lazyness, nah change that... they suck
very good work by the Ubi guys
I can paint awesome textures too. It does look solid though, don't get me wrong. The water color style is something I've yet to see in a game so I am looking forward to it.
Everyone of us cuts corners with the art work we do to save time and achieve what we're after to please the gamer (all while still taking pride in the work we do, right?). Sure it seems cheap, but if the end result is something refreshing that works, I'm willing to look past the 'cheap' route taken.
Afro approves
...I have to agree. They missed it by a mile. That being said, I love the art style (black outlines and all).
Fixed it for you... the picture was in dire need of a caption.
http://digg.com/comedy/Hi_I_m_Wilford_Brimley_I_have_diabeetus
It's not the process, it's the result. With some more texture to it, and a bit less of the blobby overbright look, I might actually enjoy it. Nevertheless, I like the atmosphere it all conjures up, so I look forward to seeing more of it.
One can dream...
im loving the style btw
Call me old fashioned, I guess :P
yay b1ll?
http://games.tiscali.cz//images/princeofpersiaprodigy/img3.jpg
the whole rockwall screams filterwork, honestly ubisoft has the ressources and people to do it right, giving the textures to one of their awesome conceptartists wouldn't hurt and would push the whole style way more, don't get me wrong, i really like what they did with the colors and love the overall style i just don't get why they are saving money on something that wouldn't cost much but help to strengthen the style, of course shortcuts are beeing taken everywhere, but i really think it's a pity that someone with the ressources isn't taking the time and little extra money to go further down the road it's not like opo is a weak brand and wouldnt get the money back
Still don`t like the effeminate `persian`. Change it. thxbye.
While i agree that the normal gamer wouldn't see the difference i have to say, that it's the development team who makes the games and that at least i'd try to do it right. Of course shortcuts can be taken, but without any cleanup? I think that's cheap, that's just my personal oppinion. It's like pixar starting to just filtering photobackgrounds for their movies, wheres the passion, wheres the commitment, that's the way i think as an artist, of course i could just see it the way a businessman sees it, but i'm not a businessman, i'm an artist for games.
it just feels like "i have no time to paint the textures" (which i'd understand, timeplans are tight, but i don't understand it on such a big brand) or "hell i can't texturize, normally i just throw photos on my objects, now i'll just use some filters, hopefully no one will see it"
i mean - they knew all along what theyre going to do long before releasing any material to the public, so that just does not count
never the less it's cool that the studio trys to do something new
nooooooooooooo away with these production realities, we want to make great portfolio pieces and purely visual worlds, not games or we would be pointless.
that's why i said, letting their awesome conceptartist paint over those filterworks wouldn't hurt anyone but would push the look way further, they have the guys who can do it or they could hire them. You for example, or Pior or some of the other painter dudes around here wouldn't have much problem with getting hired for PoP to get ne new look done, and/or developing a working pipeline for the cheap production of painterly textures, at least i'd asume so