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Can we all agree that the worst art direction for games is the cartoony look with giant heads?

Waluigi's World

Waluigi's World

Banned
Jun 5, 2020
958
It's the easiest way to make your game look cheap and undesirable.

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Roxoriku

Roxoriku

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
254
I don't quite agree as a general statement. There is a more fundamental flaw in art direction with those two games than just the combination of "cartoon-y" and "big heads"

I mean, that art just isn't appealing regardless of head size.
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
I don't know if I'd say "worst", but it certainly looks cheap. It's weird too, because I used to think big head modes in games were hilarious.

I kinda like that caricature-esque art for the NBA game though. The soccer one is just bad.
 
chrisPjelly

chrisPjelly

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
10,496
I think you mean semi realistic caricature look with large heads.

Big heads in games like Mario = Good!

Big heads and semi realistic = automatic association with mobile garbage
 
Faintcolt388301

Faintcolt388301

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,013
This is better than super janky ps1 era realism graphics. There's a reason nobody tries to recreate it as a retro look.
 
Arta

Arta

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,445
I put NBA Playgrounds 2 on my Xmas list for younger kids. I hate the artstyle but it's the closest thing to NBA Jam, plus a casual friendly basketball game.
 

xfactor99

Member
Oct 28, 2017
730
Pretty sure this is the biggest reason FFIX never caught on, despite the fact that it's the best FF game.
 
I KILL PXLS

I KILL PXLS

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,546
Roxoriku said:
I don't quite agree as a general statement. There is a more fundamental flaw in art direction with those two games than just the combination of "cartoon-y" and "big heads"

I mean, that art just isn't appealing regardless of head size.
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Agreed. It can be done well. Hell, every chibi character is technically this style and it usually works. Plenty of other stylized cartoony games do it and it works. The issue with the examples in the OP is that they're still trying to use too much realism in the wrong way. I'd actually argue the NBA Playgrounds one is fine and works because the heads are also stylized sufficiently.

kadotsu said:
It's this or fake anime.
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Actually yeah. I think fake anime is probably the actual answer here.
 
Dark Knight

Dark Knight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,321
Your examples aren't cartoony with giant heads, they're realistic with giant heads.
 
Ryuelli

Ryuelli

Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,209
Dark Knight said:
Then they should have said "realistic" and not "cartoony."
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A realistic style is different from realistic proportions. Both of them are "cartoony" (or stylized). The first with it's cell shaded look, the second with it's painterly look. They're not going for realism like something like Call of Duty does. You can be cartoony but still follow lumis' head rule. Animal Crossing is clearly going for a cartoon look all around.

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Watershed

Watershed

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,820
Yeah, it strikes me as a visual shorthand for low-budget, shallow, and aimed and people who don't yet know how bad these games are.
 
Dark Knight

Dark Knight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,321
Ryuelli said:
A realistic style is different from realistic proportions. Both of them are "cartoony" (or stylized). The first with it's cell shaded look, the second with it's painterly look. They're not going for realism like something like Call of Duty does. You can be cartoony but still follow lumis' head rule. Animal Crossing is clearly going for a cartoon look all around.

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Right, I get that, but saying "cartoony look with the giant heads" encompasses so many possible art styles that it's an all around ridiculous sentiment/criticism that very few people of taste could agree with. "Realistic features with cartoony proportions" is what I would have said, given OPs examples.
 
Platy

Platy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,704
Brazil
REALISTIC with big head, yes it is one of the worst ever

Stylized with big head is awesome!
Saying Pocket Fighter is a bad design is an easy way to make me your arch enemy
 
JigglesBunny

JigglesBunny

Prophet of Truth
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
31,137
Chicago
It's the quickest way to figure out the budget of a game. If I see one of those monster dome, little body motherfuckers, I know that thing was underfunded and given a year of development time.
 
Sybil

Sybil

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
1,642
Is that why I don't like that "mobile game" art style? Was it the head proportions all this time?
 

Tuxedotank

Member
Jan 9, 2018
273
I do not like the character design in a lot of ds/3ds games: bravely default, the final fantasy 3d remakes, alliance alive, etc. Something about the big head, stumpy-legged style really irritates me.
 

Deleted member 24118

User requested account closure
Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,920
Roxoriku said:
I don't quite agree as a general statement. There is a more fundamental flaw in art direction with those two games than just the combination of "cartoon-y" and "big heads"

I mean, that art just isn't appealing regardless of head size.
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Yeah. TF2 for instance is cartoony with exaggerated proportions, but I don't think anybody's ever said it has bad art direction.
 

Deleted member 29691

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 1, 2017
1,883
I thought you meant chibi but this is much worse.

Also Nendo figures and SD Gundam kinda sold me on chibi art ngl
 
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