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What is the WORST Zelda Artstyle?
- Thread starter Lozjam
- Start date
I like skyward the least though zelda is cute in that style.
I don't count OoT/MM Games are just old and dated
I don't count OoT/MM Games are just old and dated
OOT / MM.
Let's be fair to it and ignore the N64 effect. All the character art screams "generic 90s fantasy anime" . MM does better than OOT, but it's still before I'd say Zelda was 'innovating' in the art department.
The art for those games is still good, but most following Zelda games have a distinct visual identity. WW is iconic. SS, at the time + on a small TV, had a beautiful impressionist aesthetic. Breath of the Wild is basically a perfect middle ground between a realistic Zelda and WW.
Twilight Princess, IMO is the only one with a case to be made that it's worse than OOT / MM. But I'll contest that its character art design saves it (for the main cast anyway, not the horrible kids in Kakariko or whatever).
IMO it's a crime Skyward Sword is "winning" this poll...
Let's be fair to it and ignore the N64 effect. All the character art screams "generic 90s fantasy anime" . MM does better than OOT, but it's still before I'd say Zelda was 'innovating' in the art department.
The art for those games is still good, but most following Zelda games have a distinct visual identity. WW is iconic. SS, at the time + on a small TV, had a beautiful impressionist aesthetic. Breath of the Wild is basically a perfect middle ground between a realistic Zelda and WW.
Twilight Princess, IMO is the only one with a case to be made that it's worse than OOT / MM. But I'll contest that its character art design saves it (for the main cast anyway, not the horrible kids in Kakariko or whatever).
IMO it's a crime Skyward Sword is "winning" this poll...
Everyone voting for TP has no clue, and they are so proud of it...sorry. ;)
What a whimsical and moody style, held back by what was technically possible at the time.
And it gave us the best Zelda, Link, Ganondorf and sidekick character designs in a Zelda ever.
Best Zelda, Great Link and best Ganondorf. For real! Ganondorf is looking awesome, here! It kinda reminds me of these old concept drawings but a little more "animefied".
Nintendo artist's concept drawings show the old Link and Zelda we never got to see
We've seen Link as a child and as a young adult, but never in the Zelda franchise was he old. But he could have been.
www.syfy.com
Nightmare fuel.
Yeah, it's Twilight Princess. Drab game with weird fucking semi-realistic characters that haven't aged well. It all looks so dull.
Of those probably Skyward Sword. I get what they were going for but feel it doesn't hit the mark half the time. Yeah TP has some ugly character models and too much bloom but it's a good looking game most of the time.
But the real answer is A Link Between Worlds. I'm surprised it gets as much of a pass as it does. And I'm still not crazy about how the Link's Awakening remake doll look.
But the real answer is A Link Between Worlds. I'm surprised it gets as much of a pass as it does. And I'm still not crazy about how the Link's Awakening remake doll look.
Feels like only five minutes ago to me that Wind Waker was revealed and everyone was shitting on the cel shaded art style. And now look! How times change.
People sure love to discredit TP's artstyle because of the Ordon Children, when in reality, TP's artstyle is all about conveing mood trhough architecture and visual storytelling:
ARTSTYLE is not only the textures and visual effects, it's everything else and much more. Not even BotW has given us this level of art direction consistency in a single game, and that's why for me, Zelda artstyle peaked with this game, and only since BotW it has regained some of it ambitiousness (while lossing some, thanks to its open world structure).
I rest my case.
truth
everything in Skyward sword looks dog ugly. it's like someone tried to recreate the wind waker magic but ended up with an ugly mess with no good looking character designs aside from ghirahim and groose
There's nothing semi-realistic or quarter-realistic or whatever-realistic about TP's character design. It's highly stylized and caricaturesque.
And "dull" is the last thing I think of when I see designs like the bizarre Oocca, the village children, the creatures of the Twilight Realm.
Jesus fucking christ.
Skyward Sword link is the ugliest though.
I first voted for SS, then changed to TP and now I am changing again to SS. I literally blocked this abomination from my mind.
And I just remembered the "octopus" boss that looked straight out of a pixar movie.
Yeah, fuck this artsyle. Not even the "Hylian egg people" that are actually nightmare fuel can compete with this.
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It's Twilight Princess. It has impressive moments, but it is overall dull and brown, just aged terribly. Although people bring up the character designs in it, which confuse me because I think in that aspect, the game is really good. They are very humorous caricature designs, and the npcs have a lot of personality.
Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword were both pretty rough. Some parts of TP were a convincing evolution of the OoT/MM art style. Others were eye sores. Skyward Sword, for its part, has some neat character designs (Zelda, Impa, Groose, some of the dragons iirc) but also probably the worst enemy designs in the series? The Imprisoned is one where I look at it and think, "I get the idea, but they missed the mark by a mile."
And then there's the fact that neither game's art direction adequately mitigates the hardware's graphical limitations.
And then there's the fact that neither game's art direction adequately mitigates the hardware's graphical limitations.
None of the characters in the 64 Zelda looked anything like 90s fantasy anime characters. The closest was Adult Link, but that was it
those ears man........... just whyI can't get over Link weird looking lips in Skyward Sword
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Wow! Fantastic. LOVE how super clean it looks. This artstyle definitely holds up to this day. I mean, you can add raytraicing to it and it would look even better.
I always hated how Skyward Sword looks. It's part of the reason it's the only 3D Zelda I never played.
I like Twilight Princess' art style, but the graphics didn't age well. That Wii U tech demo Nintendo showed off still looks amazing to me.
With that being said, breath of the Wild is probably my favorite Zelda art style.
I like Twilight Princess' art style, but the graphics didn't age well. That Wii U tech demo Nintendo showed off still looks amazing to me.
With that being said, breath of the Wild is probably my favorite Zelda art style.
Skyward Sword is easily the ugliest. Easily!
I like Zelda (and the final boss is pretty cool) from it but thats it, everything else is butt ugly and this 'remaster' just reminds me of that fact all over again.
Can't believe people hate on Twilight Princess just cause of a few NPCs. There are so many cool looking things in that game, not to mention the small fact of, oh you know, THE BEST ZELDA, LINK AND GANONDORF CHARACTER DESIGNS IN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!
I like Zelda (and the final boss is pretty cool) from it but thats it, everything else is butt ugly and this 'remaster' just reminds me of that fact all over again.
Can't believe people hate on Twilight Princess just cause of a few NPCs. There are so many cool looking things in that game, not to mention the small fact of, oh you know, THE BEST ZELDA, LINK AND GANONDORF CHARACTER DESIGNS IN THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE!
THANK YOU.People sure love to discredit TP's artstyle because of the Ordon Children, when in reality, TP's artstyle is all about conveing mood trhough architecture and visual storytelling:
ARTSTYLE is not only the textures and visual effects, it's everything else and much more. Not even BotW has given us this level of art direction consistency in a single game, and that's why for me, Zelda artstyle peaked with this game, and only since BotW it has regained some of it ambitiousness (while lossing some, thanks to its open world structure).
I rest my case.
Twilight Princess has a beautiful art style. The level of detail makes Hyrule feel like an ancient and storied place. There's this fairy tale, high fantasy aesthetic to it that no other Zelda game has that really serves to create some mystical, creepy or quiet atmospheres. It adds so much to the adventure feeling that is at the core of Zelda as a series.
I feel it gets a lot of hate merely for being the answer to Wind Waker's cartoony art style. Personally, I think WW's art style is super overrated. It gets a lot of praise merely for being timeless but I don't really see why something being timeless is inherently good. Don't get me wrong, I don't think WW has a bad art style but it's not the right art style for Zelda. It feels like something else entire. Twilight Princess feels like Zelda. I would love to see them revisit the art style in the future now that they can make HD games. There's no doubt being a Gamecube game held TP back visually.
They're all good for different reasons though not all of them aged well as more stylized visuals almost always age more gracefully.
Yeah, that's certainly possible via Reshade and that 4K texture pack I think.
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Skyward Sword is very unappealing visually. Just incredibly bland and uninspired.
At least Twilight Princess went for a look and has a distinguishable identity, even if I don't think it looks great either.
At least Twilight Princess went for a look and has a distinguishable identity, even if I don't think it looks great either.
The problem with trying to be realistic is the art looks dated after a few years. That is why TP''s art style has fared the worst. The others were not trying to be realistic, so they still look good. If TP comes to the switch they will have to make the models/textures even better to make it look good.
People sure love to discredit TP's artstyle because of the Ordon Children, when in reality, TP's artstyle is all about conveing mood trhough architecture and visual storytelling:
ARTSTYLE is not only the textures and visual effects, it's everything else and much more. Not even BotW has given us this level of art direction consistency in a single game, and that's why for me, Zelda artstyle peaked with this game, and only since BotW it has regained some of it ambitiousness (while lossing some, thanks to its open world structure).
I rest my case.
Great post. I feel like Twilight Princess' art style and designs directly benefit the story and mood of the game moreso than any others. It feels imposing, eery, mysterious, and grandiose, which is probably just how Link perceives it. He'd never been outside his home village up to this point, after all.
I voted for TP even though I was hyped as fuck for it before it came out. It was great looking for the GameCube era, despite being slightly rough around the edges by Nintendo standards. Pretty dated now though. Too much brown and grey.
I mean, obviously the N64 games are even more dated but they have a certain charm to them. I did get sick of the 2D art associated with Ocarina though, feels like it's been the generic "Legend of Zelda artwork" since the game came out. Pops up all over the place. Even now most Zelda merch uses some art of Link from Ocarina of Time.
Believe it or not, it looks great in motion. It's a solid 60 FPS and the 3D is possibly the best on the platform. Everything about the game feels silky smooth and responsive. Really a joy to play and screenshots don't do it justice.
I mean, obviously the N64 games are even more dated but they have a certain charm to them. I did get sick of the 2D art associated with Ocarina though, feels like it's been the generic "Legend of Zelda artwork" since the game came out. Pops up all over the place. Even now most Zelda merch uses some art of Link from Ocarina of Time.
Believe it or not, it looks great in motion. It's a solid 60 FPS and the 3D is possibly the best on the platform. Everything about the game feels silky smooth and responsive. Really a joy to play and screenshots don't do it justice.
I personally find Skyward Sword's artstyle and character design very unappealing.
Visually, BotW basically strikes the perfect balance and for my tastes is the best artstyle the series has ever had. Timeless cel shading combined with naturalistically proportioned characters and architecture is a great fit for the franchise, which simultaneously evokes the early '90s concept art and Studio Ghibli. Beyond IQ and raw polygon count, I couldn't be happier with the way Zelda looks right now.
Also, they absolutely nailed Link's face in BotW. The longer sideburns and the facial proportions are very old school, like a saturday morning cartoon. I hated his face in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.
I am quoting this because it's a good demonstration of how ugly Link looks in Skyward Sword.
I still think Ocarina of Time looks great in higher-resolution, though I admit I probably just have crazy nostalgia goggles:
It does still look great. It's still very enjoyable to play today.
I can't claim to truly defend this and am probably going to reinforce it, but at that time and the age I was stupid anime styled stuff was exactly what'd get me frothing in demand for Zelda. Yes it's blatantly late 90s but as a teenager I had to have this. And it's better shaded than most animation was then anyway.
Vs
if that's "generic" I'll take that any day over fugly
But I'd also love a cartoon/anime looking like the Zelda LttP artwork. And I'm not sure I ever really disliked a canon Zelda art style or visual look, I guess I'd have to go with Twilight Princess with an honorable mention to Skyward Sword's lush lips, but even then the quirks add to the charm. And TP was a suitably bleak feeling game at least.
I love Majora's art style but I definitely don't think it's that well realized in the game itself. The promotional art is gorgeous but whenever I look at footage of the game it always looks like it's trying to punch a bit above the N64's weight and not 100% succeeding.
Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask 3DS remakes (not the originals) for me. Something about those colors just looks so off to me.
OOT/MM: Fantastic art style, maybe a bit dated by modern standards. All games afterward sort of stem from the look in some way, even Wind Waker. I think there is a solid mix of realism and cartoonishness in the designs, and the color palette is very vivid.
WW: It works well in Wind Waker, but it was incredibly overused. Wind Waker, Four Swords, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Triforce Heroes... the novelty has worn off.
Twilight Princess: Great art style held back by technical limitations. It has a dark, haunting visual signature that doesn't cross over into edgy or cringy. Yes there are ugly characters, but they are supposed to look strange. It's not like in Xenoblade 2 where characters are supposed to look cool but are a mess.
Skyward Sword: Here's your answer. They kind of went in for a mix between Wind Waker and TP but that's like mixing oil and water. The impressionist style just makes everything blurry and incoherent. Easily the ugliest bokoblins, but not in a fun way (ok, the fat one is fun). I will say the character designs are pretty solid for Zelda, Impa, Groose etc. but a lot of the Skyloft villagers just look generic.
BotW: I feel like they accomplished what they were trying to pull off in Skyward Sword with this style. There are realistic proportions, yet it still has a cel-shaded, colorful look. This is the best Zelda has ever looked in my mind.
WW: It works well in Wind Waker, but it was incredibly overused. Wind Waker, Four Swords, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Triforce Heroes... the novelty has worn off.
Twilight Princess: Great art style held back by technical limitations. It has a dark, haunting visual signature that doesn't cross over into edgy or cringy. Yes there are ugly characters, but they are supposed to look strange. It's not like in Xenoblade 2 where characters are supposed to look cool but are a mess.
Skyward Sword: Here's your answer. They kind of went in for a mix between Wind Waker and TP but that's like mixing oil and water. The impressionist style just makes everything blurry and incoherent. Easily the ugliest bokoblins, but not in a fun way (ok, the fat one is fun). I will say the character designs are pretty solid for Zelda, Impa, Groose etc. but a lot of the Skyloft villagers just look generic.
BotW: I feel like they accomplished what they were trying to pull off in Skyward Sword with this style. There are realistic proportions, yet it still has a cel-shaded, colorful look. This is the best Zelda has ever looked in my mind.
Only sad individuals could hate the character design in the Zelda games. You're looking at the work of some of the best talent in the industry.
I know I'm cheating but the only real answer is A Link Between World. I agree with the poster who compared it to New Super Mario Bros, its uninspiring.
They nailed the look in the Link's Awakening remake however.
I know I'm cheating but the only real answer is A Link Between World. I agree with the poster who compared it to New Super Mario Bros, its uninspiring.
They nailed the look in the Link's Awakening remake however.
Twilight Princess was the ugliest... until Skyward Sword made its appearance. Twilight somehow got a little better with the remaster, but Skyward sword is just ugly. Characters, textures, world, everything is unappealing
OoT art style is better than TP. And we're not talking about graphics here, you can use the art books, manual and everything else from the game. All of that are worse in TP. The 2000's sucked with its obsession with darkness and gray edgy artstyles.
I agree with this actually. TP did feel very...real.Some places in TP like Ordon Spring looked very evocative back in the day. I remember it sparking my imagination when I was a teenager. There was a real sense of place in TP, whereas SS's environments felt like artificial playgrounds.
How can anyone vote for Wind Waker? The original still holds up as one of the best looking games ever. The HD remake somehow made it look worse. Not the best Zelda by any means, but by far my favourite looking.
The worst is TP. Bland and uninspiring. Skyward Sword a close second. Just never felt right. BOTW nailed it though.
The worst is TP. Bland and uninspiring. Skyward Sword a close second. Just never felt right. BOTW nailed it though.
