It is evident that 'anime-aesthetics' have and continue to form the basis for visual identity for myriad Japanese (as well as now, S. Korean) games ranging from gacha mobile to AAA titles. On the flip-side, western animation aesthetics have generally relied broadly on more realistic proportions (esp. the facial features) for tv shows- presumably derived from aesthetics of character designs (on average) found in comic books, especially towards in 1990s through to 2010s, barring the roided out physique (which itself has seen notable reduction):
Of course the western devs have released myriad games over the last two decades with 'Stylized' aesthetics. Some of the most notable recent examples in the AA - AAA space:
The only notable examples I can recall to put in that clip are from:
To me, they look like comic books come to life with potential for vividly portraying character emotions via etchings of lines, hatching and playing between gradients of lights playing across their visages.
So why has there been such a reluctance for wider western developers to adopt a style that has the capability to convey strong sense of emotions and atmosphere as well as providing a buffer for fidelity shortcomings that would otherwise stick out like a sore thumb when draped in the more traditional, realistic aesthetic?
Of course the western devs have released myriad games over the last two decades with 'Stylized' aesthetics. Some of the most notable recent examples in the AA - AAA space:
- Sea of Thieves
- Dishonored series
- Prey
The only notable examples I can recall to put in that clip are from:
- The Wolf Among Us
- The Walking Dead series
- Borderlands series (not shown: Tales from Borderlands)
- Batman: The Telltale Series
- Prince of Persia (2008)
To me, they look like comic books come to life with potential for vividly portraying character emotions via etchings of lines, hatching and playing between gradients of lights playing across their visages.
So why has there been such a reluctance for wider western developers to adopt a style that has the capability to convey strong sense of emotions and atmosphere as well as providing a buffer for fidelity shortcomings that would otherwise stick out like a sore thumb when draped in the more traditional, realistic aesthetic?
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