OW's aesthetic shift

General Discussion
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I think the best way to put it is to compare these images. Both are official artworks of the full roster, one from around OW’s launch the other from the OW2 era (you’ll have to zoom on the 2nd one it’s a big image)
https://wallpapers.com/images/hd/overwatch-character-heroes-united-hd-12ar3n29j4usmte8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7mHaxpi.png

The images both try to convey the same thing, but you can just feel the difference in the art style. The newer art is a lot bouncier and clean. The older art, while still very cartoony, had a little bit more edge and grit to it

I’m not saying all of the new art is bad, there are plenty of things in OW that I liked aesthetically in the past year such as Vendetta or the Powder Keg Mine Map, it’s just that old OW had a certain aura to it that was lost

Here’s some more early art that I think shows the grittiness even better. The first one is really old map concept art, and the finished game never looked anything like this, but I think you could still feel its influence (and it’s just really cool. And the third is a set of old hero concepts in a number of different art styles.
https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1600/1*M8amdPhyn87FeaSx6HUHvg.jpeg

https://i.redd.it/ytkl27iteura1.jpg

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*16jspkOqlZcbqScB2Yee6Q.png

Some people say that new heroes feel flat because the character design has to be conventionally attractive to sell skins, and I think there’s a bit of that going on, but that the art style definitely plays a role as well.

A character in the concept art above like Brit (under echo) is very cute and a character like Recluse (bottom right) could certainly get the guys going, but I just feel like there’s a bit more soul to them than Wuyang or Freja.

And even in an oddball design like Hazard you can detect the difference, he’s feels a bit to clean to capture the rebellious ‘phreak’ vibe they were going for (just compare to the original Phreak in the top left). I actually think Hazard is a bit of a turning point. The past year or so is where you could feel the aesthetic shift take place in the 3d game and not just the 2d art. Someone like Juno is cute yes, but if you put her model in the game in 2016 I think it wouldn’t feel off or bland

Would be curious what someone who knows more about design would have to say

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Whenever i want to feel sad i look at Zenyattas ow1 default vs his ow2 default. His clothes were tattered, he was rusting a bit, there were dirt markes and scratches into his metal, the metal around mouth was wearing off, now he just got his drip back from the dry cleaners and got a polish waxing, he used to really look like an old omnic who hasnt had repairs, now hes factory fresh with a pine needle scent, its so generic looking now.

I know of course the ow1 skins still exist, but i think it really shows off the design issues. Overwatch is supposed to be a little gritty (besides the uber-cybernetic cities) now it seems the only places you see real decay is Australia maps

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I do feel like Overwatch’s designs are more generic now. I don’t think Overwatch really had a definable aesthetic in the past, but I do think the character designs were stronger individually. You look at Tracer, Mercy, Lúcio, Junkrat, etc. and you immediately know what they’re about, and the next time you see anything resembling them, you’re like, “A purple lady with a ponytail? You mean Widowmaker?”

You look at Venture, or Lifeweaver, and you can still kinda see what their gimmick is, but there’s nothing to really set them apart from any other way you’d approach the same design problem. Venture looks like a brown paper bag carrying a drill, and Lifeweaver looks like a generic fantasy druid from some gacha game. Totally different levels of detail, but ultimately lacking the same thing. Freja is “crossbow champion,” Vendetta is “sword champion,” and so on. Hell, you look at Hazard, and you don’t even know what he’s supposed to be or do.

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OW1 aesthetic: Iconic and memorable
OW2 aesthetic: Bland and forgettable

OW1 unique character design is the reason i play Overwatch, i even bought the official artbook and some figurines (funkos, statues, etc). As for OW2, i despise the change in the base character design and till this day, i refuse to buy the OW2 version of the artbook.

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Its interesting that “Mercy” is now Pharah and they re-used Mercy’s name. The OG designs were definitely more edgy and “hardcore” than current hero designs. I think current base designs are more “bland” because it makes skins look way better in comparison. For example, Vendetta’s base color scheme is pretty simple while her upcoming skins will likely be very complex, following the current trends of Skin Collections these days.

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Reinhardt is one of the only heroes that actually got a glow up. Most of the rest have straight to DVD vibes.

:flexed_biceps::grimacing:

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Yeah, this was pre-Alpha.

Also, art tends to evolve over time, usually for the better. Most of the time, it doesn’t really get simpler.

You can see these trends all over media. Simpsons being one of the biggest, Disney’s Mickey Mouse (though his look has been the same for about 70 years now).

Even anime goes through these periods; see One Piece during the East Blue and One Piece during post-time skip (or Fishman Isle) and even now during the Wano/Eggman arcs.

Seeing Overwatch’s art evolving overtime is nothing new. OW1 looked different than OW2; OW1 took a more “Pixar”-look, while OW2 trended away from that into its on style away from imitation into a more stylistic trend.

Another great example is to look at how Pandaren in WarCraft and World of WarCraft have evolved since their initial art reveal. Or look at how Orcs looked like in WarCraft 2, WarCraft 3 and what they look like now.

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I still don’t love the design of OW"““2"””. There’s a lot of cool skins, and I think the artists do their job well, but I think a lot of the designs now are too try hardy/overdesigned. Overwatch 1 managed something cool and difficult where the designs are simple and effective. Zenyatta’s just wearing pants and sandals, and yet he looks good. That’s a tough thing to accomplish in art.

Now, it seems like the characters have additions made explicitly because they want the characters to look cool, and I just think its too much. I don’t think I like any of the OW"“”“2"”“” default skins.

Also, Vendetta’s ankles look weird. Why’s she more stylized than the other already stylized characters?

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Wow these look so inviting. Many of them would fit in other scifi shooters like Killzone or Halo.

You mean maybe they’re using the game itself as the reference nowadays instead of going for one “original” style?

In the character concepts I can already see multiple different styles and techniques. I don’t have a name for them but it’s varying.

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I just want them to release Mama Hong.

She looks like she’d be loads of fun & have funny voicelines & be annoying to Mei.

#freemamahongNOW

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