Topic: Current thoughts on Obata's character designs?

[Mike Belmont]

See, every other style (barring Dawn/Por's because it's super terrible too) while varied it evokes the same sense of power and darkness, that is completely absent from Obata's design. It absolutely robed the dignity of every character. He just created the charactes from scratch disregarding any symbology or even relation to the world, and to be honest they come off more like sadomasochistic fantasies.

As you can see by seeing them side by side, it sucks more because it sticks out more than any other.

Agree with this (not with the DoS and PoR statement ). I always ask to me, did Obata really knows what Castlevania is about? Even its characters stories? (I really hate what he did to Eric Lecarde ) To be honest, I would prefer the art used in the LoS trilogy in the Judgment game, if someone ask me to decide between the two.

The anime, itself, was kinda pretentious. The style, for the anime, worked. For Castlevania, it doesn't.

I still think the major reason they hired Obata was to get that Death Note cred. It was one of the "popular" anime of the time, in Japan and with weeaboos alike. Hell, if they were going for that, they could've also hired the artist for Bleach or Naruto(while they were at it). LOL!

My thoughs too. Sometimes I don`t understand Japan in terms of animation. For example, I like the old Saint Seiya art over the Lost Canvas ones. I read somewhere that the directors want to follow the art used in Naruto, just to gain more fans. I simply don`t like it.

[Charlotte-nyo:3]

They would've been okay as alternate costumes to more traditional designs as the main costumes. As it is, it isn't really a good representation of the characters at all for something like this. If they removed all references to the names and the branding you'd almost be hard pressed to know these were CV characters.

[Shiroi Koumori]

No. Just no.
Those designs shocked me the first time they were revealed and they still leave a bad taste in my mouth today.
I sometimes wish that the staff did not mention that he/she was the assistant to Obata before, so that these designs would never see the light of day.

I still prefer Kojima's designs overall.

[GuyStarwind]

Some of them were alright I thought but in the long run they weren't what I'd want.

[Belmontoya]

The only one that I really can't stomach is simon. They should of left him out and and put richter in instead. I think richter would have worked better in this style.

Other than that, it's not any worse to me than AOS, DOS, POR, and OOE.

[Mike Belmont]

Other than that, it's not any worse to me than AOS, DOS, POR, and OOE.

So, do you prefer the Obata`s art in Judgment over the games you mention, pal? Well, everybody have his own opinon, I guess. Of all CV art since the beggining, I prefer the one used in CVIII and SCIV .

[St.Tweeter]

Godawful and it helped put the hands in the series of some European hacks. I think Judgement did more damage to the Franchise than anything, and it was only a bloody wii game...

[The Puritan]

Reeked of desperation. A need to appeal to a wider audience, and the result was much worse than POR. Poor choice for a game that should've celebrated every corner of the CV franchise.

About the only designs worth a damn were Trevor's, Sypha's, Shanoa's, and Aeon's (and only because he had no other design to compare to). Everyone else ranged from meh to blech.

[Belmontoya]

So, do you prefer the Obata`s art in Judgment over the games you mention, pal? Well, everybody have his own opinon, I guess. Of all CV art since the beggining, I prefer the one used in CVIII and SCIV .

Hi pal. I believe I said that it's not worse than those games visually. That doesn't mean I think that it's better. Judgment is by far the worst game of the bunch. One thing I will say about the art in judgment is that it has more flare than the other games I mentioned. The other games that I mentioned just look like generic anime to me, nothing stands out or is unique about the way they look.

But yeah, the other problem with Judgment is that it's just a bad fighting game. I've said it before, if you want a good CV fighting game, just make yourself a set of CV characters in Soul Calibur.

I agree with you that Super Castlevania 4 have the best art the series has ever had. But then, I think that game has the best everything that CV has ever had.

[Mike Belmont]

Godawful and it helped put the hands in the series of some European hacks. I think Judgement did more damage to the Franchise than anything, and it was only a bloody wii game...

Agree. I always consider Judgment guilty of the lost of trust in a japanese developer in the next CV. If we remember the story, a little time after Judgment, a game named Lords of Shadow was presented. The rest is history...

Although, I really like the music used in Judgment (the CVIII arranges are great ).

[Mike Belmont]

Hi pal. I believe I said that it's not worse than those games visually. That doesn't mean I think that it's better. Judgment is by far the worst game of the bunch. One thing I will say about the art in judgment is that it has more flare than the other games I mentioned. The other games that I mentioned just look like generic anime to me, nothing stands out or is unique about the way they look.

But yeah, the other problem with Judgment is that it's just a bad fighting game. I've said it before, if you want a good CV fighting game, just make yourself a set of CV characters in Soul Calibur.

I agree with you that Super Castlevania 4 have the best art the series has ever had. But then, I think that game has the best everything that CV has ever had.

My mistake. Thanks for extend your statement. To be honest, I don`t like too much the anime style for DoS and PoR. RoB is okay, but I prefer the classic ones. I agree with you in the SCVIV term, but my favorite will always be CVIII , with his multiple characters, music, graphics, and different paths.

[Belmontoya]

The only thing I didn't like about CV3, believe it or not, was the multiple characters.

I feel like taking the player out of the role of Trevor and then back in again takes something away from the experience. I like the connection of feeling like I am playing the part of a character in a game. I never like it in a game when you jump around from character to character. That's one of the reasons I can't stand MOF.

I really like the idea of having other protagonists who help you along the way, but I just wish they could have done that without taking the player out of the Belmont boots.

That was the motivation behind the helper system in the CV reboot fan game Mig and I are making called The Rise of Castlevania.

[Mike Belmont]

The only thing I didn't like about CV3, believe it or not, was the multiple characters.

I feel like taking the player out of the role of Trevor and then back in again takes something away from the experience. I like the connection of feeling like I am playing the part of a character in a game. I never like it in a game when you jump around from character to character. That's one of the reasons I can't stand MOF.

I really like the idea of having other protagonists who help you along the way, but I just wish they could have done that without taking the player out of the Belmont boots.

That was the motivation behind the helper system in the CV reboot fan game Mig and I are making called The Rise of Castlevania.

I understand. I like all related to CVIII maybe for the fact that was my first CV. Sincerely, I felt a little "alone" while playing Simon`s Quest and Castlevania (I) after playing Dracula`s Curse. I agree in part that the other protagonist take some of the experience of playing with a Belmont, but I like it because they play differently (Grant with his grabbing abilities, Alucard with his vampiric form and Sypha with his magic). At least, you will finish the game using Trevor in your "team", even the game can be completed alone .

As for your fan game, I am wishing to see it . It will be in 2D? Good luck in your project!

[DarkPrinceAlucard]

I feel like taking the player out of the role of Trevor and then back in again takes something away from the experience. I like the connection of feeling like I am playing the part of a character in a game. I never like it in a game when you jump around from character to character. That's one of the reasons I can't stand MOF.

The difference between MOF and CVIII is that the character switching is completely optional in CVIII.

So I don't see why someone would have a problem with that, if you prefer trevor than simply don't bother switching, its not like MOF where you have to move on to another character at a certain part of the game.

[Flame]

Godawful and it helped put the hands in the series of some European hacks. I think Judgement did more damage to the Franchise than anything, and it was only a bloody wii game...

Agree. I always consider Judgment guilty of the lost of trust in a japanese developer in the next CV. If we remember the story, a little time after Judgment, a game named Lords of Shadow was presented. The rest is history...

Although, I really like the music used in Judgment (the CVIII arranges are great ).

Actually, If I recall, weren't both judgement and LoS revealed the same convention? Judgement was revealed as late in development or something, And was released in 2008, while LoS was still REALLY early and had no gameplay to show, only that "ACTUAL GAMEPLAY" trailer with Gabriel and the Ogre, that named it as "Lords of Shadows" without the CV monicker.

They were both revealed In 2008 I THINK. Judgement was the game they were pushing, that was the next upcoming game, while LoS was just a teaser, along with that Alucard teaser.

Judgement isn't the reason we got LoS. Though Judgement IS likely the reason IGA never made another CV game after it, with the exception of Harmony of Despair.