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[Shahed]

All it takes is a different angle from a screenshot, or seeing something in motion to have a revised opinion.

If only i could post scans, many people have not seen all the scans of the characters yet, and they do give different impressions somewhat

I've seen some scans from a few different angles. If anything she looks worse! Especially the one where she's hugging his arm. There's a good chance it'll look better in motion It's not a deal breaker or anything though just slightly disappointing. If anything that's close to a deal breaker, it's playing as the green hairded woman due to her clothes. I've already ruled out ever controlling her unless there a decent alternative costume

 

[Ragnorok64]

I completely disagree with this. I play predominantly Japanese games. I watch anime. Heck sometimes I even read manga as well. So many of those I've quite liked the artsyle and character deaign I've been presented with. In fact by and large I far prefer Japanese character design over their western counterparts.

None of that changes my belief that in my eyes the main female looks awful. Nothing to do with it not matching my western aesthetics. Am I negative about the game as a whole? No. I'm actually pleasantly surprised and excited. But at the moment we don't have a lot to go off so I will analyse and judge whatever I see, be it in a positive or negative light. Just because I'm excited about something doesn't mean I have to like everything about it

That's great and all for you but none of what you wrote changes my observation. Time and time again on this and other forums I see criticisms that boil down to games not being western enough.

I think the most absurd, off the top of my head, were the complaints about Dengekibunko Fighting Climax before it was even realeaed in Japan. It's a cross-over fighting game, featuring characters from Japanese properties, clearly made for a Japanese audience and people were complaining that the RoKyuBu girls were in it and not Ladd Russo (the American gangster that punches people to death).

 

[Xenus]

Dual audio plz(or japanese only). With the budget for this game, getting good english VA is something i don't see

Then again, Drakengard 3 could get decent VA even though it didnt even have a budget so....

It better have a dub I need my "unexpectedly weak" "tear into pieces" etc

 

[Vazra]

I like how the town looks. Reminds me of the 2nd town in Star Ocean 3. Main character looks okay to me. I don't mind how the girl looks, but she better as hell not have that expression 24/7 or I'll feel like I'm being trolled when she's talking in a cutscene. I don't want a Lymle 2.0.

There are worse things than Lymle.

 

[injurai]

This resurgence of these "3D Era Xenochronicles / Star Ocean 4" faces is really killing me. Might be the worst trend in character design that I've seen come from Japan.

 

[CrazyDude]

There are worse things than Lymle.

There is also the whole past earth section where the blue car girl talks about friendship and what not even thought she just met the main group.

 

[Parfait]

There are worse things than Lymle.

u talkin shit about Meracle, I'll find you

Seriously fire that cutscene director/animator. Though Sarah's pratfall was pretty good.

 

[Hibiki Kurosawa]

I think it's the huge empty area between her eyes and nose. Human faces just. . . don't look like that.

I think it's also a lack of shading a depth on the face that looks off.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

Those look awful

 

[grumble]

I've seen some scans from a few different angles. If anything she looks worse! Especially the one where she's hugging his arm. There's a good chance it'll look better in motion It's not a deal breaker or anything though just slightly disappointing. If anything that's close to a deal breaker, it's playing as the green hairded woman due to her clothes. I've already ruled out ever controlling her unless there a decent alternative costume

Agreed, green haired character is much much worse and no one seems to e talking about her.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

This seems to be the first AA jrpg coming from SE in quite some time.

Star Ocean is a B-tier JRPG franchise at best. The only remaining A-tier JRPG franchise still active today is Final Fantasy.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Star Ocean is a B-tier JRPG franchise at best. The only remaining A-tier JRPG franchise still active today is Final Fantasy.

what are you talking about? I'm talking about budgets.

FF is a AAA JRPG (something only SE does)
SO5 looks like a AA JRPG, quite a rarity these days.

 

[threelights]

I think it's because SE lets 8-4 do whatever with their smaller titles. Hopefully they think SO5 is small so they won't interfere with the localization again!

Seriously. Stay away from the localization of your games SE >.>

Or get a team that actually knows what they're doing.

 

[ScepticMatt]

The girl's eyes look all kind of awful, like they are made out of paper (i.e. flat shading)

better?

I managed to zoom and enhance the blond swordsman's face. This is what his face looks like up close.

reminds me of..

 

[Xenus]

Seriously. Stay away from the localization of your games SE >.>

Or get a team that actually knows what they're doing.

Nu we need oved our battle quotes yelled over and over again in english. Dual audio is fine but we need a dub

 

[Boss Mog]

Star Ocean is a B-tier JRPG franchise at best. The only remaining A-tier JRPG franchise still active today is Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy hasn't been A-tier since FFXII almost 10 years ago and FFXV isn't going to remedy that judging by Episode Duscae. Even with it's faults SO4 is still a better JRPG than FFXIII.

Dragon Quest is still A-tier though.

 

[A-V-B]

The girl's eyes look all kind of awful, like they are made out of paper (i.e. flat shading)



reminds me of..

That's the happiest looking spider I've ever seen!!!

 

[threelights]

Nu we need oved our battle quotes yelled over and over again in english. Dual audio is fine but we need a dub

Sure, but let 8-4 (or whoever will be in charge of the localization) do whatever they want. Square's in-house localization have been atrociously bad for quite some time now. Give the money to the localization team and do the marketing. Stay away from the actual localization process.

 

[Shahed]

That's great and all for you but none of what you wrote changes my observation. Time and time again on this and other forums I see criticisms that boil down to games not being western enough.

I think the most absurd, off the top of my head, were the complaints about Dengekibunko Fighting Climax before it was even realeaed in Japan. It's a cross-over fighting game, featuring characters from Japanese properties, clearly made for a Japanese audience and people were complaining that the RoKyuBu girls were in it and not Ladd Russo (the American gangster that punches people to death).

My point is that people can think it's bad design without wanting a Western look. It can be simply bacause it's bad. I can't speak about other threads, but in this thread i haven't seen anyone say it should look more Western. In fact people have said it should look more like other Japanese games. Like those that use Cel Shading such as Atelier and Tales of Veaperia, or wvwn wanting art style such as Tri-Ace's own Resonance of Fate

 

[Videoneon]

To be fair, if the thing that was going to sell you on the game were the character's faces, then I don't know why you ever had hopes to buy it =P

heheehe

I mean I've been losing my tastes for 3D action RPG's over time and I haven't even beaten Xillia 2 (and Zestiria's set to come out!) I'm open to being swayed but this isn't doing it

 

[clem84]

The mere existence of this game makes me happy. There weren't many traditional JRPGs last gen and with where the industry is going with mobile and downloadable games being really big and AAA games becoming increasingly rare, it's really cool to know that we have another AAA JRPG to look forward to in the next few years.

I personally didn't think SO4 was that good but hopefully they've learned from it and took loads of fan feedback. The screens look promising.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Jesus fuck at that monkeyface pic. They somehow made her worse.

Japanese game. Pages and pages of people complaining that it doesn't appeal to their western aesthetics. Rinse and repeat.

Oh don't start with this garbage to pull attention away from nuanced critiques from across the spectrum of like and dislike.

"All or nothing! pick a side! pick a side!"

Blech.

 

[OmegaDL50]

Jesus fuck at that monkeyface pic. They somehow made her worse.

That was obviously a photoshop edit.

 

[Elfforkusu]

Between this and XBX, all I can think is that HD faces must be hard.

 

[Illucio]

The graphics look great, that purple girls face is so flat and fished eyed that I can't stop looking at it. Her face needs depth badly.

 

[Ralemont]

I really like the character designs. I don't care about childhood friend's face since I won't be looking at it once I get another option. I already know Blonde Swordsman and Elphie will be in over her, but if I need a fourth I'm sure I'll find one soon.

 

[Dargor]

Yeah, I think her face is a little weird too. But its still a long way to go before this game is launched, they'll hopefully fix it. And besides, in my opinion, this ain't that big of a deal breaker if they don't.

I'm so happy that this game is being made that I can forgive a couple of things, heck, probably even more than just a couple lol.

 

[Rising_Hei]

Final Fantasy hasn't been A-tier since FFXII almost 10 years ago and FFXV isn't going to remedy that judging by Episode Duscae. Even with it's faults SO4 is still a better JRPG than FFXIII.

Dragon Quest is still A-tier though.

Come on FFXIII isn't that atrociously bad...

And you could argue about the quality of FFXIII not being as much as FFXII and the previous games, but everyone should agree that FFXIII is an AAA game (big budget), SO has never got AAA treatment like mainlines Final Fantasy do.

 

[Comet]

Those character designs, yeeesh

 

[bomblord1]

Those character designs, yeeesh

Yea, I know they're pretty awesome much better than I was expecting given SO4 and 3's designs

Spoiler

 

[Ralemont]

Yea, I know they're pretty awesome much better than I was expecting given SO4 and 3's designs

Spoiler

SO3 had great character designs.

 

[Femmeworth]

There are worse things than Lymle.

Good god.

 

[Inuhanyou]

SO3 had great character designs.

Nobody talks bad about Nel, these people have absolutely no taste

 

[Stone Ocean]

SO3 had great character designs.

They were for the most part bland and forgettable.

 

[Ralemont]

Nobody talks bad about Nel, these people have absolutely no taste

Mhm. Also the alt outfits for SO3 were awesome.

 

[ubercheez]

u wot m8

 

[Nimby]

As long as the animations and facial expressions aren't stiff like in those gifs, I think she's okay.

 

[Toxi]

That's the happiest looking spider I've ever seen!!!

Jumping spiders are by far the cutest spiders, and for me that's quite the accomplishment.

 

[YianGaruga]

As long as the animations and facial expressions aren't stiff like in those gifs, I think she's okay.

This is what will make or break it for me. Everyone in SO4 looks and moves like creepy dolls. If they can fix that I can live with the style I think.

 

[Boss Doggie]

They were for the most part bland and forgettable.

Eh I disagree. Outside of Peppita, Roger, Sophia, and Adray the cast is great.

 

[Eudaemonium]

Nobody talks bad about Nel, these people have absolutely no taste

Yeah, but let's be honest—Nel is basically the best character model in the game.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Yeah, but let's be honest—Nel is basically the best character model in the game.

dem absolute territory tho

 

[lefox360]

There are worse things than Lymle.

man, if a relative caught me playing some stupid anime crap like this, i think i would die from the shame.

 

[Occam]

Remember the time when anime characters used to look good? Those were the days.

And 25 years later we get this.

 

[Boss Doggie]

Also note that early anime has teenage characters look like adults. But product of times, sadly.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

I see something very wrong with the symbol on the pink girl's dress.

whoops

Damn it can't be unseen lol

tbh probably intentional

-snicker-

That was done on purpose. Subliminal imagery.

Hope they tweak the characters. Fights should be amazing.

I... I don't get it. Explain to me GAF!

 

[Acquiescence]

I... I don't get it. Explain to me GAF!

Cock 'n' balls.

 

[duckroll]

"HD" screens are here!

http://www.4gamer.net/games/298/G029832/20150417056/

Lots more at the link.

 

[Inuhanyou]

As long as the animations and facial expressions aren't stiff like in those gifs, I think she's okay.

This is what will make or break it for me. Everyone in SO4 looks and moves like creepy dolls. If they can fix that I can live with the style I think.

That's what i've been saying the whole thread. The worst thing about SO4 is that the models didn't make any expressions at all. They animated like dolls and moved like dolls as well.

As long as the SO5 models can avoid that and give the characters some life and expression(we've actually seen several of the characters make different expressions in the scans already), i don't have any real issues with the designs themselves. They go more toward anime style than the semi 'realistic' designs of SO4, but if they animate better, that'll make them much more acceptable to me.

Yeah, but let's be honest—Nel is basically the best character model in the game.

I've been saying that since SO5 was announced. I hope they have a character like Nel in the game. That would be awesome.

Remember the time when anime characters used to look good? Those were the days.[/IMG]

And 25 years later we get this.

They still can look good, you don't pull out an example you don't like and then go back to the 80s as the only time you say anime designs looked good. Super generalizations ftw?

 

[SolidSnakex]

The armor detail is pretty damn nice!