Shining Hearts announced! + rumors + Bayonetta

[Barry the Nomad]

I think the problem with the look of Shining [s:3jg7ep0h]Memories[/s:3jg7ep0h] Hearts is that it does little to differentiate itself from most (if not all) other current rpgs. Too calm and "safe", nothing that grabs ones attention. PSO, Grandia 2 and Skies of Arcadia mixed things up a bit and gave new and unique characters and looks despite being very similar to other rpg archetypes. Personally, I've been playing (and loving) Zenonia on my iPod. Character designs are a little different from the norm, it has a snarky attitude at times and has this whole good/bad mechanic.

[MadeManG74]

^I agree. I can't find anything particularly BAD with the design and setting etc, but it's just so... boring.

But yeah re-release of Bayonetta? What changes etc have they made?

[Sieghardt]

It's not like looks are the only problems these games have anyway.
The plot to this game sounds like a bottom of the barrel hentai game. You live with 3 sisters, a girl has lost her emotions, help get them back with your [s:1tw7l78o]penis[/s:1tw7l78o] magic.

[Sega Uranus]

I agree with... Well, everyone on the art direction. Especially with something like Shining Force II. IMHO that game has the best art direction in an sRPG ever.

What really bugs me about what is happening with this franchise is that literally nothing is shared from the previous style, which had like 20 releases in it's lifetime. I can take a shitty game or twelve, but why would they ditch a completely realized world that sets up hundreds of characters and places that also opens itself up to basically any genre one could throw at it? They are now even starting to ditch basic character values like centaurs (something that is a very rare type of creature outside of the series) and replacing them with women who also have cat-like ears. Are you fucking serious?

It really, really all pains me so much, because this was my favorite SEGA franchise for awhile... Along with Sonic when Sonic Team was unarguably great.

[Mengels7]

I hate to sound like Fluffymoochicken, but I love the art and I like the style and story and such.

[Barry the Nomad]

I hate to sound like Fluffymoochicken, but I love the art and I like the style and story and such.

Once you start posting the theme song to Team Rose, then you'll sound like fluffy. You're safe for now.

To be fair, I don't hate the art. In fact, I kind of like the look of the in-game characters.

[STORM!]

The opening movie is now on:

[youtube:p28f6ed5]KCl8XPQ7ZvU[/youtube:p28f6ed5]

 Good quality! But it does not shown nothing... I don't like it. Neither the music...

 

[CrazyT]

I love SEGA, that's all

[Mengels7]

I love SEGA, that's all

Totally off topic, but I love your avatar.

[fluffymoochicken]

I find it looks bland and ugly... I HATE this Tony guys art style too... It's such a crappy cliche anime style the kind of shit you'd expect fat nerdy american kids to replicate.

I agree that the art style is bland. Needs thicker lines, and a bit more originality. I much prefer this art style:

You guys do realize that that's the "cliche anime style" from yesteryear, right? You may think that it's so fresh and original, but it's not. It looks like the swords n' sorcery anime and manga series from around the time period that the game came from. Heck, I wouldn't even say that this is really good or noteworthy artwork even for its time, especially since the character designs are so generic.

So in other words, nothing has changed about the Shining series' art direction except for the times and the fact that the quality is much improved. If anything, comparing a character like Firklin to these three, I'd say that the originality in the design work has gone up rather than gone down. ^^;;;;

[Sharky]

And yet its still more pleasing to look at... Go figure.

But that isnt what we are talking about, we are talking about the designs in general. In the old games the characters had clothes based on medieval European dress, lots of thick knights armour and it was a lot more down to earth.

Now they all look like skinny girly men with terrible final fantasy esque cosplay.

[fluffymoochicken]

But that isnt what we are talking about,

Yes it is. You keep bringing up the "cliche anime style" of the newer games when talking about how the older Shining games were sooooo much better and whatnot.

The only thing you didn't realize is that Shining Force actually had just as much (if not more) of a "cliche anime style" as the newer games.

In the old games the characters had clothes based on medieval European dress, lots of thick knights armour and it was a lot more down to earth.

So in other words, you're a Western person who wants all of the clothing designs to appeal specifically to your own Western tastes so that they can sell to a teeny tiny niche group of old SEGA fanboys living in the Western world - of whom SEGA can never hope to make a profit or cut even from?

Right. Moving on... =P

Now they all look like skinny girly men with terrible final fantasy esque cosplay.

Uh huh...

http://www.famitsu.com/image/10533/s111 ... apcoa8.jpg

So would you really look at this game and tell me it resembles FFXIII? Really?

[Sharky]

Yes it is. You keep bringing up the "cliche anime style" of the newer games when talking about how the older Shining games were sooooo much better and whatnot.

The only thing you didn't realize is that Shining Force actually had just as much (if not more) of a "cliche anime style" as the newer games.

Good, well the old cliche was better then the new one...

So in other words, you're a Western person who wants all of the clothing designs to appeal specifically to your own Western tastes so that they can sell to a teeny tiny niche group of old SEGA fanboys living in the Western world - of whom SEGA can never hope to make a profit or cut even from?

No, I don't walk around wearing armour and medieval clothes they don't appeal to me anymore then skirts... But that WAS the style of the Shining Force games and it suited the tone and style better than the shit they have now.

Also I don't appriciate the 'personal taste' lecture from someone that wants to find some gay motive to every character and thinks everything should look like a unicorn turd.

Uh huh...

http://www.famitsu.com/image/10533/s111 ... apcoa8.jpg

So would you really look at this game and tell me it resembles FFXIII? Really?

I didnt say FFXIII, And that is not the main character...

[Barry the Nomad]

While the classic Shining Force style could have been called cliche at the time, my point about it is that were it to resurface to represent the series circa 2010 it WOULD be unique. The strongest aspect of the art style is that it is what many fans remember to be the look of the series. The old art style combined with a Shining _____ title would catch the eyes of many more RPG fans and SEGA fans than the current series does.

At the moment, the current art style is (as already mentioned in previous posts) cliche in today's games. put a piece of black tape over the title "Shining Hearts" and I couldn't tell you it was a Shining Force game. I'd probably think it was some Square product or some RPG from a little known company.

Another very strong aspect of the classic Shining Force style is, as Sharky mentioned, the reliance on European dress and lots of thick bulky knights armor. I believe the use of large areas of bright primary colors helps and the characters of old had much more expressive and unique faces. White people actually looked like long faced big nosed white people!

Compare the two:


Face is hidden, too small, non expressive. Colors are gray tones with only a touch of muted red.


Face is easy to see, very expressive. Character pops with bright green clothes, a large blue cloak, big brown boots, armor is not detailed but rather is represented by large bulky metallic bits that cover his legs and hands. Hair is a reddish brown.

[fluffymoochicken]

Good, well the old cliche was better then the new one...

Alrighty, if that's the way you feel. =P

No, I don't walk around wearing armour and medieval clothes they don't appeal to me anymore then skirts...

Good thing I never said that you did, then. Otherwise, you might actually have some kind of point with that statement! =)

But that WAS the style of the Shining Force games and it suited the tone and style better than the shit they have now.

Because...?

I think that the real problem here is that modern Japanese anime art style has gone and left you behind, making these characters seem too foreign and strange to you. That was the point I was making before.

I didnt say FFXIII, And that is not the main character...

You didn't specify "main character".

However, it does prove that not all of the men are effeminate.

While the classic Shining Force style could have been called cliche at the time, my point about it is that were it to resurface to represent the series circa 2010 it WOULD be unique.

Actually, no, it wouldn't be unique. A lot of the generic character designs that you saw in Shining Force are still occasionally being used in some other games:




Compare: Headband, cape, metallic gloves, oversized sword, knife on the belt, long shirt that makes a skirt-like effect, knee-high boots, mullet-type hair...

It's about as boring, run of the mill, and unoriginal of a main character you can get for a Western-styled fantasy setting. Obviously though, Ike is a much better take on this troped-out design. The one from Shining Force isn't very good at all.

The strongest aspect of the art style is that it is what many fans remember to be the look of the series.

You say that as if Shining Force currently has a huge mainstream following instead of teeny tiny cult following.

Face is hidden, too small, non expressive.

That's only because you picked and chose a bad photograph to use rather than the much better quality official art that was up on Famitsu's website. You might have realized that you'll be able to see the character's face in-game if you weren't so busy trying to fabricate a "point" that doesn't exist in reality.

http://www.famitsu.com/image/10533/RBBJ ... 44MpPo.jpg

Character pops with bright green clothes, a large blue cloak, big brown boots, armor is not detailed but rather is represented by large bulky metallic bits that cover his legs and hands. Hair is a reddish brown.

I believe that what you're meaning to say is that the character is tacky as all hell, then.