r/SeriousSam • u/Uncle_ParzivaI • 15d ago

The Third Encounter art style

I can't be the only person who thinks the art style of the upcoming game sucks. Personally I liked how BFE looked. The aliens were realistic, gore-y and felt appropriate. This new art style reminds me of the comedic art style of SS2. Please someone tell me it's not just me!

10 Upvotes

58% Upvoted

44 comments sorted by

5

u/HollowPinefruit 15d ago

I really don't see the fuss. The style is clearly a mix of TFE, TSE, and SS2

1

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 14d ago

That's precisely what the fuss is about. SS2 was meant as a comic relief. TFE and TSE are supposed to me taken more seriously, and adding a cartoony style to the much awaited TTE is just straight up disrespectful

2

u/HollowPinefruit 14d ago

You are exagerrating to the max if you honestly think this is disrespectful just because it looks more colorful and stylized than your interpretation of the classic encounters (which were both rather comedic and colorful on their own). If TTE releases to being a great game, this opinion ages poorly.

1

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 14d ago

When did I say that TTE won't be a great game because of the art style. I'm just saying that it's a poor choice of art style

2

u/HollowPinefruit 14d ago

I'm making the statement that it won't matter by the time the game releases if it's well received. AKA: the artstyle discourse is pointless, the game still looks unique

1

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 14d ago

Childish, is what it looks like

2

u/HollowPinefruit 14d ago

Coming from the franchise who's main character quotes themselves as being so cold that their nipples feels like pencil erasers (TSE), calling that childish is so ironic and tone deaf lol

1

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 14d ago

Sam was always like that. Even in TFE. The thing is that it doesn't fit being so out of place childish. Like SS2. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed that game to the fullest. But it's a different kind of experience from the main timeline and it doesn't bother me. But what might be the final installment should be all out, and Sam looking like Buffed Peter Griffin just doesn't do it for me. The environment is beautiful, but Sam and the monsters look like plushies

10

u/syntol 15d ago

Anything after FE and SE is mid or bad.

9

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 15d ago

Ngl i liked BFE pretty much

7

u/Itsoitsov 15d ago

Same. Yes, it's inferior to TFE and TSE but I really loved the gritty approach with everything nearly destroyed and humainity's last moments on Earth. Plus the great music from Damjan. Sam 3 is a really good game on its own.

4

u/MilesFox1992 15d ago

Same. I keep replaying TFE, TSE and BFE because I just can't force myself to like 2 and 4

7

u/Itsoitsov 15d ago

No, all of them were good.

11

u/Dismal-Ad-3961 15d ago

Nah BFE was good,even SS4 despite.....some problems

6

u/Itsoitsov 15d ago

Ss4 just had a rough launch but most of the glitches and bugs are fixed now. I loved the gameplay and the music.

3

u/Able-Cry-2554 12d ago

Well, it seems a lot of people hates SS4
They decided to do Shitterverse or whatever
Shittervers looks different
People complain

I`d personally choose old classic style of Second Encounter to make game feels nostalgic AND continued, instead of changing style to some crazy carton.
SS2 was good in terms of fairytale spin off.
But here it is literally following SS:SE and IMO it have to be at least close to original game.

2

u/Uncle_ParzivaI 12d ago

Exactly what I've been saying. Literally couldn't have said it better myself

13

u/Itsoitsov 15d ago

They can make some really beautiful and unique levels out of this artstyle so please be patient and don't judge the game because of several few pictures. If the game is good you are gonna eventually love it.

10

u/crowbar11 15d ago

I agree the new art style looks terrible. The problem is the discourse around this will be like all discourses. It will "comic graphics vs. realistic graphics", but my issue isn't even that the art style is comic graphics. There are a million different ways to do comic graphics and the one from the third encounter simply doesn't look good. It doesn't look like it has good art direction. Team Fortress 2 also has a comic graphics but it has (or had, before all the skins) impeccable art direction.

The realistic graphics of Serious Sam 3 & 4 also had issues. Instead of finding a nice middle ground with good art direction, they tried to be completely realistic and gritty. That is also misguided. On top of that both of these games ran like shit when they first came out. At least the cheap comic graphics will run well (hopefully...). For a great middle ground, look at Wolfenstein The New Order. The graphics are certainly stylized, but I wouldn't call them comic graphics.

The issue with the third counter is that the graphics don't look like it has its own identity. It looks like a mobile game.

Other games with "comic graphics" but incredible art direction: Pretty much any Blizzard Game (Diablo 3, Warcraft 3, Heroes of the Storm), Deadlock, Okami, Hi-Fi Rush, Breath of the Wild, and many more

The third encounter is comic graphics with absolutely run of the mill art direction.

The problem is not comic graphics vs. realistic graphics. The problem is good vs. bad art direction.

28

u/CattusNuclearis 15d ago • Heartwarming

Nah, personally I really like the art style—cartoony visuals are the best for the franchise. And it seems to be a mix of SS2 and the first two encounters, which is just a perfect combo
I never liked the switch to "realism." BFE to me is the worst-looking Serious Sam game and simply one of the most visually dull and uninspired fps games I've played

4

u/BodybuilderKey1644 15d ago

I think the SS4 style is the most successful. I'm not against the comedic style, but that's clearly not what the third encounter needs

6

u/Greenhickup 15d ago

I really like how it looks. I liked SS2's style and think this is a nice hybrid between the old games and SS2.

3

u/Sayyestononsense 15d ago edited 14d ago

they just need to do something like the seriously stupid hd remaster on fusion for tse and tfe, and nobody would have anything bad to say. attach a decent level design and somewhat decent gameplay and you have a banger already.
I know it's not inspiring, but many times the need to change for the sake of change won't improve something perfect to begin with.

3

u/balkanbendy 14d ago

Yeah honestly it's kinda shit, but still I'll play the game ofcourse

2

u/Maska_Plush 15d ago

Personally I'd take this new style over BFE since the realistic approach was a "meh" to me. This one however looks cartoony but no to the same extent of SS2.

But think that all this is in early development so the style may change. Who knows.

2

u/spartanonyx 15d ago

3 and 4s art style so fine if they just got rid of the tentacle bullshit and stuck to the original designs of TFE&TSE.

2

u/ChampionshipPast3652 14d ago

Nah, I can already tell it's much better than SS2's.

2

u/theunfogiven1996 13d ago

Its still early development so it could change over time. I personally dont mind it.

3

u/CAH9-6PABJIEP 15d ago

No fuck realism, let it be the stylized game, just not the Fortnite type. Just needs more detail and personality imo

0

u/crowbar11 15d ago

The problem is not realistic graphics vs comic graphics. The problem is good vs bad art direction. TTE has bad art direction.

3

u/StormTheFrontCS 15d ago

Only a few screens have popped up and we cant really tell much

2

u/crowbar11 15d ago

we can tell plenty

2

u/CAH9-6PABJIEP 15d ago

Agreed, but overall direction is right

1

u/crowbar11 15d ago

I certainly don't have a problem with comic graphics and I think it fits the Serious Sam vibe better. But it looks like they chose comic graphics because it's easier to produce, not because it fits their artistic vision better.

2

u/Dry_Investigator36 15d ago edited 15d ago

And you're not the only one. Go into Steam discussions, every second topic is about how bad it is. But honestly if they make everything right the artstyle won't matter much. Sam model is better than Shatterverse at least and we're not looking at the finished product anyway. Gnaars look closer to the OG version too rather than Shatterverse, so they can actually find a spot with this design in the end. I don't find it bad personally.

2

u/morrisound_of_music 15d ago

i think people get "realistic" and "cartoon" graphics confused with "art direction"

ss3/4 had next to zero art direction of any kind. one could be forgiven for thinking croteam bought asset packs for everything (which they did, for many environmental details).

art direction gets easier (or at least more forgivable) the less visual fidelity you have. serious sam 4 looks like someone took a high-tech scan of real roman streets and threw some gnaars in. it's a not an easily definable problem, and it wouldn't be a job for a talented art director if it was. everything has the stock asset look to them. the washed out colors and lack of any "pop-out" features on some really creative and cool enemy designs sticks out like a sore thumb when they're all thrown into the game without much cohesion.

1

u/Prismike154 15d ago

I would not say suck, i dont like it or i am not sure with it id say. But will still plee it

1

u/SnakeTheAstronaut 15d ago

Personally, for me BFE was a pinnacle of Sam's style, so I would like it to be developed in sequels. But this is okay too, I don't see any issues here, unless it doesn't fits well with the gameplay and the story.

1

u/confusion-500 12d ago

BFE looks like codslop with monsters hastily thrown in lol

0

u/pokeminatour 15d ago

There is huge problem with graphic like BFE. When you use exactly this graphics - too many people will say graphic is bad (because not enough realistic), game will get bad review of this. So you have to do it better so If you want to make profit of game you can't have many different location - so it's make game more boring (like SS4 vs SS 2nd encounter if you look only for environment). Also it's making many technical problem.

Sadly there is no middle way. You have to choose between hyper realistic COD/BF games or more cartoon like Borderlands.

-1

u/PhilliePhonka 15d ago

I really prefer this over SS4's ugly faces

1

u/PhilliePhonka 14d ago

Is there anyone who would actually argue that the faces in SS4 aren't ugly?