Favorite Video Game Visual Style

[FroyoDragon]

So, the Pokemon videl games, from the main series to the spin offs, have had a variety of visual designs; from the 8-bit spritework in older games, to the 3D models of varying detail in newer ones.

Naturally, we will have differing views on which game has the best style; whether we like how the overworld view looks, or how Pokemon look in-battle, or how well visual effects are done and the like.

My personal favorite is... Actually Black & White's 2.5D world and it's animated sprites in battle, they look fluid and dynamic without seeming our of place.

 

[TeaWest]

I know it's nostalgia shining through, but I just love the G/S/C spritework. And Sun and Moon had really beautiful landscapes and visuals as well. That would be my real-life answer.

 

[Esserise]

This is an area in which I am very internally divided.

On the one hand, everything in B2W2 looks beautiful, with the exception of... the people, and the in-battle sprites, which are both too pixelated (and also the too-compressed stationary trucks, but never mind those). And those are both very significant parts of the games' visual tapestry. I think HGSS pulls them both off better, but I don't think HGSS's battle backgrounds look as good, and their overworld colors are too vivid for my liking (on top of the paths being too straight - one of the first pictures of Gen 5 that I saw was of Route 1, and I absolutely loved how the dirt paths were no longer drawn with perfectly straight lines on both sides).

With that in mind, I tend to lean more toward the visual style of SM, which also has a gorgeous overworld (albeit at the expense of actual content - just look at all of the façade buildings that populate the region) and good battle backgrounds in addition to good-looking human models and Pokémon models. The downside, however, is that the Pokémon models in battle are more static, whereas B2W2's sprites, while too pixelated, had constant, individually-tailored animations to bring them to life. This could be partially alleviated if they were to use those walking/running models that are in SM's code as a revived Walking Pokémon feature, because while the Pokémon may not be able to move around constantly in battle, they would still be able to exude personality in the overworld. But that's a whole other topic.

I mean, I guess it's a pretty straightfoward trade-off. Weighing the two... I still don't know. I want to say that I'd pick SM if you made me call one off on instinct, but then if you whipped out a picture of B2W2 Icirrus in Winter, or the Aspertia lookout, or Route 20 in Autumn, or the Seaside Cave, or the Marine Tube or something like that, I would begin to seriously doubt my instincts...

 

[DoctorWhy]

My personal favorite visual style, overall, is definitely GSC. I'm a sucker for its fantastic pixel art. Very well defined colors, sharp designs, and even though I didn't play them back in the day it rocks my nostalgia centers. To me, GSC has the overall best looks if I simultaneously consider visuals both in and out of battle.

I absolutely love the overworld visuals in Gen IV, but I hate the battle visuals. Conversely, I love the battle visuals of Gen V, but I hate the big-pixeled overworld sprites. I like the look of SM as well, but the Pokemon models from earlier generations are just too washed out and soft looking for me. Plus, while the 3D art style is nice, it's hard for me to appreciate when it's not in HD.

 

[Alola]

This is a hard one for me. I love Sun & Moon's over-world visuals-it's all so beautiful, humans are appropriately proportioned and the 3D environment feels very engaging. Additionally, the ability to make my own player character fashioned after myself yet able to seamlessly fit in with the game's narrative is truly immersive. However, most Pokemon's coloring are all washed out and dull-it lacks the deep hues of color that previous generations (namely 4 and 5) had in their sprites.

Take Brionne for example.
This is its official art:

Isn't that a lovely, darker shade of teal/turquoise?

This is its in-game render:

Its dark fur coat has now become a bright baby blue. Unfortunately, such coloring affects alot of Pokemon in Gen 6 and 7. It annoys me.

Additionally, the Pokemon don't move as dynamically as they did in Gen 5 (specifically BW2); they're pretty stagnant in battle except for their idol animation (which some do not even have!).

Thus I think for overworld, I would say I prefer Generation 7. And for battle, I prefer Black 2 & White 2's style with its vivid coloring and differing animations.

 

[Soki]

Hm this is hard. Like I prefer gen 7's style visually, except that a lot of areas just look so... empty. Making everything bigger and 3D makes it lose detail and look more boring often imo. GF's great at it in inside areas, where often a great amount of detail can be found in rooms which is amazing. It still needs some work outside and in caves though, especially on routes which is now mostly just road, grass, and trees iirc. I think I prefer BW(2) when it comes to the overworld, the cities and routes just felt a lot more alive and varied.

In-battle, gen 7 mostly wins. The battle backgrounds are amazing and I love being able to see the other trainer. The only problem is, like others have mentioned, the 3D models of the Pokémon. They often look a bit lifeless, because of the washed out color and that a lot don't really move except when they attack. And there's cases like Typhlosion which is just ruined by it cause its fire is out when it's not attacking, and Xatu which is ruined by....looking very awkward flying. They'd be improved imo if the Pokémon moved more when not attacking, like in the case of Archeops, Eelektross, and Goldeen. It's why I still often prefer the sprites, they just have a lot more life in them even when they're stationary. I'm one of the few that actually think the creepy, puppety movements in BW weren't an improvement at all ^^; They did look a lot more alive than the 3D models though, so if those animations could be translated to those, they would improve a lot already I think.

So...it's 50/50 on 3D versus sprite world really.