Diablo 3 before and after the artistic overhaul

blackcanopus

Dark Sun
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May 17, 2009
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These screenshots (originally displayed at GDC Blizzard Art Panel) show screenshots of Diablo III, before and after the major artistic overhaul. Please note that these shots are not related to the previous Diablo III projects (Blizzard North). Both series of screenshots belong to the same project (Team 3's Diablo III). Even character models are similar (or nearly identical, note the barbarian).

Thanks to DiabloFans.com for posting the shots. Here's another link:
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1015306/The-Art-of-Diablo

2.jpg

2-2.jpg


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1.jpg

1-2.jpg


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3.jpg

3-3.jpg


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3-2.jpg

3-4.jpg
 
Joined
May 17, 2009
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Kudos to them, I guess. But I'll be more interested in the gameplay. Eyecandy was never important for me.
 
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I like how dark the dungeon screenshot is, but a lot of the other originals look better imo. Maybe it's because they look more detailed, but side by side the newer shots just look like an awful color. I don't remember the lore but is the world suppose to look like the sun is never out?
 
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Huh, yeah, I really think the originals look pretty good, maybe better than the overhaul.
 
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Kind of prefer the originals as well, as opposed to some of that over-saturated happyhappyjoyjoy stuff.
 
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The old screenshots look good, but the colors are sterile and don't fit this kind of game very well.

I definitely prefer the new ones. They have a LOT more personality and fit the Gothic mood perfectly. That said, it's not an oppressing atmosphere like it was in the first Diablo - and it would be interesting to see Blizzard do a truly serious game at some point.

But that's not really what they're about and I wouldn't expect that from them now. Their artists are dedicated to this cartoon style and they're incredibly gifted in that way. They want to ensure that the game looks good years down the line, which is almost impossible without this kind of stylised art. Certainly, I have a hard time imagining a mature and foreboding atmosphere handled in this way, though I suppose it's possible.

In any case, I don't worry about the looks of the game. I think it looks great - especially in motion. That said, D3 visuals aren't the road to awe.
 
It looks like the main thing they did was to add proper shaders & lighting to the game, if you look at the differences between the before and after screenshots. All of the "before" images looks like pre-alpha screenshots, and I highly doubt the game was ever intended to actually look like that.
 
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I prefer the new artistic style (I especially liked the lighting), but I would like less colors.
But one of the things that I don't like in either version is the toolbar. The toolbar in the original is terrible and the toolbar in the latest build -while slightly better- is not epic material either. Certainly not what I'd expect from a Diablo game.
 
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May 17, 2009
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I have to agree with some of you here that a stylized art style works a lot better if a game wants to stay timeless. Disciples II comes to mind. That game looks awesome no matter what because of the hand drawn pictures.
 
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They both look good, but i cannot deny my attraction to well lit grey weathered brick environments. Its just so traditionally dungeonish, and im an old staunch stick in the mud and like the old school trad dungeons !
 
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The first screenshots look more "traditional", whereas the newer ones look a) darker and b) more colourful. Both in the same time. To me, the second ones look like being influenced by the wow art style.
Both look as if two completely different companies had done them.
 
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