FFXIV and the graphics trap hole

[UNDEAD10000]

greetings, I am an artist, and though i have never worked for a company or made any concept art for a game, I have done it for my own Personal Projects. When i started playing XIV i noticed that it was lacking in a really definitive art style, and was instead going for the typical FFVII style high end graphics that make the game look like the people and world are real enough to compare to your own.

Now that you edited your post today that you meant Final Fatansy VII and not Final Fantasy V but again i have to ask what Final Fantasy VII graphics have to do with Final Fantasy XIV graphics when back in 1997 when Final Fantasy VII got released, the graphics was not that high end (sure it was huge graphical jump for Final Fantasy games) because it used pre-rendered backgrounds which many games used back in 90's and 3D character models which you see most of the time didn't even look close to be realistic people and in battles and in certain cinematics they didn't look like realistic people either when they look like 3D anime people.

If you mean about Final Fantasy VII remake then you can't say Final Fatansy XIV using Final Fantasy VII remake style high end graphics when Final Fantasy XIV A Real Reborn where already 7 years old when Final Fantasy VII remake got released.

[PercibelTheren]

I understand enjoying stylised graphics. I like them, too. There are games instantly recognizeable thanks to their art style like Darkest Dungeon. I even understand the argument that style is more important than realism now because Unreal Engine 5 makes it so anyone can have nigh-photorealistic characters. HOWEVER, FFXIV doesn't really look realistic. It's very anime-esque, especially some of the faces and emotes.

[FuturePastNow]

I think if you found a gamer who wasn't familiar with either game and showed them a screenshot with characters from XI, and a similar screenshot from XIV with no other information, they'd probably guess that the latter is a sequel to the former made ~10 years later. There is a clear lineage to the art direction and style.

[DiaDeem]

If you can't tell XIV's style at a glace, you either don't actually play the game, or you're not very good at discerning art styles, and if you're an artist... that's concerning, OP.

[sindriiisgaming]

If you can't tell XIV's style at a glace, you either don't actually play the game, or you're not very good at discerning art styles, and if you're an artist... that's concerning, OP.

not sure why throw the dig in lol. especially since this is entirely YOUR opinion. but i never said i couldn't see 1, just that the 1 this game has is bland and generic squex stuff.

[Thurmnmurmn]

not sure why throw the dig in lol. especially since this is entirely YOUR opinion. but i never said i couldn't see 1, just that the 1 this game has is bland and generic squex stuff.

So most of the art you see that's similar is actually copying Final Fantasy art style. Is it truly bland and generic if you are one of the main reasons that art style is so popular?

[DiaDeem]

"Guys, this game is very bland and non fantastical "

[All_Nonsense]

OP you fail to realize that Final Fantasy dominates its art style so thoroughly and has done it for so long that you just see it as uninventive or plain. You can go back to Advent Children and even the pre-rendered cutscenes in Final Fantasy X from 21 years ago and see the same art style - realistic anime character rendering. Just because their art style is a paradigm now doesn't mean that it lacks any qualities or characteristics that less popular ("unique") art styles possess. There's a reason why only one of those games is more popular than Final Fantasy 14 and spoiler alert: It's not because of the graphics.

Also Miqo'te ears are thoroughly good and Miqo'te in general are a great (and unique to FF) spin on catgirls