Poll: Cel-Shading is ugly

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Yes, this is a thread made to state my opinion which I've thinly disguised as a poll. Now that's been said, there's no need for the "what's the point of this thread" posts, k?

But really, who can think that the over-saturated colors, claustrophobic thickly drawn lines and comic-book appearance doesn't look like a mish-mash of clashing styles that don't belong anywhere near each other?

The worst part is the smooth animation style and slinking along of the characters, which looks more unnatural than even the jerkiest hand-drawn Japanese animation.

I can't understand how any developer thinks this looks good. What do you think?

 

[ResonanceSD]

I'm ok with it

Get a faster computer and a better monitor, it looks half decent at 60FPS.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I think it looks great when used right.

It looks absolutely fantastic in Wind Waker, Okami, and Borderlands. In fact, Borderlands 1 originally had normal "realistic" graphics, and they looked ugly and entirely uninteresting in comparison to the cell-shading.

I mean really, does this look better to you?

Spoiler

And are you really going to tell me that this is ugly?

Spoiler

Or this?

Spoiler

 

[ResonanceSD]

Wow, actually yes, #2 and #3 look pretty terrible, to be honest.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Here's the thing: Borderlands isn't cell shaded. The outline doesn't make it cell shaded. Cell shading is something that applies to the whole, like in OP's second picture and the pics Dirty Hipsters posted.

And I'm fine with cartoony graphics, because I hate the realistic graphics we get everywhere now.

 

[Erttheking]

Not really. I find it really helps set the goofy tones of Borderlands and in Wind Waker it just looks gorgeous.

 

[JayRPG]

I agree with dirty hipsters, when it's used correctly it can look great, especially on older hardware.

I still think Tales of Symphonia looks great

 

[Zhukov]

I'm not a huge fan, but it can look good if done well.

That 2008 Prince of Persia game looked great. Even the characters faces were good.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Okami upscaled to 1080p on PC looks fucking amazingly beautiful.

 

[Toxic Sniper]

Even ugly cel-shading can have its virtues. No More Heroes looks hideous, but for me the ugliness kinda adds to the cheesy charm.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well Borderlands isn't actually cel-shaded, it's someone who fancies that style over detailing and outlining it tenfold turning the whole thing into a mess, and then regular engine lighting / shadows are added on top... actually makes it harder to distinguish details then with plain old flat textures.

 

[Hazy992]

I absolutely love cel-shading, especially when it's done right. It looks gorgeous and ages incredibly well.

Seriously go watch a video of Wind Waker in 1080p on YouTube. Your jaw will drop.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I really like to be honest, Okami, Wind Waker, Cell Damage all look great, and they're all last gen. Compare those to the "realistic" games from last gen, they still hold up a lot.

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

I still think Tales of Symphonia looks great

Tales of Symphonia looks gorgeous. And I love you for liking that game.

Also, more often than not, cell shading looks great. I think it is possibly my favourite use of 3D in the game industry today. I'm so sick of all the realism and miss the 2D days. I'll tell you what looks ugly, all this realism. I'm playing a video game, I don't want realism.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

These graphics here are cel-shaded:


...you probably wouldn't have been able to tell if I hadn't told you, though.

Also, due to the lighting techniques employed, Team Fortress 2 is technically cel-shaded:

And if you think that looks "ugly" I'm going to have to ask you step outside while I beat you over the head with a rolled-up Tex Avery comic.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

It is a great way to have a decent looking game with a budget that a developer can actually manage. The Walking Dead was gorgeous. .Hack GU also just looked simply beautiful and the games' budgets weren't through the roof.

 

[xPixelatedx]

Cel-Shading is ugly

YES, Western Cel-Shading is usually ugly. HOWEVER, I don't consider Borderlands Cel-shaded. I just consider it comic-book style graphics. The image below it however, yeah, horrible, and what I expected to see in this thread. I consider Team Fortress 2 Cel-shaded and I consider that indicative of what we usually get in games today when they are labeled 'Cel-Shaded'. It's just models lacking detail and/or looking clay-like, is all. I know a lot of people like that style, I don't for the most part.

However, Japan proves that it can be FUCKING AMAZING:
This is damn near inseparable from the sprites in prior games; it looks like an actual cartoon, AND NOT A FUCKING FLASH ONE! (yuck) That is the good kind of good cel-shading!!

And if you think that looks "ugly" I'm going to have to ask you step outside while I beat you over the head with a rolled-up Tex Avery comic.

I do think it looks ugly, but you did beat me to posting the gorgeous eye-gasem that is GG Xrd, so I am conflicted on how to respond.

 

[Lincoln Keane]

cell shaded games look great and keep looking great for years after they are released Ni No Kuni, Bastion and Okami are all great looking games

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Judging by putting Borderlands there, I think you mean cartoony styles more then just cell shading (as cell shading wasn't used in that game as far as I'm aware).

I personally like the style, plus I think it ages far better due to the aesthetic then any realistic looking game. Take a look at Killzone for the PS2, then look at say... XIII for the PS2, one has at least aged more gracefully because it picked a style not necessarily reliant on the tech staying current. A game from previous gen on the consoles looks like a joke compared to a game that used a unique style because it wasn't trying to emulate real life with limitations, it took those limitations and worked them into something different.

I know these aren't the best images, but which has aged better? Examples:

Spoiler: Killzone 1

Spoiler: XIII

Personally, I think XIII has, because the style used isn't trying to be what it's not, realistic games will always look less so as time goes on in my opinion, where as unique styles of games like XIII, Okami, Wind Waker and many others will still look pretty good to a lot of people in comparison.

[small]I just wish people would phrase things better too, instead of "It looks crap" they could say "I think it looks crap" thus showing it's subjective and ones own unique thoughts, not like it's fact.[/small]

 

[Smertnik]

Honestly, a cel shaded video game (or any game with a "cartoony" look for that matter, seeing Borderlands mentioned) has to try very hard to not make me instantly purchase it, so much I love this art direction. There's also the added benefit of the respective games aging extremely well.