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[Johnny Concrete]

Elden ring was the blandest game from has put out, wish people would stop referencing it as being the pinnacle of anything other than recycled ideas held together by open world slop

Either you didn't play it at all or you are one of those streamers that do blindfolded runs of Elden Ring. In that case I think that's really impressive, I don't know how you do that. Much respect, sir

Ah the word of the year 2025 is being used again as well: slop.
Now if there is a game that actually looks like the output of a lengthy prompt describing all popular open world games from the last 10 years then it is the one releasing next week.

 

[Polygonal_Sprite]

One of the best scene in any game... Pathtracing elevates this to another level with Lizzy Wizzy chrome body...

This part in 2077 was probably the most impressive thing I've seen the Switch 2 do up until the Outlaws port. Crazy looking.

 

[March Climber]

I don't know why Elden Ring has returned in conversation, but I will say that on the bar of low quality to high, Fromsoft represents the middle graphical tier (to me), which is where a lot of Japanese developers are.

I think you will start seeing Fromsoft games looking like that Demon's Souls Remake around Mid gen PS6 or PS7.

They will always need 1.5x or 2x the power to reach the type of fidelity that you want them to reach.

 

[analog_future]

Name a few.

Off the top of my head, I'll say Keeper, INSIDE, South of Midnight, Expedition 33, Bioshock games, etc.. etc..


For more grounded/realistic art direction there's Uncharted 4, The Last of Us/TLoU II, Red Dead Redemption 2, Alan Wake 2, Control, etc.. etc..


They aren't hard to find. If anything, Elden Ring's art direction is overrated at this point with how many weirdos there are claiming that it's somehow unmatched.

 

[Represent.]

I guess I just transcended from Graphics Whore to Visual Art Enthusiast.
Because that image makes my balls tingle (and not because of the naked dude with a pot on his head)

Yes, I'm sure the game has art direction and I'm sure that went further then : "place a forest here. What kind of forest you ask? The one with trees" (right?)
But normally I have an opinion about art style (if it speaks to me or it doesn't), but in this case I just feel nothing.

I don't think it's ugly. I don't think it's pretty. It just…is.

Nah I get it...

but man... MANNNNN.. I just get mad at how much better I would like the game if it had competent tech. It would be so much better. I just dont know hwy From Software just doesnt put any effort into their technology like at all.

I respect the hell out of studios that excel at both. I think Game Science (Black Myth: Wukong devs) are right up there with the best of the best in terms of nailing both.

Cant wait for Black Myth 2

 

[Johnny Concrete]

Off the top of my head, I'll say Keeper, INSIDE, South of Midnight, Expedition 33, Bioshock games, etc.. etc..


For more grounded/realistic art direction there's Uncharted 4, The Last of Us/TLoU II, Red Dead Redemption 2, Alan Wake 2, Control, etc.. etc..


They aren't hard to find. If anything, Elden Ring's art direction is overrated at this point with how many weirdos there are claiming that it's somehow unmatched.

Oh I actually agree that those are all great art directed titles.

And as the weirdo who probably sparked this sentiment right here, I want to clarify I never said that Elden Ring was unmatched in that regard. Just one of the better examples.

Now if I would specifically look at art direction for open world games I would say it is definitely at the top.
The Witcher 4 demo was also a great looking environment, Death Stranding 2 comes to mind as well. Horizon Forbidden West.

I guess there are a lot. Crimson Desert is not going to join that list, despite it rendering the assets real good.
Again, all the animated foliage and the viewing distance while also rendering lots of characters and do physics at a decent framerate is incredibly impressive.

 

[Bojji]

We can all agree that tech of FS games is absolutely garbage, 1/10 quality. But art is purely subjective here, I think they are among best developers (9/10).

 

[GymWolf]

I think it is impressive what this game shows, but I just don't like the look of it.

It's like there's no art direction at all.

For instance, Crimson Desert is technically way ahead of something like Elden Ring, but I much prefer looking at the latter.

I can understand what you say, but i like both for different reasons.

 

[T4keD0wN]

Not that there arent other studios that are in the same league, but ER is top notch in the art department, Bloodborne is awesome too, but all of their other games have far less variety and even worse tech. (Chinese games also have great artstyles, but most will have anime graphics)

Some of my ER shots:

Bloodborne + DS3 are good and all, but theyve obviously aged up more in all aspects:

 

[OverHeat]

Not that there arent other studios that are in the same league, but ER is top notch in the art department, Bloodborne is awesome too, but all of their other games have far less variety and even worse tech. (Chinese games also have great artstyles, but most will have anime graphics)

Some of my ER shots:

Bloodborne + DS3 are good and all, but theyve obviously aged up more in all aspects:

All that at 60 fps without mods….

 

[Bojji]

All that at 60 fps without mods….

ER in native 4K looks quite nice with all that small details on castles, armors etc.

 

[Myuni]

Its a shame Leons sections outside the care centre have none of that...

Yeah... I have just arrived at the choppa and don't want to leave 'cause I know Raccoon City is not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, up to this point the game was great and totally worth it. So, I'm OK with it.

 

[SlimySnake]

yeah, that one area is ok. its also the opening area. everything else is drab and ugly. and im talking about the art style.

i much prefer bloodborne and dark souls 3. sekiro has its moments as well, but this shit was fugly 99% of the time. not as bad as dark souls 2 but somewhere between dark souls 2 and dark souls 3.

Elden ring was the blandest game from has put out, wish people would stop referencing it as being the pinnacle of anything other than recycled ideas held together by open world slop

you have my axe.

 

[Balducci30]

Not that there arent other studios that are in the same league, but ER is top notch in the art department, Bloodborne is awesome too, but all of their other games have far less variety and even worse tech. (Chinese games also have great artstyles, but most will have anime graphics)

Some of my ER shots:

Bloodborne + DS3 are good and all, but theyve obviously aged up more in all aspects:

who is in their league? ER is miles above of any game I've played art direction wise

 

[Balducci30]

yeah, that one area is ok. its also the opening area. everything else is drab and ugly. and im talking about the art style.

Insane thing to say

 

[SlimySnake]

We can all agree that tech of FS games is absolutely garbage, 1/10 quality. But art is purely subjective here, I think they are among best developers (9/10).

in terms of game design, very few come close, but they took a step back with Elden Ring. The open world felt aimless. The castles felt like a shallow husk of the castles in dark souls 3, dark souls 1, and demon souls. The open world just felt ubisofty. their games never had any story but they were fairly linear so you knew to keep going forward. here, there is no story and no direction so you just run around killing people until you get bored.

Demon Souls, Dark Souls and Bloodborne worked so well because of that metroidvania style design of unlocking shortcuts, getting stronger, and figuring out the maze like level design. elden ring had none of that. i have a platinum in Bloodborne and Demon Souls. ive beaten dark souls 3 and sekiro like 5 times each. I just couldnt get into Elden Ring. its so shallow in terms of level design. the entire mystique of from's tight and hand crafted game design thrown out the window for a ubisoft style open world filled with ridiculous enemies and terrible bosses. Yes, lets make bosses even harder by having them hover in the air for 29 seconds and have 5-10 hit combo attacks. it worked in sekiro because you could just parry everything but here? in a stamina oriented game? Dumb dumb dumb.

 

[Msamy]

Imagine tesVI match this graphics on next gen consoles

 

[Bojji]

in terms of game design, very few come close, but they took a step back with Elden Ring. The open world felt aimless. The castles felt like a shallow husk of the castles in dark souls 3, dark souls 1, and demon souls. The open world just felt ubisofty. their games never had any story but they were fairly linear so you knew to keep going forward. here, there is no story and no direction so you just run around killing people until you get bored.

Demon Souls, Dark Souls and Bloodborne worked so well because of that metroidvania style design of unlocking shortcuts, getting stronger, and figuring out the maze like level design. elden ring had none of that. i have a platinum in Bloodborne and Demon Souls. ive beaten dark souls 3 and sekiro like 5 times each. I just couldnt get into Elden Ring. its so shallow in terms of level design. the entire mystique of from's tight and hand crafted game design thrown out the window for a ubisoft style open world filled with ridiculous enemies and terrible bosses. Yes, lets make bosses even harder by having them hover in the air for 29 seconds and have 5-10 hit combo attacks. it worked in sekiro because you could just parry everything but here? in a stamina oriented game? Dumb dumb dumb.

I agree with some points but I still had a blast with the main game. And I think they executed open world Dark Souls formula very well, it's one of their best games.

I have strong negative relation with Shadow of the Erdtree, felt like a cheap cash grab compared to main game and their previous DLCs...

 

[T4keD0wN]

who is in their league? ER is miles above of any game I've played art direction wise

ER is in my top 3, but theres many beautiful games art-wise that id say are like at least 90% as good.

Nobody Wants to Die

CDPR (very old)

Ubisoft Massive (with the "assistance" to James Cameron)

Ubisoft Massive (with the "assist" to Georce Lucas)

Spoiler: Or just plain Ubisoft

Asobo

Kuro

Games Science (Wukong)

Wuchang

Spoiler: Everstone (Where Winds Meet)

Remedy (sorry i cant find better pics, but someone will)

Saber with Space Marine 2 (and Fatshark with Darktide is even better imo)

Theres more like Mundfish (Atomic Heart), 4A with Metro, Crytek of old, Crystal Dynamics with Guardians of the Galaxy and Avalanche with Hogwarts Legacy, Ninja Theory, Ember Lab with Kena, even Ghost of Tsushima + Horizon have some great designs, but the gap gets bigger or they dont get as consistent and i dont want to post too much and waste my time going through my screenshots that bad.

If theres one thing thats not lacking in the industry its great artists and designers, but yeah From is among the very best, but the tech kind of lets them down.

 

[Bitstream]

T4keD0wN those were some amazing shots.

Look, my issue isn't that Elden Ring sucks, it's just that in comparison to the tightly paced and bespoke feeling of the other fromsoft games, Elden Ring feels more like procedurally generated content than art for the sake of art.

 

[T4keD0wN]

T4keD0wN those were some amazing shots.

Look, my issue isn't that Elden Ring sucks, it's just that in comparison to the tightly paced and bespoke feeling of the other fromsoft games, Elden Ring feels more like procedurally generated content than art for the sake of art.

I see, i think i get what you mean, ER is really big and outside of the major landmarks feels weaker, i agree that something like Bloodborne definitely feels far more consistent.

 

[Balducci30]

ER is in my top 3, but theres many beautiful games art-wise that id say are like at least 90% as good.

Nobody Wants to Die

CDPR (very old)

Ubisoft Massive (with the "assistance" to James Cameron)

Ubisoft Massive (with the "assist" to Georce Lucas)

Spoiler: Or just plain Ubisoft

Asobo

Kuro

Games Science (Wukong)

Wuchang

Spoiler: Everstone (Where Winds Meet)

Remedy (sorry i cant find better pics, but someone will)

Saber with Space Marine 2 (and Fatshark with Darktide is even better imo)

Theres more like Mundfish (Atomic Heart), 4A with Metro, Crytek of old, Crystal Dynamics with Guardians of the Galaxy and Avalanche with Hogwarts Legacy, Ninja Theory, Ember Lab with Kena, even Ghost of Tsushima + Horizon have some great designs, but the gap gets bigger or they dont get as consistent and i dont want to post too much and waste my time going through my screenshots that bad.

If theres one thing thats not lacking in the industry its great artists and designers, but yeah From is among the very best, but the tech kind of lets them down.

I genuinely feel most of these have good but not great art direction. Fromsoft is on a level of its own imo - particularly with Bloodborne and Elden ring - there's something truly original to the way they look that is rare in videogames. The graphics are not great but the main thing that kept me going in Elden ring was wanting to see what the next place looked like. I do think valve software is pretty good artistically as well tho in a different way

 

[Flabagast]

Not that there arent other studios that are in the same league, but ER is top notch in the art department, Bloodborne is awesome too, but all of their other games have far less variety and even worse tech. (Chinese games also have great artstyles, but most will have anime graphics)

Some of my ER shots:

Bloodborne + DS3 are good and all, but theyve obviously aged up more in all aspects:

Look at these Elden Ring screens, it's always the same pattern.

Basically it's mixing two randoms colors (not one, not three, two) that are ultra saturated, and populating the image with dozens of tower shaped structures. Every. Single. Time.

This is extremely poor art direction, only made to please beotians with zero knowledge whatsoever in the field.

 

[March Climber]

Imagine tesVI match this graphics on next gen consoles

There was a rumor/leak a short while ago that pointed to the fact that Bethesda might be trying to go for a more realistic, grounded art style with ES6, similar to the ESO cinematics (would recommend watching them to see the type of feeling they give). Here is a sample:

Somewhat less contrast-y, more 'movie-like' in tone.

Honestly it feels like a natural evolution from Skyrim.