Adventure Gamers - Forums

But Gilbert wanted it to be provoking and it seems like he succeeded.

Except the eyes, I think the screenshot looks pretty good, there are nice colors, nice abstraction and proportions. I mean, looking at the history of MI, except the EGA version of TSOMI, MI games were never looking really good and on top they did not age well either. With the right animations and sounds this is fine. It could look different, more mature or look like Purcell cover art, some characters might be over the top, too simple, some scenes lack more detail but overall this isn’t bad, and you have no idea of their constrains and possibilities. Guybrush has a snot nose, he’s visually not this experienced, you might laugh about him or his nose is just rosy, showing some vulnerability, so what?!

@Doom
I didn’t play it either, due to certain compromises I wasn’t willing to agree.

Tiller’s Guybrush was nice and funny but suffering from aliasing.

meteor - 29 June 2022 08:30 PM

But Gilbert wanted it to be provoking and it seems like he succeeded.

And that’s Ron Gilbert’s right.  I fully support him to make the game he wants to make and to go with the art style he wants to go with.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  However, that doesn’t mean that I have to like or agree with all of the creatives choices which he makes.

St_Eddie - 29 June 2022 08:45 PM

meteor - 29 June 2022 08:30 PM

But Gilbert wanted it to be provoking and it seems like he succeeded.

And that’s Ron Gilbert’s right.  I fully support him to make the game he wants to make and to go with the art style he wants to go with.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  That doesn’t mean that I have to like or agree with all of the creatives choices made though.

Yeah just because you like somebody’s previous work doesn’t mean you have to like all their work going forward or give excuses for them. Take Star Wars everybody loves to crap on Disney’s version but a lot of the problems that are in it were originally caused by George Lucas himself and people randomly will complain about something in the Disney version that they overlooked in the George Lucas version, even with the exact same issues. It’s like people don’t want to admit their Heroes are fallabe, but then again ron gilbert was always hit or miss. I love what he helped do with the scumm engine and i adore the secret of Monkey Island, but I do not really like Monkey Island 2 as a whole and i dont like thimbleweed park at all.

It’s a different style, but I like it. Kind of looks like the artist Shag mixed with paper cutouts or wood-carvings. I bet it will age well, and years from now be looked back on fondly.

Jdawg445 - 29 June 2022 08:51 PM

It’s like people don’t want to admit their Heroes are fallabe…

This is the nub of the issue. There’s definitely this weird cult like mentality with a lot of the fans’ defense against the criticisms being made about the art style.  You just know that these same people will be hypocritically critical of media which they don’t like, but because Ron Gilbert is this sacred cow within their minds, that somehow means that his works are above reproach?  It’s a form of gatekeeping and not holding a game to the same standards which other media is held (i.e. that people are free to either like or dislike something).

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen a fair amount of toxicity in regards to the manner in which a few bad eggs over at Ron’s blog have been critical of the art style (personal attacks and insults towards Ron are not acceptable), but as far as I’m concerned, it’s equally possible to be toxically positive (i.e. aggressively defensive against anyone who doesn’t like the same thing as yourself).  Providing that critical opinions are expressed without being personal about it, then there ought not to be an issue with said criticism.

Honestly, I think that it’s kind of a shame that the art direction for the game is so divisive.  We’re getting a new Monkey Island game from Ron Gilbert and 50% of the discussion revolves around people saying that they don’t much care for the art style and the other 50% of discussion is comprised of people arguing with the other 50% for not liking the art style.  That’s just the nature of choosing such a bold aesthetic for the game, I guess.  Still, it’s a shame to see the fandom so thoroughly divided like this.  It reminds me of the reaction to The Last Jedi.

I like the art style, although im not sure with Guybrush proportions. My first impression was like those big-head cheat modes. Or the tofu head from Curse!

But i’m sure i’ll get used to it.

St_Eddie - 29 June 2022 09:07 PM

Jdawg445 - 29 June 2022 08:51 PM

It’s like people don’t want to admit their Heroes are fallabe…

This is the nub of the issue. There’s definitely this weird cult like mentality with a lot of the fans’ defense against the criticisms being made about the art style.  You just know that these same people will be hypocritically critical of media which they don’t like, but because Ron Gilbert is this sacred cow within their minds, that somehow means that his works are above being critiqued?  It’s a form of gatekeeping and not holding a game to the same standards which other media is held.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen a fair amount of toxicity in regards to the manner in which a few bad eggs over at Ron’s blog have been critical of the art style (personal attacks and insults towards Ron are not acceptable), but as far as I’m concerned, it’s equally possible to be toxically positive (i.e. aggressively defensive towards anyone who doesn’t like the same thing as yourself).  Providing that critical opinions are expressed without being personal about it, it ought to be fine.

Yeah of the people who said they don’t mind the art, quickly follow up with as long as the puzzles and story are good, which they think ron will nail though I’m not sure because I never thought ron was the end all be all of great puzzle design. for every great puzzle I thought he had an equally bad one, especially in thimbleweed park. Plus taking the art out of it I thought the trailer itself was a little weird and over stuffed with so many reoccurring characters and situations. that it kind of threw me off. I kind of got a broken sword 5 vibe where the devs are just adding cameos because and one too many references, but who knows it might all work in the end. I did love the dialogue and voice narration.

Meanwhile Grumpygamer’s comment section is shut down again due to ...

Some people are unable to deal with some controversy anymore. This seems to be an issue for both sides. This is disappointing and lame.

Charophycean - 29 June 2022 11:18 PM

I don’t see them. 22 pages and counting on this forum and no trolls yet.

Here’s one…

Looks cool imo. Reaction reminds me a lot of how people reacted to the Zelda: Wind Waker cel-shaded art style in 2003 which is now almost universally loved. Also similar to Heath Ledger being cast as The Joker. People are very bad at predicting and visualizing these sorts of things, often turns out embarrassing and stupid in retrospect to come down hard against an artistic decision based on early announcements and sneak previews.

Venkman - 30 June 2022 12:31 AM

People are very bad at predicting and visualizing these sorts of things, often turns out embarrassing and stupid in retrospect to come down hard against an artistic decision based on early announcements and sneak previews.

By that logic, surely people equally shouldn’t be unequivocally praising the art style without first playing the game?  Of course, I don’t actually believe that.  I’m simply highlighting the contradiction in your logic.  Between the two trailers and screenshots following the game’s announcement, I feel as though enough time has passed for the art style to settle in and yet, sadly, I’m still just not digging it.

Having said that, perhaps you are correct and the general consensus will shift in favour of the art style in the years to come, in the same manner that it did for The Wind Waker.  Ultimately, time will tell but it seems a tad rum and preemptive to be so dismissive of people’s early critical reactions (and that’s what they are; early reactions).  Believe me, I would like nothing more than for the art style to suddenly click within my mind and resonate with my tastes but alas, thus far I remain unconvinced.

I also hasten to add that none of what I said above is in aid of defending appalling user posts like this one from Ron’s blog…

That and comments like it are truly indefensible.