Dragon's Crown: Gaze past the giant witch tits

[melmer]

First point of call, read through the IGN preview that someone has nicely highlighted on gaf

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=554578

Check out character specific trailers on the official site

http://dragons-crown.com/#movie

[tegan]

I've been really excited for this game, since I was a huge fan of Muramasa. I even talked a friend into promising to eventually get a Vita so that she can play it.

[Roderick]

I'm sorry, I just can't. This is the same as Bayonetta for me. No matter how good the game is, the designs are just too heinous to want to have anything to do with it.

[melmer]

I was expecting it to be just an arcade brawler, so it sounds like I'm going to get a lot more than I bargained for.

I never had the chance to play muramasa as I didn't have a wii when it came out, but I did play Odin sphere and grimgrimoire on the ps2 but I never completed either. Odin sphere was weird, what's with all the planting shit!? I didn't really like it.

I look at these games and all I want is a really tight action arcade game, I don't really want RPG elements... Experience has taught me I rarely know what I want. Done well it will be fantastic!

But just the line "the archer only has a finite amount of arrows" makes me a little hesitant. Who am I kidding, I'll be all over this day one with the pre-order witch tits cushioned mouse mat (not actually a thing.... Yet)

[melmer]

I'm sorry, I just can't. This is the same as Bayonetta for me. No matter how good the game is, the designs are just too heinous to want to have anything to do with it.

[tegan]

I look at these games and all I want is a really tight action arcade game, I don't really want RPG elements... Experience has taught me I rarely know what I want. Done well it will be fantastic!

 

Muramasa is super arcadey. You really should play it. Other than the combat (which is exactly as strategic as you want it to be), the only somewhat complex systems are sparse and completely optional (though I do recommend getting into the cooking system just enough.to make boiled yams, since those things saved my life pretty much constantly).

[melmer]

I've been waiting years for a port, and when they finally port it its on vita. Booooooo

[Tanukitsune]

I've been a fan of this company since Odin's Sphere and I don't care what people say, I want to play this game, specially on the Vita... Vanillaware graphics on the Vita screen? YES, please!

 

 

I had almost forgotten about Queen Odette, but it looks like it's normal for them to have at least one female... like.. this... ¬_¬ 

[Forbin]

Relevant Penny-Arcade: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2013/04/24

[I_smell]

I thought dollface barbarian was a hilarious idea until this animation- cos now she has hot tit jiggle on step and I know this is a sex thing. That kind of overshadows what was funny about it.

[Tanukitsune]

Yeah, that Penny Arcade comics was obvious made before the Dwarf fiasco and when they presented the dwarf...

 

Relevant Shortpacked comic.

[tegan]

I find the character designs as a whole to be too ridiculous to have any sort of serious opinion about them, personally.

[darthbator]

Kinda reminds me of dark stalkers art in some ways. The whole boobs thing is just... http://www.unwinnable.com/2013/04/26/tits-or-gtfo/

[Argobot]

Yeah, that Jenn Frank article at Unwinnable is truly excellent. It made me confront a lot of my own issues with assigning meaning to different body types and really changed the way I perceived the whole Dragon's Crown controversy.

[twmac]

Nice article, I had not read it before and it definitely made me think.

 

As for the Dragon's Crown thing though, I cannot get past that character art. I find it deeply unappealing and whether I like it or not my first reaction was 'this is pandering to a certain audience isn't it?' right down to the spine-snapping poses the artist puts the characters through in all the concept art.

 

So, aesthetically too far in the wrong direction for me.

[ChattyWhacker]

I personally find the art style and animation interesting and unique with it's over the top details.  I understand that it can be offputting but that's just what makes it all the more enjoyable to those who are not disuaded by it.

[youmeyou]

It's rather convenient that the over the top details are huge tits, isn't it? 

 

The Jenn Frank article truly is excellent and eye-opening in equal measure. As is the Hosking piece referenced within. It's crazy that part of what makes the Joan Holloway character from Mad Men so strong IS the fact that she's such an anomaly in TV. It's her struggle with her own form and how she is perceived by men and women (and a complicit audience) alike and how she views herself in return that makes her such a strong and interesting character.

 

If the witch in Dragon's Crown exhibits such nuanced and deep characterization, then I will stand corrected. But right now it looks like she's there as eye candy. And different body types aside, the fact that the breasts are just barely covered and flop around like mad beasts from the slightest provocation lead me to believe (like the kotaku writer) that this is coming from an immature place, rather than one calling for diversity in body types.

[ChattyWhacker]

I suppose I should clarify that I meant over the top details in the witches bust, the amazons and dwarfs extreme muscular designs, and the elves free flowing and petite animations.  Of course, I'm sure that the bombastic and absurd qualities of the witch is what is most pertinent in recent discussions.  I just felt that all around character designs are intriguing in their own right.

It's rather convenient that the over the top details are huge tits, isn't it?

[tegan]

Alls I know is, Nier taught me to give characters like the sorceress the benefit of the doubt.

 

As a side note, anyone remember the artwork from Muramasa that caused a minor internet controversy? I'm linking it just in case, but I really feel like this is the same situation. The same dude was making something that was actually a fairly clever play on a very recognizable source (Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, in that case), but people immediately assumed it was meant for the lowest common denominator.

[Twig]

I think the art is hilarious (while also being very good) and for that reason I love it.

[twmac]

Nier was okay but Kaine's attire was very awkward and I had to ignore it the entire time I played (note I was doing a review for it so that is why I was playing it).

 

Incidentally, that review will be out tomorrow.

 

The art is good it is just the designs aren't.

 

It reminds me of being about 13 when I practiced drawing all the time and I had another kid come up to me and offer me money to do some drawings for him. I asked what he wanted and he answered: 'Psylocke and Jean from X-Men but with bigger tits, and naked'

[melmer]

...luckily that was what i was drawing anyway

[tegan]

Nier was okay but Kaine's attire was very awkward and I had to ignore it the entire time I played (note I was doing a review for it so that is why I was playing it).

 

Incidentally, that review will be out tomorrow.

 

Just out of curiousity, how much of the game did you play? I'm normally fine with reviewers not playing an entire game, but Nier is a special case for me where the game gets so much better when you get into New Game Plus, particularly in how much more you learn about Kaine.

 

...I have kind of a soft spot for Nier and still feel that it was done a tremendous disservice when that Joystiq reviewer called it terrible due to his failure to understand the game.

[twmac]

Damn you Mington! How did you know?

Even though that isn't true and wouldn't really change the point I was making anyway.

 

tegan, that is one of the things we talked about on a Podcast that never saw the light of day, there is so much of that game that doesn't really get going until the second play through. I did like a lot of the game but it was just another one of those things where you look at what they (the design/development team) put her in and kind of go 'ugh' reflexively.

 

I'm slipping a little off topic though. I am sure Dragon's Crown is going to be a fine game as Vanillaware make good 'uns but I just cannot see past that character design and the designer's response to the Kotaku article, kind of sealed the deal. 

 

Edited: out the 'inflammatory article' part as the article was an opinion piece that was a little rude but not as rude as it could have been.

[Zeusthecat]