Topic: What video game art styles do you dislike?

For me, It has to be realistic graphics. It's not that I dislike it, but it seems that's all you ever see anymore (especially with big name HD releases).

Portal 2, Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3, Skyrim, Skyward Sword, MW3, Battlefield 3, and Arkham Asylum. Those were the big names floating around game of the year awards last year. They were all of varying genres and gameplay, but with the exception of Skyward Sword (the only non-HD nominee, it should be noted), they all tried portraying photorealistic worlds. I know they can be beautiful with the consoles we have now, but what about other art styles?

Also, it seems like more & more classic gaming series are getting more realistic, gritty reboots. Tomb Raider (Tomb Raider), Devil May Cry (DMC), Ace Combat (Assault Horizon), and Castlevania (Lords of Shadow). What was wrong with their previous looks & worlds? Nothing, that's what. They even tried giving Bomberman a gritty reboot for Pete's sake! Just stop it already!

Again, I'm not against the style, and I know not everything is going this route (Nintendo, Downloadable titles), but I'm tired of looking through the PS3 & 360 sections in stores, and seeing nothing but fantasy games that want to be Lord of the Rings, and shooters that want to be either COD or Halo. Those aren't bad series, but I want some diversity.

It wouldn't be so bad, but there's only one way to do real world, and that's to make it look real world. At least anime or cartoon styles can be visually different, because artists can put their own unique flavor on the style. You really can't do that with real world.

NVM, this was art style you dislike, I hate that water color style they tried to do with Skyward sword.

Also yeah I get what you're talking about, they are going with more realistic styles. My guess is that since people whine about better graphics I get the feeling they're actually demanding more detailed games which means more realistic since the real world is way more detailed. I get the feeling this is what developers are trying to do.

I dislike it when they try to go "brown is real" and when they use lots of the same color or tone (Oh that recent trend of "war is desaturated" I have noticed in some games).
Or when it simply makes no sense, like when developers use mixed styles and hope noone will notice (Like a certain DSiWare game about vampires).

Well contrasted and colorful is better for my frail eyes.

REALISM!!!

Whatever you call the crap in Donkey Kong Country and Golden Sun.
Generic Western Fantasy (I guess that's more of a setting, but the results are usually dull visuals).
Whatever they did in Skyward Sword.

Oh I forgot mine craft, that game tries to be 8-bit but fails miserably

I wouldn't say Minecraft tries to be 8-bits, not at all. It simply uses simple blocks for everything.
It's textures are actually quite colorful (in a SNES kind of way), just very low-res.

If that was the developers real intention, then I guess you're correct.

Pre-Rendered Graphics. I hate them as well with SMRPG and Yoshi 64.

I don't like Angry Bird's style. I loathe it. I also don't like the art style of those Zynga games and most Facebook games. Big headed characters with huge eyes that look... emotionless and robotic... I don't like at all.

I also don't like games that go for SUPER realism. Not Uncharted, though.. I'm trying to think of the best example and the exact game I'm referring to... But yeah, super realism. Boring.

Also, them generic Anime styled games. Yeah, where the characters look the same- different hair style, hair color and eye color. I guess anything that's uber generic and/or too similar to another to really separate itself.

I agree with every word you said about western fantasy games. Zelda tries various styles to the theme. Anime (OoT), Realistic (Twilight Princess), Cartoon (Wind Waker), and Water Color (Skyward Sword). Sure, some styles are better than others, but it's better than nearly every other fantasy game in a western setting, each trying to look like LotR.

Before anyone tries jumping on my comment, yes I know Zelda is a Japanese franchise, but it's undoubtedly based around a western mideaval theme.

Oh! I had forgotten about prerendred graphics.
I dislike them too.

Though they're not as bad now as they used to be in the SNES-GBA era, seriously.

Super Realism and Anime (depending on the game).

Anime style games are my favorite I think Prof. Layton has that great feel to it

Professor Layton is great, I mean stuff like this.

Realistic ones.

Yeah, hated it in those games, too. Thanks.

Super generic western or anime. Also, any Japanese game other than recent REs that look like recent REs.

While the anime stereotypes can be boring, at least the art style itself can vary based on the artist. You can't do that with realistic (not trying to say you're defending realistic, though).

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Sorry I don't see it, but maybe it's because anime In general is like breathing to me, maybe that's why I hate realism as well

I hate super realism or what developers consider super realism. How is brown realistic the world is full of all kinds of colors including bright ones. Sure big cities like New York may not be really colorful but I'm pretty sure some of the clothes people wear have some color other than brown, gray, or black