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[Phediuk]

You know, a game in a genre that you would have normally been interested in, if you didn't find the art style so off-putting.

One example that comes to mind immediately is Dust: An Elysian Tail.

I was interested in this after hearing it was an entirely hand-drawn 2D brawler, and it got high praise from Giant Bomb, too, but good God, that is some of the ugliest artwork I've ever seen in my life. I can't look at the characters in that game without wanting to throw up. It's like it came straight from a Deviantart page. I still haven't played the game, simply because I had such a negative reaction to its art. Yeah, it's shallow. Yes, it's irrational. Maybe there is a good game underneath the bad art. But I can't bring myself to play a game that makes me cringe just looking at it. Maybe someday, though.

Have you ever experienced this, GAF?

 

[bobawesome]

Dust is a pretty big one for me.
Personally, I could never get past the way El Shaddai looks. I know some people like it but something about it just bugs me.

 

[Dawg]

Zelda: A Link between Worlds

 

[freshVeggie]

Most MMOs rub me extremely the wrong way with their artstyle.
The cluttered hud also makes them look similar to each other often.

 

[Prototype]

Bravely default

Really off putting art direction, big heads little limbs looks gross.

 

[bobawesome]

Zelda: A Link between Worlds

It looks fine to me.

 

[GeordieMark]

JRPGs with the cute anime art styles. They just look kinda childish, and whilst I'm fairly sure they are complex and decent games, they just don't appeal to me at all.

Final Fantasy games are the best example I can think of. I love a good RPG, but it just doesn't interest me.

 

[perorist]

Code Name: Steam

 

[Metaternal]

It's never been a reason for me to completely write off a game, but I get why it happens.

 

[Birathen]

Its not exactly artstyle but I cant bring myself to buy Infamous SS since the character looks like such a smug asshole.

 

[CHC]

FTL - looks like a cheapo flash game, I just refuse to look at that for however-many-hours.

Borderlands series - self-explanatory. The art style just looks sloppy, lazy, and trying so hard to be something it doesn't need to be. It doesn't help that the games aren't very good either.

Also anything with "webcomic" style promo art or in-game-graphics is an instant no.

Also, super moe anime games. Just not something I want to be seen playing or be associated with, the whole style just kinda creeps me out.

 

[TUSR]

Code Name: Steam

yeah this is a future one for me

 

[Lumpy Onion]

When I heard about Don't Starve it sounded interesting. That interest went away when I saw what it looked like. I guess it had a unique style to it, but it wasn't one that I was particularly fond of.

 

[collige]

Dust is a pretty big one for me.
Personally, I could never get past the way El Shaddai looks. I know some people like it but something about it just bugs me.

Didn't expect to see this game listed. If you're willing to give it another shot, the art changes quite drastically over the course of the game.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

Dragon's Crown. The artstyle just... ugh.

 

[MrBadger]

Somehow, I knew this thread would be about Dust. I actually didn't mind the Deviantart character designs much, and I really liked the backgrounds so I was fine with that game's artstyle.

Anyway, I suppose Skyward Sword would be my answer. It wasn't super cute and cartoony like Wind Waker, or darker in tone and kind of twisted like Twilight Princess, it just kind of felt like a boring mix between the two and there was never anything interesting to look at.

 

[jamsy]

Dust is a pretty big one for me.
Personally, I could never get past the way El Shaddai looks. I know some people like it but something about it just bugs me.

Really? I thought it was absolutely amazing. One of the most visually impressive games I've ever played.

For me, it's probably the Atelier games. They sound interesting but I just can't get over the pedoriffic aspect to these games. No, I don't want to see a 12 year old girl's asscrack.

 

[CecilRousso]

So far I haven't bought Carribean on Steam, despite loving Sid Meier's Pirates, because it has the exact same graphic style as all the Mount&Blade games using the same engine.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/293010/

And after three M&B games, I can't forgive it any more.

 

[Malio]

Anything that looks like World of Warcraft. I hate that game and that art style, and lots of games shamelessly rip off the style. Nope, won't play 'em.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Street Fighter IV.

 

[Herbspiceguy]

New Super Mario Bros series are the only games that come to mind.

 

[Doctor_Thomas]

When I heard about Don't Starve it sounded interesting. That interest went away when I saw what it looked like. I guess it had a unique style to it, but it wasn't one that I was particularly fond of.

That artstyle, whatever it is, it really horrific. I played a few hours of the game, but I found the whole thing just unappealing to look at.

 

[impetuous_silly]

Dragon's Crown
Skullgirls

 

[Parfait]

Really? I thought it was absolutely amazing. One of the most visually impressive games I've ever played.

For me, it's probably the Atelier games. They sound interesting but I just can't get over the pedoriffic aspect to these games. No, I don't want to see a 12 year old girl's asscrack.

'pedoriffic' lmao

just lol

While dust is a big one to many I found the art kinda endearing, if hit and miss at times.

That said i'll never play the Binding of Issac.

 

[StayDead]

Street Fighter IV.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who hates this art style. I mean I'll play it but I really dislike the art.

 

[Canis lupus]

Code Name: Steam

This, the art style is atrocious. Very disappointing cuz Nintendo art style is usually pretty good. While the gameplay seems awesome, it's just unpleasant to look at.

 

[JordanN]

Anything that looks like World of Warcraft. I hate that game and that art style, and lots of games shamelessly rip off the style. Nope, won't play 'em.

I thought I was the only one.

Yeah, I hate the saturated colors Blizzard uses and so many other games that went on to copy it.

 

[Banana Aeon]

Dust.

Every single time I go to buy it, that fucking art style slaps me in the face. Ugh.

 

[-MD-]

Street Fighter IV.

This is a good pick, SF4 assaults my eyes whenever I see it.

I both like and dislike how Dust looks. The first few hours I was loving it but I grew tired of it pretty quickly.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Can't stand him

Because he reminds me of him

Seriously if he was wearing a gladiatorial helmet or something that masked his stupid face I might actually be able to play the God of War games. But I just can't.

 

[A Sentient Keyboard]

I played Psychonauts to completion, but I really hated the artstyle from the start and it never grew on me. Zeno Clash is similar, I ended up quiting on that game because I couldn't handle it's visuals.

I appreciate that these games shoot for original visual styles, but something about their weirdly shaped, oddly colored aesthetics is very unsettling/offputting to me.

EDIT: Also, I still plan to play El Shaddai someday because I love the way it looks. Never got around to it, though.

 

[Ambition]

Darksiders. What an ugly game.

 

[Zach]

Really? I thought it was absolutely amazing. One of the most visually impressive games I've ever played.

For me, it's probably the Atelier games. They sound interesting but I just can't get over the pedoriffic aspect to these games. No, I don't want to see a 12 year old girl's asscrack.

What the...? Is there any attempt at an explanation for this in the game?

And I agree, El Shaddai's art was amazing and made playing through the game worth it.

 

[gatti-man]

Most Nintendo games. Just too kiddy for me even when I was a legit kid. Always preferred pc games of the 80s and then when consoles did it in the 90s and up.

 

[YianGaruga]

I can't stand this style. So ugly

 

[Fafalada]

God Of War(s) (PS3)

 

[dracula_x]

Hard Corps: Uprising (a prequel to Contra: Hard Corps)

The original game for comparison (which I liked a lot)

 

[Horp]

Bought it, tried it, but one of the things that I really couldn't stand was the art style. Talking about WildStar

 

[Dabanton]

Don't think artstyle has ever put me off a game.

 

[omegashockwave]

The only time an art style has dissuaded me from getting a game was Bravely Default. I just can't get past those character designs.

 

[@.@]

Kingdoms of Amalur... seriously. There is something weird about its character design that I can't pin down. Also, almost all 8~16 bit console games developed in europe, SPECIALLY "mascot games"

 

[Bobs Big Boy]

Something about the look of Minecraft puts me right off.

 

[-MD-]

EDIT: Also, I still plan to play El Shaddai someday because I love the way it looks. Never got around to it, though.

I said that to myself too so I rented it.

The following 2 hours were me running up stairs and doing the same attack over and over while some guy talked to god on a cell phone.

 

[Piercedveil]

Psychonauts.

I don't think I'd like the game anyway, but man, it is one ugly looking game.

 

[ignata]

It looks fine to me.

Yeah if anyone is looking at this and thinking that's representative of the game, you really need to see this (or any 3DS game) in motion on an actual 3DS before passing judgment.

 

[BluePigGanon]

OP kinda nailed it with Dust - it is very "look at my deviantART gallery".

Also agree with SFIV, which breaks my heart since I adore the series. I hope when they finally get to SFV they'll do something more along the lines of their concept art, something mature anime-ish.

Last but not least would probably be the last few Mortal Kombat games. setting aside the mannish-looking female character models and silly-looking battle damage effects, if I have one art pet peeve it's just loading all the meaningless detail possible onto a character (see: the Transformers movies). Everyone looks so metal album cover, it's obnoxious. I'm hopeful the next one will tone it down a bit, the preview at E3 looked good.

 

[Xav]

Street Fighter IV.

Street Fighter IV is a major downgrade from Street Fighter III.

 

[Fantastapotamus]

I can't remember the name of the game, but some Indie "Deus-Ex like" game on Steam, which actually seemed pretty good but looked so god damn aweful my eyes blead everytime I looked at a screenshot. Screenshot? More like screenshit

 

[Sakujou]

first game that comes to mind are most MMO games.
also most flash-game look a likes.

but then i realized how awesome castle crashers, battleblock theater and some other games are.

sf4 artstyle sucks really hard, but the game is ok.

first i was shocked when i saw platinum games was making a shooter. but once seeing the whole stuff in action made.... jaw dropping.

this is how to impress people.

 

[DragonGirl]

Anything going for photorealism. So, basically, most Western developed modern games. Give me cartoony, give me comic book style, give me anime, give me something tough to categorize! But give me something that looks like it could exist outside my window and you lose my interest.