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[Morrigan Stark]

Inspired by the Women vs Tropes thread, I was thinking about how often characters, usually female of course, often seem to get sexier, just plain more attractive and/or more fanservice-pandering with each franchise iteration. I don't mean that they look better overall due to higher resolution, polygon count or improved art design, but rather, the more sexualized "new and improved" version barely resembles the original concept at all, or the resemblance is there but there's just significantly less clothing or more... augmented attributes. xD Some notable examples that come to mind:

Nikki (Pandemonium) vs Nikki (Pandemonium 2):

Cute "girl-next-door" girl turns into glamorous vamp, lol

Anya (Gears of War) vs Anya (Gears of War 3)

Cute geeky-looking chick gets plastic surgery make-over and becomes supermodel in armour!

Sophitia (Soul Blade/Calibur series), someone else kindly annotated it for me xD

(I'm sure Ivy and Taki are the same but can't be arsed to find pics at the moment, fighting games of course are notorious for this.)

Cortana (Halo)

Jill Valentine (RE1) vs Jill Valentine (RE3)

Hey, it's cold inside that mansion, but outside the streets of Raccoon City there's like... fire everywhere, it's hot right?

Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga)

Who are those two other girls that could barely pass for Shion's sisters...? xD

 

[Nealand Liquor]

I dunno, I don't think a new hair cut equals plastic surgery tbh, and it looks like Jill's boobs got smaller in the example you posted.
Hey so I'm not saying a sexy makeover doesn't happen, but I don't think every example you gave really fits the bill.

 

[diffusionx]

Cortana. It's just weird.

 

[lethial]

Uhhhhhhhhh.....These characters are sexy?

 

[Glass Rebel]

Cop Jill is way sexier to me, sorry.

 

[Skilletor]

I guess, for this thread, sexy = less clothes?

Cop Jill > other jills

Also

Middle Shion > other Shions

 

[WrenchNinja]

I never understood why Jill was dressed like that during the Raccoon City outbreak. I mean I get that it was to pander to teenage boys, but what the in-universe explanation was.

 

[Perfect Blue]

->

 

[Skilletor]

I never understood why Jill was dressed like that during the Raccoon City outbreak. I mean I get that it was to pander to teenage boys, but what the in-universe explanation was.

Jill was out clubbing when ZOMBIE ATTACK!

 

[Palmer_v1]

Someone post shots of Ivy's evolution in the Soul Calibur games...

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

Ashley Williams in Mass Effect 1 :

Ashely Williams in Mass Effect 3 :

 

[TheChits]

I don't understand the Anya example.

 

[Messypandas]

Snakes ass in MGS

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I dunno, I don't think a new hair cut equals plastic surgery tbh, and it looks like Jill's boobs got smaller in the example you posted.
Hey so I'm not saying a sexy makeover doesn't happen, but I don't think every example you gave really fits the bill.

She's dressed for clubbing instead of uniform. As for Anya, it's not just a new haircut, they gave her a perfect supermodel face whereas she was just more normal girl-next-door looking before.

I guess, for this thread, sexy = less clothes?

Perhaps I should have said "sexualized". Oh wait I did in my OP...

 

[mnz]

Triss Merigold changed a lot from The Witcher 1 to 2, but she was fairly sexy in the first one. They made her more likeable, I guess? Also, this:

 

[katkombat]

Ok maybe it's just me but the change from Mitsuru Kirijo from Persona 3 (just started this so take that for what you will) to Persona 4: Arena fits this bill. I mean, sure she loses the schoolgirl outfit but DAMN.

EDIT: So you said sexualized in the OP, I missed it. Well this example doesn't really fit. So...I guess Triss?

 

[Ghost_Protocol]

Ashley looks really bad in ME3 IMO. I can't decide whether she looks like a porn star or a blow up doll.

 

[Takuan]

Hardware limitations probably played a role in this as well. It wasn't until the PS2/Xbox gen that devs could really go nuts modelling ass and titties.


I don't see anything changing unless we start getting more visible titles from female-led dev studios. Sex will always sell.

 

[Currygan]

Shahdee from POP: WW has compelling arguments

 

[GeoGonzo]

I'm not seeing it on Anya, she just combs her hair differently?

Interesting topic, though. Ashley from ME fits really well, and maybe Chell from Portal too.

 

[george_us]

I don't understand the Anya example.

Yeah me either. Anya just seems like a case where her character model went from terrible to good. Her attire actually gets less sexy.

 

[badgenome]

Kaz Hirai.

 

[geebee]

I guess, for this thread, sexy = less clothes?

Cop Jill > other jills

Also

Middle Shion > other Shions

No, for the real world!

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Yeah me either. Anya just seems like a case where her character model went from terrible to good. Her attire actually gets less sexy.

It's the face. Maybe it's just me (apparently, it is, lol, oh well), but when I saw her in GoW3 I laughed because I remembered the rather normal girl-next-door and now saw this armoured supermodel with perfect skin and make-up and found it amusing. It's not a big deal or even a "omg sexualized!!" thing, but I definitely noticed they made her a lot prettier.

 

[Smokey Mcpot]

Uncharted 3 went the opposite

 

[Gozan]

Cute geeky-looking chick gets plastic surgery make-over

You were right the first time, she clearly got a nose job.

On topic:

to

but originally

 

[Router]

Did they really make Cortana sexier though? They just made her less cartoony and more realistic.

 

[Triple Da G.O.D!]

Shion Uzuki (Xenosaga)

Who are those two other girls that could barely pass for Shion's sisters...? xD

1 = 3 > 2

Wasn't a fan of 2's redesigns for any of the characters.

Still one of my game crushes though regardless.

 

[transience]

And here I thought this thread was going to be about characters who get a "sexy" stat that you can level up. Looking at you, DQ8 Jessica.

 

[Ithil]

Ashley Williams in Mass Effect 1 :

Ashely Williams in Mass Effect 3 :

She looks diabolical in ME 3.

 

[SolidSnakex]

It's the face. Maybe it's just me (apparently, it is, lol, oh well), but when I saw her in GoW3 I laughed because I remembered the rather normal girl-next-door and now saw this armoured supermodel with perfect skin and make-up and found it amusing. It's not a big deal or even a "omg sexualized!!" thing, but I definitely noticed they made her a lot prettier.

Isn't this her art from the original game?

Her Gears 3 face looks a lot more like that than the Gears 1 model does. It just seems more like a case of their modeling improving over time than them deciding to make her prettier in Gears 3.

 

[HoosTrax]

Castlevania III

CV SOTN

 

[Nealand Liquor]

She's dressed for clubbing instead of uniform. As for Anya, it's not just a new haircut, they gave her a perfect supermodel face whereas she was just more normal girl-next-door looking before.

I don't agree with that. She looks the same to me outside of the hair. Now I'm not debating the validity of your thread, just those two examples given. In yhe case or Anya, I feel, it is reaching.

 

[edgefusion]

Kaidan Alenko

-to-

Yum!

 

[Evolution_1ne]

Kaz Hirai.

lol

 

[DJIzana]

There's only one that comes to mind for me and it's from a game that's not even out yet. It still counts as they changed the character design and increased the actual quality as well.

To what we know of now...

 

[BoSox06DH]

And here I thought this thread was going to be about characters who get a "sexy" stat that you can level up. Looking at you, DQ8 Jessica.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Isn't this her art from the original game?
[pic]
Her Gears 3 face looks a lot more like that than the Gears 1 model does. It just seems more like a case of their modeling improving over time than them deciding to make her prettier in Gears 3.

I have no idea. I played the games but never saw this concept art before. Is that from the game manual? If this is really her original art, I'll concede the point that it's a matter of modeling improvement and not a make-over. Weird how that concept art looks nothing like the GoW1 model though.

For me, there's only one that comes to my mind right now. I know there's a lot more awesome female characters but this one really stood out the most.

I don't understand this post.

I don't agree with that. She looks the same to me outside of the hair. Now I'm not debating the validity of your thread, just those two examples given. In yhe case or Anya, I feel, it is reaching.

Fair enough. Feel free to post your own examples. ^^ I don't think Jill is reaching at all though. She's got a sexy strapless top and a mini-skirt, come on.

 

[Fuu]

Not female, but Chris is one of the best examples to me, and roid arms aside the boost they gave him in sex appeal (which I wouldn't mind happening more with male characters) can be noticed at how rapidly he raised in popularity between gay fans.

And it's not only related to better tech since this is how his upgraded original model looks like in the remake:

 

[10k]

Winner.

 

[Baha]

For me, there's only one that comes to my mind right now. I know there's a lot more awesome female characters but this one really stood out the most.

Still one of the best female knight character designs I've ever seen.

 

[sleepykyo]

Someone post shots of Ivy's evolution in the Soul Calibur games...

She kind of reverted back (not by much) in SC5 from SC4.

Did they really make Cortana sexier though? They just made her less cartoony and more realistic.

1 and 2 almost look like a skin tight suit.

Not female, but Chris is one of the best examples to me, and roid arms aside the boost they gave him in sex appeal (which I wouldn't mind happening more with male characters) can be noticed at how rapidly he raised in popularity between gay fans.

And it's not only related to better tech since this is how his upgraded original model looks like in the remake:

Kind of seems like RE5 Chris did gain a lot of fans. Good for Capcom.

 

[SolidSnakex]

The Chris redesign is a mess. He just looks ridiculous.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Still one of the best female knight character designs I've ever seen.

Agreed. Probably my favourite, honestly. Chris Lightfellow is also up there. I don't get what they have to do with the topic, though. ^_^ I think DJIzana misunderstood the OP... or didn't read it.

 

[Aru]

Ashley from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 3, definitely.

 

[Santiako]

long post

I don't think you understand the point of this thread.

 

[Synth_floyd]

People like the "Chris Roid-field" redesign from RE5? Wow. It's awful and as ridiculous and stupid as the plots of RE5 and 6.

 

[DJIzana]

Agreed. Probably my favourite, honestly. Chris Lightfellow is also up there. I don't get what they have to do with the topic, though. ^_^ I think DJIzana misunderstood the OP... or didn't read it.

What don't they have to do with the topic? 0.o

I find that they definitely gain a level of sexy. It's not just their design but for me, it's how their personality is presented in game too!

 

[Fuu]

People like the "Chris Roid-field" redesign from RE5? Wow.

After RE5 he got extremely popular fanart-wise in some circles, the types of which I can't post here for obvious reasons lol.

 

[Baha]

What don't they have to do with the topic? 0.o

I find that they definitely gain a level of sexy. It's not just their design but for me, it's how their personality is presented in game too!

How? All they changed from the PSX to PSP version were cutscenes and extra content, the character designs didn't change afaik.