Fun Club DioField Chronicle/Harvestella: is this how Bravely Default III is gonna look like?

[Aostia82]

Bravely Default is a series born from the Four Heroes of Light (Nintendo DS), bringing to the 3DS a particular aesthetic based on Asano's team gorgeous illustrations, declined into a simple but well characterized "Super Deformed" style for the 3D models of characters and enemies, juxtaposed onto 2D backgrounds, able to recreate the "drawing" feeling of this peculiar world.

From those key art, the games were created like this, for the "locations":

Spoiler: BD Locations

With what has always been described as a good rendition of the style into 3D models:

Spoiler: BD Characters and enemies

Then, Bravely Default II came, on the Nintendo Switch

And it was praised for its overall gameplay, story and quality, even for its art directions, still with gorgeous-looking backgrounds

Spoiler: BD II locations

But heavily criticized for the rendition on its characters, for many "unable to properly represent the art direction of the key art/illustration on the screen". Main critics: too-deformed proportions, doll-like/plastic-like feelinf of the characters

Spoiler: BD II characters

During summer, Square-Enix released the demo for a brand new strategy game, DioFIELD Chronicle, that will be fully available in few days. It showed some similarity to me in terms of scope and budget to "AA"Asano productions, and while playint its demo (available on the different digital stores) I was thinking about:

IS THIS HOW MANY WOULD LIKE BRAVELY DEFAULT III TO LOOK LIKE?

Why this thought? Because DioFIELD characters still are inspired by gorgeous drawings/illustration, and somehow rendered in a doll/plastic way (not realistic-looking 3D models, in game), with slightly deformed proportions, but

• Not superdeformed
• Slighlty but not too doll-like
• Slightly more adult-looking
• Still not realistic

DioField Illustrations

DioField 3D models for the characters (in-game and/or cutscenes):

My take: I liked BDII style, even if I admit that its transition from the "low def" 3DS to the "high def" Switch rendition lost something on the road, in terms of keeping the same charm of the original/of the drawings
DioField approach could be interesting to see in the next Asano production dedicated to this "Breavely" franchise, maybe on Switch 2/Drake (with Bravely THIRD of whatever they will call it still being a Switch game, with tons of asset re-use, as it has been for Bravely SECOND on the 3DS)

Let me know your opinion, guys!

EDIT: I want you here, @Oregano

 

[Mbolibombo]

I feel the art and chibi is the heart and soul of BD games.. While DC is decent looking, it's not as charming as BD is.

So I definitely do not think or hope they change it.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Honestly the BD2 style kinda grew on me over time, my main complaint is that the faces aren't really expressive enough

Diofield does not feel like an improvement to me in terms of character design

 

[Comic Obsessed]

Diofield is an even more budget title than BD2 so I hope not.

 

[MaitreWakou]

I hope not, wouldn't fit at all imo.
It needs to stay chibi.

 

[lightning16]

I definitely don't want Bravely Default to look like this lol. I may get DioField Chronicle because I like the genre enough to try it out but it's an exceptionally ugly game, in my opinion.

 

[xV_twist]

But they already made a model (or more) with the right proportion for 3ds. I saw that some years ago, I think it was AR cards?
Also, Aren't Harvestella models a better comparison? When that was announced I was talking to a friend about "this farming game where the main character looks like the bravely default art" lol

 

[Thunder84]

I've never cared for the chibi style of the 3DS games, so while BDII was far from perfect, I thought it was an overall improvement. DioField models definitely look a bit better though, but otherwise it looks pretty eh.

Honestly, I wouldn't hate it if they abandoned all creativity and just moved Bravely Default to HD-2D, regardless of how much that would clash with Octopath.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

But they already made a model (or more) with the right proportion for 3ds. I saw that some years ago, I think it was AR cards?
Also, Are Harvestella models a better comparison? When that was announced I was talking to a friend about "this farming game where the main character looks like the bravely default art" lol

Harvestella is closer and if BD3 or whatever the next game is goes full over-the-shoulder 3D then it's what I'd want the game to look like. Definitely has similar vibes to Bravely

But I think for the current style of the series any kind of non-chibi model doesn't quite fit

 

[Aostia82]

Harvestella you say? Playing the demo, I will think about it and post something tomorrow

 

[shoptroll]

I don’t see Braveley moving away from chibi/“super-deformed”/nitoushin style character models because the series is a direct homage to the art style used in 8/16-bit Squaresoft titles. Just not going to happen.

 

[big lantern ghost]

Wow I didn’t think of it while I was playing this morning but Harvestella characters look Bravely Defaulty for sure. Hundo

 

[Aostia82]

I've changed the title: so

Should BDIII characters adopt the Harvestella "make up"?

 

[xghost777]

Haven't played Harvestella yet so I can't really speak to that yet, but I like the look of the DioField character models quite a bit. I definitely prefer them over any of Bravely Default's.

 

[Comic Obsessed]

I've changed the title: so

Should BDIII characters adopt the Harvestella "make up"?

Harvestella might be a budget title but it does have some gorgeous artwork.