SOE shows off DC Universe PvP screenshots

"Last thing I would want to see is a bunch "comic style" graphics. "

Are you for real?

CO and CoH also failed for the most part. They were cartoon-ish if anything (esp. CO.).

Comic art is a part of the DC Universe, you're not representing properly if you replace it's style with an tonne of glowing nonsense. That said, this video restores my faith:

http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/movies.vm?movie=DCUO_IconicBattleSuits_092210

Comic style graphics work in comics.

They don't work well in video games.

Yep. The videos don't impress. Its odd, some games can look terrible in screenshots, but quite good in videos or in game. With DCUO its the other way round.

The art direction seems almost non existent. Its all over the place with no real visual theme. Don't get me wrong, they'll have to try really hard to make a game as ugly as CO, but it does look like they are trying really hard.

"The effects look nothing like what we see in comic books. Epic fail, right from the start. "

Epic Win! Complete comic style graphics do NOT look good in video games. That style is best for the comic medium and not games.

Even if that was true, Naug, the fact that they've made these effects look like spells from Lord of the Rings is cheesy as hell.

Exactly. These argument's would be a lot stronger if we weren't looking of a page full of some very average screenshots

"but this title has a level of immersive quality lacking in any other MMORPG I've played in the last 7 years."

The gameplay and fights have been awesome in beta.

The fact that they abandoned the traditional, convoluted MMORPG approach for a Action MMO is also great.

Streamlined, straightforeward, fast, action based MMO for the WIN.

If you want a grindy, filled to the brim with meaningless options and mechanics, and RPG MMO then DCUO isn't likely your game.

Comic book artist's are exactly that - artists. All I'm asking is instead of leaving it at the same generic glowing sigil stuff we see in every fantasy MMO. They instead should take more examples from the shapes and forms used in the comics to represent powers.

Comic art has innovated and moved on along with every other field. It's not all campy onomatopoeia.

Your two film examples didn't contain any energy users so it's not a great argument.

is anyone going to tell me that this: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/17016/doctor-strange-03.jpg

Wouldn't look better than any of the screen shotted effects? It's a simple arcane energy beamy thing but done with class. Totally within the capability of a graphics artist to render in 3D.