Am I the only one feeling a bit disappointed?

As a huge advocate of the realistic shader, I have to say that the current (painterly) shader is filling my expectations for Bloodstained nicely. I don't/wouldn't consider the shader choice a mistake. Far from it in fact. As a community, we need to move forward and not dwell on things long past and unchangeable (such as the shader that is used).

I also feel that the character models' art style doesn't work well with the environment. I backed the project based on the concept art presented on the kickstarter page. Since then, the game has progressed more and more away from the original vision of the game. I really hope Iga and his team will be able to make the necessary changes/updates so that the game feels more coherent artistically.

I think he is talking about the more painterly look, different from the realistic backgrounds we have for now.

I, too, think the concept art is absolutely gorgeous, but I understand why they couldn't feasibly do an entire game that way. On the budget they have, I think the team is doing a really splendid job so far. Nothing is ever perfect, but I don't think anyone could reasonably argue that what we've seen doesn't appear to be an updated take on SoTN, which is exactly what was promised.

I'd prefer if the environments used a cell shaded look like the character models, but as things are now I still think the game is looking pretty good. A few areas shown look pretty sloppy but that's to be expected with the game's release so far out. The graphics have improved a lot over the past few months. This was never going to compete with AAA titles in terms of graphics but considering the budget and size of the game I'm happy with how things are progressing.

Cough cough

We were looking at the chapel which is typically the most pristine looking locations in these games, but there are definitely chips and cracks and other details like that thanks to the procedural system they have in place.

If anything shouldn't we get more pristine vibrant locations? We have a boat that's beaten down and battered, we have a village that is in shambles, we have an entrance with wear and tear. I think it'd be better for the game if not every location is like that but there's a greater mix to it's feel. Let's not forget this isn't a castle that's existed for 100's of years like the one in Aria of Sorrow. This is a castle that just appeared a few years back by the time you're playing it. It'd make more sense for it to look nicer than beaten completely down.

I know what you mean by stark contrasts but at the end of the day we are seeing bits and pieces and the connecting elements and how the castle comes together as a whole will probably make more sense than seeing a location one at a time. 

I mean in SOTN you had really nice looking areas and then you had beaten down locations with bridges that broke apart. There's always been a mix. Are you just saying that the chapel doesn't seem to have much procedural elements applied to it compared to the entrance area? In that sense you might be right but they're also not pointing it out to us in an obvious way.

I guess it's mostly this. I was in a hurry, so I didn't get to articulate myself as well as I'd like. Basically, what I meant was that, while I certainly enjoy variety, there should be an overall consistency of style. For instance, in Diablo 3 (which I think has absolutely top-notch, phenomenal art direction, though it was very divisive among longtime fans of the series), most of the world is bleak, broken, and crumbling. Nevertheless, there are bits and pieces that are beautiful. There's even a rainbow in there somewhere.

I love contrast and I think it heightens the overall experience. Although I pointed to cracks and chips and such, my bigger qualm is just that the castle appears far too "perfect" in areas. Even if it's new and in good condition, the walls, pillars, windows, etc. will not be flawless pieces of geometry. Having them so inhumanly clean is like evidence of bad CGI in movies - it rings false, because in the real world, any background of that size, even well-maintained, is bound to have the occasional oddity or blemish.

Another way to think of this is how certain studios have advanced their facial graphics to include small imperfections like the barely perceivable wrinkle when a character smiles or a tiny freckle or mole here and there, because an absolutely smooth, perfect face seems like a plastic doll. The same goes for buildings/scenery.

You know what, I think that's the best thing to come of this dialogue. I fully agree, I think dolls would actually match the feel of this game, and they'd make a really cool addition. Good call!

You could even have a Miriam doll ala the Alucard vs. Alucard fight. Sure, blatant ripoff, but fine by me!