Shader 1 or 2

I like the Miriam in shader #1 and the environment in shader #2, but it's hard for me to choose.

Shader 1 is the best starting off point. The character zoomed out looks darker and more detailed. The windows in the background look more moody and the fog certainly helps the darkness. Shader 2 looks too drowned out and lacks the detail of the first shader. It has elements i do like, for instance to me it looks way more 2d in spirit ( despite what the descriptions say) but the coloring and the detail are lacking which makes it lose for me.

I would tweak #2, which I prefer, to look a bit more gloomy and overall somewhat "dusty" looking, adding particle effects like speckles, fluff, dust bunnies, patches of spider web, carbonized looking stuff and the likes here and there to show a more vivid but run-down world.
I'd lean toward #2 for sure though, even if still not that convincing to me. It sure seems more retro-ish to me.
I find #1 ugly: too smooth and shiny!

See how the banisters in this pic of Lament of innocence are far more sleek and have less of a cartoony vibe to them?

images.psxextreme.com/screenshots/ps2_castlevania/ps2_castlevania_38.jpg

That's what I mean. More in 'that' style

Comparing the shaders feels a little bit like like visiting an eye doctor. "Okay, which shader do you prefer? Shader one? Or shader two? One... Two... One. Two."

Right now, I'm leaning towards shader 1. I think Miriam's character model looks better, I like the lighting and fog, I can see the books on the book shelf, but there's a little bit too much red. With shader 2 the background looks better, but Miriam feels too desaturated, the furniture comes off as a little bit 2D-ish, I can't see the books on the shelf as well, and various objects feel like they're from different games.

I'm looking forward to seeing shaders 3 and 4 at the end of the month. Hopefully one of them will be a happy medium between the first two.

crocodile: I haven't heard anything to suggest they'll have animation ready in time, but I'll ask. 

On a related note—and this is me talking, not the campaign—I think animation is going to have a lot to do with how "2D" this game ends up looking. When you look at a game like the Strider remake, much of the pseudo-2D charm is in the way the characters move and the effects they have on the world. 

Tough one. In my opinion, shader one brings things to life thanks to the warm colours whereas shader two gives the gothic vibe. Both are good in their own rights. To sum it up: what Dangamer said.

Not much more I can add to what folks have already said. I like some of the unique qualities of the second shader, but much prefer Miriam under the first one.

And thank you for grouping the photos by picture focus, instead of by shader... much easier to compare!