Pro Character Designer Explains Concord VS Overwatch Characters

[@jaymothman]

0:00 intro 7:35 Reinhardt vs Emari 16:19 Symettra vs Bazz 27:13 forehead 28:11 dude reviews himself 31:27 dude uses vbucks on his concord dlc skin 33:08 Tracer vs Daveer 38:40 genji vs robot 39:28 dude draws a dick on genji

[@liraco_mx]

Forehead 😂

[@geckopecko]

thanks man

[@curiousspacepirate1985]

I was wondering on the "dude reviews himself" part, and he really did review himself. I was expecting him to pull up like a character file or something 😭🤣

[@asher3311]

thanks for the genji dick timestamp

[@anhnhvn]

Lt Tupperware is a much better name than Daveer. It has a lot more personality.

[@djfinja]

the overwatch vs. concord character designs gives me a real "Batman vs. guy wearing hockey pads" vibe

[@Drejzer]

Batman(the closet furry avenger) Vs Bat-man (random guy with a baseball bat)

[@ItsDangerousGoAlone]

Seriously, one looks like KZbinrs making a costume of stuff they can modify around their home, like hockey pads. The other looks like legit elite warriors with proper gear on

[@sungrandstudios]

@@Drejzer hahaha, gold comment.

[@Street_Thuglvl77]

Hockeypads have to much cohesiveness. More like a 6 year old made larping gear from pool noodles and couch stuffing

[@Paradox-es3bl]

Hey, you leave Casey from TMNT alone! Why you gotta send Batman to put him in a coma?

[@Nedsto]

bro trying so hard not to call Concord utter trash.

[@sungrandstudios]

I'm trying, man.

[@StankyTheKlown]

@@sungrandstudiosyou are succeeding in sounding really fair in my opinion. Almost like you’re critiquing a student or something. Respect!

[@kla4600]

@@sungrandstudios Well, you're totally free, now. Hubris met Nemesis, today.

[@PatrickBloomer-u8y]

he was literally saying it makes him sad to look at the concord characters 🤣

[@tysean0816]

Dude my highschool art teacher would let us have it

[@chokoon21]

*Overwatch's poster child:* Tracer *Concord's poster child:* Construction worker yellow Yondu

[@robinsonarboleda1223]

Someone mentioned on reddit that Concord character as a TupperwareHelmetFailedColonoscopy and it's not wrong.

[@cqstlupin6074]

Nah the way i see it, kiriko becomes ovewatch's poster child than tracer

[@AngelBlade69]

@violetta-mwahon r34 it’s still tracer

[@BlueDrew10]

Winton is the poster child in my eyes. 🥹

[@swordofkhaine8464]

@@okiebray tracer is iconic.

[@BlaiseArath]

It took me until Lt Tupperware to realize these weren't actually the real names of the Concord "Heroes".

[@lasselen9448]

...I did not. Considering the designs, I fully expected the characters to have names to match.

[@olafthebear2327]

Concord might as well have gone with those names. The characters are so unmemorable that I forget they exist until I see another video with them in it. It's a blessing, truly

[@AlphaGarg]

@@olafthebear2327 The names in the video are legitimately better than the actual names. A character called Lieutenant Tupperware whose design is basically "futuristic space military BUT retro plastic kitchenware" sounds dope. Shame the actual design is basically that but without any of the self awareness.

[@tessfabled4115]

@@AlphaGarg I really like this concept too tbh, sounds neat and kitsch

[@JI-eq3zq]

Don't feel bad, they look so terrible it's believable. If I hadn't watched his previous video where he dubbed them those names I would have done the same!

[@thomasb4521]

Please never stop reviewing character designs even if it's outside of the hero shooter genre.

[@sungrandstudios]

You got it. Feel free to request games!

[@thehungarywaffleinc.7775]

@@sungrandstudiosdestiny 2

[@ThirdEchoMedia]

@@sungrandstudiosI second this- I like hearing your thoughts on what makes a character design work vs. not work. Your commentary is pretty insightful, and since watching your Concord video, I’ve started to apply your advice to my own character designs!

[@DuyNguyen-ty6nx]

@@sungrandstudios Some fighting games might cool too like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, etc.

[@ZimmerF1]

@@sungrandstudios Games desinged the by RIOT like league of legends, valorant, etc

[@aseaofstars2353]

Overwatch character designs make you want to be a fan of those characters simply because they look so cool. Concord characters make you want to be a fan of overwatch characters.

[@demontferrat]

I played overwatch once in 2016-2017 in a free play weekend, it wasn’t my genre of game, but to this day I love the characters, that is when you know you made great designs.

[@IceFireofVoid]

Overwatch character design is actually god tier. I never liked FPS games before, or competitive PvP games. I was never interested in the genre. And then I saw some guys playing Overwatch during a charity stream and I immediately was drawn to those characters. They were so interesting looking that I had to look them up and read all their lore and I got into the comics and the animations they had released at the time. I only ever bought the game because the characters had something about them that was so appealing. Really sad to see how badly they ended up neglecting that lore in the later years though.

[@lotusluv]

I'll give concord one thing. they were gonna release weekly animated shorts. i wish blizzard actually makes an animated series for god sake

[@nickelakon5369]

Overwatch does something alright *hehe*

[@THEBIOSHOCK1987]

Are you sure not bcuz other reason for overwatch?

[@Nazzychan]

>Award winning >universally beloved >best selling game

[@sliceoflife3611]

Ayyy 😂

[@ARStudios2000]

I love how he says it in such a dead voice

[@thatHARVguy]

@@ARStudios2000 As dead as their player base.

[@kisame886]

Lieees, ALL LIEEEEESS!!!

[@SkySovereignn]

"most widely played live service game as of the moment" i ROTFLMAO when I heard that 🤣

[@pinacolada9793]

Tracer also has blue in her primary abilities and her weapon that matches that exact same blue. So although you can’t see it in the still pose, in game tracer is a blue blur that zips by

[@sungrandstudios]

Now that is rad. Nice.

[@Battletoads2]

"absolutely zero cohesion on this....design....its................................*sigh*" Said perfectly. It's sad man, so sad.

[@sungrandstudios]

I didn't want to feel sadness this day. But I did.

[@rahmathadi855]

Makes you curious on how these designs even able to get finalized and launched. Is it because of the company culture where there are some people that no one allowed to criticize and the character designer is one of those people? Or is everyone in the dev team genuinely believe these designs are good?

[@mnm8818]

I think Concord characters would work A BIT better in a Sci Fi realistic movie (which in the vid he does mention it's hyperrealism~)... But not in a game As in astronaut suit is just all white and has no tone or dynamic form, it's practical (except for space x suits though)

[@NaviRyan]

@@sungrandstudiosit’s as if the designer was inspired by guardians of the galaxy, and the fifth element and mashed the two together with no rhyme or reason. The big green character is literally just the jail guards in gotg 1 in pale green. The designer not understanding the jail guards were meant to look oppressive and not recognizable as they’re cannon fodder. they’re in black armor with the sci fi element being the neon lights and symbol on their chest. The concord character is in pale green no neon lights to convey anything sci fi or a symbol to focus on. Theirs just blocks of purple put randomly on the characters helmet. If the design was meant to be a the niche 1970’s look in space maybe it could work if it was conveyed better with a design more evocative of that era.

[@tailsspin621]

​@@rahmathadi855I can't say anything with certainty, but it's probably a mix of both. The lower level artists likely don't have a say, and even offering a desenting perspective might be dangerous depending on the egos up top. Meanwhile the people who can make decisions are so caught up in an echo chamber that they have lost track of what works. Even the ones who aren't directly responsible for the designs a likely caught up in this trap, and thus nobody is left to push back.

[@MEATYORA]

Concord: Be a mid NPC Overwatch: Be the Main Character

[@uzunaruMelonness]

Team Fortress 2: Being part a community of Murderous Mercenaries that Meme.

[@KFPSchnitzelkochTschango]

@@uzunaruMelonness have hats. SO MANY HATS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL THE HATS! Best Hero Shooter ever!

[@uzunaruMelonness]

@@KFPSchnitzelkochTschango "So much hats!"

[@It_is_I_Rogal_Dorn]

Pretty much the feeling i get from them, they feel like npcs/minons from Dota or Smite.

[@Appletank8]

If I was a *bad* Character design, I wouldn't be sitting here, discussing it would I?

[@KoraTee]

You are wrong. Concord does have a sense of cohesion. They are consistent with subpar character designs.

[@kevinlee6003]

*were consistent Lmao 😅

[@Graphaeli]

"subpar" is very generous

[@Eihei]

They are NOT subpar. Starfield had "subpar" character designs. Every character in Concord could literally win an award for the ugliest design possible. Its honestly increadible how nad they look, nothing matches, makes sense and the colors are uncomfortable to look at. It looks like they actively tried to małe them as ugly as possible.

[@Rr_9991]

by 'subpar' do you mean 'inconceivably horrible'?

[@wahhnopfp]

It's awfully consistent on how close they look to their IRL Twitterite counterparts that also just bought Dustbin.

[@sash7831]

So true how the Symetra design actually really incorporates the skin tone so well and makes it part of the design in a beautiful way. And the concord one surprisingly washes it out when I’m sure it was a defining point for the choice of character.

[@jonbaxter2254]

Symetra wears the blue so well.

[@redhunter1535]

Overwatch characters are so good and iconic that they had fans not even knowing about the game

[@yogangstudios5715]

Lmaooo

[@arricarry3832]

i know what u mean lol

[@daanstrik4293]

If pokemon ever becomes less well known they’ll have the same problem. Their games kinda suck nowadays but their character design is just as strong (if not stronger) than its ever been. Its also why I think so many modern pokemon are humanoids. Their character designers are better than their animal designers (or mayby its all just furry bait)

[@onesmileybaldy8303]

Wait,there is a game?!

[@Nekroido]

@@onesmileybaldy8303 yeah, I think it's called Fortnite

[@무군]

Everything about Tracer's character design just communicates speed, it's very reminiscent of one of those expensive japanese motorcycles in terms of how sleek, aerodynamic and streamlined it is.

[@sungrandstudios]

Oh yeah, great comment. That makes sense!

[@JourneymanK]

Yes, like a motorbike you literally want to ride her. I get it.

[@EsteemedReptile]

Even if I knew nothing about her, my first assumption upon seeing her would be "sprinter". So much of her design is about her long legs, and even her hair looks like it's been whipped back by a sharp gust of wind.

[@SmittyWJManJensen]

Damn girl you look so aerodynamic 👌

[@Zybbars]

Yeah, peeps wanna take a ride.

[@SBradison]

our timeline is so cursed that blizzard is suddenly the good guys again

[@sungrandstudios]

Hahaha this comment is gold.

[@Sylhux]

You don't need to like modern day Blizzard to recognize how fucking talented their art team still is, nothing cursed about that.

[@KopperNeoman]

Overwatch's good characters were still being designed by Far Right White Supremacists, natch.

[@SumitShrivastava17]

​@@Sylhuxpeople actively think that Blizzard just isn't it when they are still one of the most successful developers out there. There is enough to not love about Blizzard, but Art and Gameplay isn't one of them.

[@AgentDigits]

Their art department has always been good

[@cos-t5b]

5:40 First sigh 13:15 Second sigh 26:29 Third sigh 27:25 Fourth sigh... 40:17 Fifth sigh

[@HellPedre]

hahahahahha lmaooo

[@adrianong360]

amazing moments. bro left speechless

[@soda9348]

LMAOOOO

[@KishorTwist]

That _sighs_ it all.

[@Mikey_Storm]

Thank you for your service. 👍

[@rushnerd]

You rating YOUR OWN character design is one of the best things I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@lunarvision]

It’s very clever. “You can fix that with dlc…” Luv the subversive/dry presentation with a nearly imperceptible twinkle in his eye. There’s a lot going on.

[@mikeb8441]

Personally I prefer the og skin. The tie shared cohesion with the back of his vest (and thus shoulders) which is a more significant element than the little lapel pin.

[@phamviet7905]

@@mikeb8441 LMAO

[@mello5655]

Whos ready to SPLAT

[@ruok-l5t]

The fact that they look even worse and amateur is ironic

[@mariaPapagi]

As an artist, it's disheartening to see how a team of professionals arrived at these designs. With Overwatch and TF2, you can instantly recognize the roles and elements of the characters-whether they're the healer, the heavy, the melee fighter, or have fire or ice abilities-even if you haven't played the games or know much about them. For instance, you can immediately identify Reaper as a villainous character without even knowing his backstory. TF2 characters, though all human, each have distinct and memorable designs: the doctor in his white lab coat, the engineer with his safety hat and tools, the spy in his sleek suit and balaclava, and Pyro in his gas mask and firefighting gear. Even the Scout’s design-his youthful face, hat, and baseball bat-clearly conveys his role as a nimble, melee attacker. For a video game, these characters embody the game's identity and gameplay through their design. Each design is crafted with such attention to detail.

[@tobiasbayer4866]

Tbf, it doesnt take a genius to figure out that Reaper is a bad guy when he is literally named and designed after the Grimm Reaper. Whats much more impressive to me is that you can get an immediate glimpse at someones personality just from their stance and their facial expressions, If the face is visible.

[@mariaPapagi]

@@tobiasbayer4866 yeah that’s the point. It tries to convey a villainous character in an OBVIOUS way. That why we sometimes give scars on villains or we give them an eyepatch. We use dark menacing colors we associate with evil like green, purple or red with black. (Maleficent for example). Because a character is obvious doesn’t mean it’s a bad design, especially for video game you don’t know the story and you have to choose a role to play. Mercy designs and name is obvious as well, she is an angel armor and her name is MERCY. Her color palette is white and gold, Of course she is a healer. In concord from all the characters in the game, point to me the FIRE mage…you can’t, because she has nothing to associate her with fire. She is like a sniper shooter without a sniper. No colors, no gear, nothing.

[@tobiasbayer4866]

@@mariaPapagi Oh, yeah, absolutely. I was just trying to say that theres also a bunch of subtle ways Overwatch communicates character traits/personality along with the obvious ones.

[@SuperMaster000X]

I really want to see the concept arts of concord, just to see if the higher ups just shutted down any wacky desing. Like "na make it more realistic so the graphics can shine" so we got people with clothes.

[@mariaPapagi]

@@SuperMaster000X yeees. I’m so curious! I want to know what the hell happened to end up with these designs

[@chuntsechien]

how crazy is that, even Genji is wearing all grey, but when you put him in the greyscale, you still have the highlights, not Concord.

[@ramsey_ajr1702]

And what’s funny is that’s not even the default skin in game, if he’d have seen those legs he woulda geeked

[@Larke_]

​@@ramsey_ajr1702 truee genji ow1 design is goated

[@orcbum]

@@Larke_ honestly all ow1 designs beat ow2 designs, some to a larger margin than others

[@Larke_]

@orcbum I don't agree, tracer and widow for example I much prefer ow2's designs

[@hilosky]

​@@Larke_ I think both of them were better in 1 because I prefer it simpler. For ow2 they started with ow 1 designs and tacked more stuff on.

[@foxelby108]

its so fun how the concord devs told us that we are incompetent. but when a real competent person like you talks, they have to just shut up and take notes

[@sungrandstudios]

Their supporters have been getting mad and attacking me in comments and on Twitter. Weird.

[@foxelby108]

@@sungrandstudios anyway i have to thank you for this video i learned some things about game developing that i didnt know about, im still young and i choose another path different from game dev, but if i will reconsider my choice in future, your advice will be for sure useful!

[@mckinleyostvig7135]

No actually they cancelled him and made it so he can't volunteer at his time at a hospital anymore so...

[@renemartinez3451]

28:13 “For the sake of fairness, I decided to critique my IRL character design as well.” This man has integrity.

[@milesv5579]

Concord is garbage. He's trying hard to not shit on it the the whole video

[@rustyshaklford9557]

He's dressed like a waiter at a steak restaurant, but it seems to work for him.

[@QuantumPurple]

@@rustyshaklford9557it’s a clean character, lots of ppl use irl

[@demontferrat]

@@rustyshaklford9557there is a reason waiters wear that, nobody would want to go to a steak house where the waitress is using the Concord designs. Usually in reception, you chose the best fitting clothes and designs, that is the first thing you will see.

[@erwins_arm]

​@@milesv5579he's making fun of it by doing just that It's called (forgot word)

[@firstnamelastname4752]

Those weird 'fabric tubes' on every single character in Concord is such a strange design choice. They clearly have no function, and yet it is a universal clothing design? It also triggers my disgust response when it looks like intestines, like on the shoulders of the red disco lady and the lizard man. Reminds me of Witcher season 1 where the clothes designer made Niilfgard armor have that wrinkly-skin aesthetic that was so obviously unappealing but somehow made it into the end product. Concord reeks of 'designers that aren't allowed to be told no'.

[@sungrandstudios]

The fabric tubes could be "plumbing". In space stations, they use the toilet matter as insulation against solar radiation. I think we figured it out... I suspect you are spot on about the artists not being able to be told "no".

[@Alexzerian]

exactly what I thought of as well, the intestinal look made me sick to my stomach.

[@hawoaliahmed6996]

unironicaly the intention was to make the nilfgardian armor look like a scrotum. it still baffle me tp this day

[@doomspud6302]

Most of Concord's characters have a very similar design language to the Grineer from Warframe. Everything is rounded and asymmetrical, with very few straight lines. And most of the metal/plastic parts are more organic looking than mechanical. Even their guns tend to be strangely lumpy. This works for the Grineer, because they're supposed to be unpleasant, since they're one of the main bad guy factions. You're supposed to be disgusted by them, so its more satisfying to shoot them. But, using those same intentionally off putting design choices on the heroes you're supposed to like, simply doesn't work. Plus, DE wasn't afraid to lean fully into the Grineer's botched clone body horror aspect. While Concord seems to be afraid to make anything that might look slightly threatening. So the Grineer actually come across as hideous monsters, while Concord characters are just strange and confusing to look at.

[@DinDeen]

I can't unsee the intestines!

[@mr.voidout4739]

Overwatch: Flashy, metallic ascetics that makes use of the whole color spectrum. Concord: Bland, plastic, pastel colors existing primarily of yellow and green. Horrible contrast.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Most woke trash uses the same color/art style.

[@great_based_one]

Yeah, that's what bothering me the most. Palette in Concord is absolutely vomit inducing and combined with plastic, well... everything it makes characters look like walking soap bars

[@StarRain6]

Overwatch is just disney style, Concord is more gritty sci-fi like that Guardians of the Galaxy game.

[@ghostavinci104]

27:24 What the hell is that? Since when does Michael Jackson become a girl and go to space?

[@ghostavinci104]

​@@StarRain6Overwatch does work like Disney animation and I love it very much.

[@donmauricio2845]

Bro really just looked at Genji shoes and knew exactly what his playstyle is about💀, I don't know what that speaks better if about the character desing or him, Genji is literally a character that does parkour, has a double jump and dashes. This guy really knows what he is talking about. After finishing the video I can just say you just teached me much more than some professors of my college, I have found myself looking at my desings under the rules you just talked about in this video, you also seem so nice person👍

[@kawabatayuri]

Not only he knows what he is talking, but also Genji is well designed. Its like Scout from TF or Wraith from Apex, you can tell these 3 characters are highly mobile with parkour gimmick just from the way they dress, they use lightweight clothes and they pose with athletic poses on their art. The android from concord apparently has Stealth gimmick but she doesnt dress in any stealth attire at all other than her visor that gives a spy feel, other than that none of her attire or movement indicate any stealth

[@Luigi_Productions]

He literally saw two lines of green and said: "yeah this man does parkour"

[@ytho3505]

Wife: Babe, wake up! It’s that guy in a suit roasting Concord again. Me: Grab me some pop corn! I’m in!

[@SynnJynn]

😂😂😂

[@Hoacakes]

Lmaoo

[@jacewarbeck9684]

Overwatch also uses colours for personality - Tracer is vibrant, that's why she is orange for example.

[@IceFireofVoid]

Not to mention the visual shorthand of yellow being used frequently throughout the support character designs while purple comes back a lot in characters associated with the Talon faction. It's not applied 100% of the time but it's consistent enough to deduce a lot about the character's role and affiliations just by the visuals.

[@milesv5579]

She's literally a Tracer

[@augusthare]

I don't play Overwatch but for Symmetra clothes, she looks like she's wearing a stylised - futuristic sari which is very cool design choice

[@MVLasagna]

Yup! In the lore she’s from Hyderabad, India and her whole thing is that she mixes her light bending technology with the movements of traditional Indian dances.

[@augusthare]

@@MVLasagna I know she's Indian by the design alone but that dance thing now makes it more interesting!

[@Danny-mp8dq]

I know a lot of people like to shit on Concord alot because of it's "diverse" character designs but if there's one thing that Overwatch does right, it's how to create diverse characters who feel like they aren't just there to tick boxes Zenyatta and Rammatra are wearing traditional Tibet monk clothes. Illari is dressed liked an Incan warrior. Reinhardt looks like a knight. Even Genshin Impact does this with better with Sumeru characters wearing traditional Middle Eastern clothing Tldr Characters in Overwatch feel like their own people and characters in Concord feel like a

[@gorgeouszan]

@@Danny-mp8dq It's the difference between designing a game with good gameplay in mind then adding diversity vs designing a game with diversity in mind and gameplay comes after.

[@KopperNeoman]

@@gorgeouszan Symmetra isn't Diverse, she's Indian.

[@pink_parade2900]

Tracer is also a masterclass in proportion manipulation. It uses both naturally long legs and high cropped jacket to exaggerate the proportions of legs which emphasises her speed.

[@homersimpson90210]

It’s a bit corny to say, but the biggest difference I can see between the Concord cast and the Overwatch cast is how much love the artists and designers had for their characters. How many hundreds of hours were poured into Tracer, Mei, Winston, Widowmaker, Soldier76 and the rest bleeds through the screen. Concord spent 8 years in development, but it doesn’t look like 8 years worth of love to me.

[@_Just_John]

I bet Concord spent 6 years as an idea in a shelf.

[@danieln6700]

Overwatch characters are really good tbh. There is some good looking and designed one. Concords are like a student knows how to make basic design but not do the finishing touches and details that actually make it good.

[@quantumwitcher9376]

This comment makes zero sense. So because you don't like the designs, suddenly the artist and designers don't have love for their characters?

[@JI-eq3zq]

@@quantumwitcher9376 I think the artists and designers may have had some love for the statistic they were trying to represent WITH those characters, rather than any love for a particular character in the roster. Which is why the design for each one becomes extremely bland very quickly, they just wanted to get across that this person is (whatever representation) and everything else was just whatever. AND/OR - they are really bad designers and lack some fundamental, foundational understanding of various concepts, but thought because something looks shiny when rendered in UE5 they were actually artists. I'm thinking probably a bit of both.

[@JinxMarionette]

>Sees Symetra Ugh this is excellent. SAME

[@jonbaxter2254]

Yeah, she's a babe.

[@emma6648]

@@jonbaxter2254Gooner weirdo yet again

[@emma6648]

@@jonbaxter2254I can tell a woman never liked you

[@naruto16112]

Lmao single mom behavior

[@Lunyore]

​@emma6648 Its objectively true, you hypocrite. Just because no one called you that doesn't mean you should bash the man.

[@dunsparce4prez560]

Yikes. I thought Big Bertha and Michelle Jackson were legit names until we got to Lieutenant Tupperware.

[@Just_Kumoki]

Another thing that Overwatch character design has over Concord is the use of clear archetypes on the characters, Reinhardt is a paladin, Symmetra is a dancer, Tracer is a pilot, Genji is a ninja. Even if the archetype is not part of the gameplay it gives you a clear start point on what to think about their personality and story.

[@sungrandstudios]

Well said.

[@brightlight5922]

I'd call it very boring and uninspired result of market analysis to use the most popular archetypes with a sprinkle of candy SciFi on it to grab as much cash as possible. The most soulless way to create characters

[@TornaitSuperBird]

@@brightlight5922Are you referring to Concord or Overwatch?

[@codmv2]

@@TornaitSuperBird Clearly overwatch, its so sanded down and corpo. Although technically it's well-excecuted it's entirely soulless, driven not by artistic intent but by corporate number-crunching

[@TornaitSuperBird]

@@codmv2 And what games would be the opposite of soulless in your opinion? If you could even consider any hero shooter to have a soul?

[@AkamoriRivals]

As an artist, who is HEAVILY inspired by video game character design, please keep doing this. Do it with every game. Never stop. Ever.

[@sungrandstudios]

I appreciate that, but one day I will be dead and I will have to stop. Until then, you can request games and characters.

[@tuba3000]

@@sungrandstudios Not if someone out there invents immortality!

[@mllarson]

@@sungrandstudios Just do what I do: assume you are immortal until proven otherwise!

[@KingKrouch]

​@@sungrandstudios You should take a look at Zenless Zone Zero and Blue Archive's character designs. They're fairly unique looking.

[@ghostavinci104]

41:49 Android 99 who looks nothing like Android 18 or 8.

[@gabbycotto4024]

It all comes down to role conveyance. People tend to overemphasize the quote from valve about designing every TF2 character to be recognizable through silhouette alone, but that is the ideal to strive for. Superheroes and video game characters need to be stylish if not fully stylized and their abilities/play style/demeanor needs to be readily & boldly declared through their appearance. The tank should be wide and bulky or carrying a bunch of recognizable defensive equipment, the skirmishes should be lean and athletic and zipping around when they move, the healer needs to be bright, mellow, and appealing. Most of the characters of Concord dress like hobos camping out of a Walmart parking lot with one or two pieces of stolen police gear. They barely look fight-ready let alone show what role they play at a glance.

[@sungrandstudios]

I agree with this. TF2 did it so right in such a clear way. It takes significant effort to get it so wrong.

[@EbonMaster]

I think its not so black and white as you CAN have characters that subvert that (like Moira looking super sinister but still being mostly a healer) but even then it should be a clear subversion and not just level out to zero like Concord's designs do. And I'll also say that its probably a bad idea to have your starting roster subvert expectations in this way. You probably want a good, solid foundation first before you start getting fancy imo.

[@sahabatgamerID]

Well said

[@BlueBD]

@@EbonMaster Moria is an off-Medic She can Heal but in actual play Healing is obviously not what she is mainly designed for she is primarily a DPS with Healing. Which is why her looks fits. she's more geared towards Harming then Healing.

[@EbonMaster]

@@BlueBD eh, when I played her it was supposed to be 50/50 at most and she *is* still a support last i checked. Also besides Mercy pretty much every support should be dealing damage at some point, no? Either way I'd say you're right that her design does convey that she's got DPS capabilities as well as healing and that she is is quite good at the hurting side of things.

[@iophil]

Dude your clothes has better character design than concord

[@Ahntera-n4u]

Also game art dev here. I love you mentioned the material definition (and the lack of it in Concord) and also logical layering with Overwatch Characters. In regards to Concord the designs remind me more of kids playing superheroes at home with whatever they have. Plastic bins for helmet etc. I think it is always such a waste when people don't take advantage of nowadays rendering and possibilities with materials Another Edit: almost all the designs in Overwatch put your focus quickly on the upper body where the action is in a shooter. Most have darker legs. Even though Tracer has this attention seeking orange on her legs, around her upper body the rest of her design is separated so at least you have that reference point and she is the speedster and has a strong running animation so the attention on her legs is nice.

[@Janehaver]

I'm no game art dev, but character design is my absolute favorite type of art and it's what I mostly consume or learn from for myself. from everything I have learnt, I am actually just baffled that pros worked on these designs. Color palette alone is just against everything I have learnt, nothing leading your eye to emphasis on their signature weapon or hairstyle or...I guess it just shows lack of character building actually because you can't design if you don't know who the characters are. But...wow...you probably have more insight in the industry but I just don't understand 😅.

[@notfunnydidntlaugh68]

Legs 🤤

[@TheG_Boy]

Coughing Baby VS Atomic Bomb

[@Lunyore]

😂😂

[@apollyon4529]

In lore overwatch is a team of elite heroes from all across the world and you get that from their designs, they all stand out, all look unique, and most importantly look like they could be the main character to each of their own stories. Idk concord lore but it literally looks like a bunch of npc enemies, none of them look interesting or unique or fun, they're just meh.

[@sungrandstudios]

Thanks for sharing that. That makes sense and you really can see that heroic aspect in the characters!

[@winzyl9546]

What do you mean big bertha can't be a main character? What teenage gamer doesn't want to be big bertha.

[@johnernest5843]

>team of elite heroes from all across the world and you get that from their designs See THAT is the diversity that the Concord characters only yearn for. Even without knowing much about Overwatch, the heroes all look different, unique, and heroic. I'm not smart enough to articulate the words, but Overwatch really does a lot of good character design invisibly

[@daanstrik4293]

@@winzyl9546Big bertha litterally looks like a bulldozer type enemy you’d mow down in a horde type game

[@Mrhouse-k1x]

​@@winzyl9546big Bertha looks like a walmart copy of The Heavy weapons guy

[@Just_a_Dragon69]

Yes Rainhard armor has padding, there is even a voice line when he crash against a wall "aaaggghh... this armor needs a little more padding"

[@MVLasagna]

You mentioned not knowing much about the OW heroes outside of their designs so I wanted to share one of my favorite details about Symmetra going from OW1 to OW2. Symmetra’s backstory is that she’s an architect that can bend light to make structures, in OW1 a lot of her voice lines are about bringing order to the world and how perfection is important. However in the comics and short stories Symmetra has started to realize that that obsession is misguided and that beauty can be found in the world’s imperfections. In OW1 she has her hair pulled back perfectly but in OW2 you can see a single strand of hair over her visor reflecting her character arc.

[@NoppyOwO]

ª

[@yogurtColombiano]

nice detail

[@TheAntlionGuard]

I really want him to review Team Fortress 2 character designs. It’s like the go-to for good video game character designs.

[@sungrandstudios]

I'll add that to my list to videos to make next. Thank you!

[@dirtpeanut1820]

@DeeaA.-qu2bn too many white men, they'd puke, cry, and scream.

[@jovyisbizarre6668]

​@DeeaA.-qu2bn hell yeah I don't mind what people said the "woke" or like colored. Somehow androgynous characters as long as they're striking and good designed. I don't like the aliens especially the lizard guy because he just looks like a fucking green dude with spikes. No lizard head just a green dude and it's boring I want aliens that look like aliens if u know what I mean

[@XnathOW]

​@@jovyisbizarre6668 They try so hard to make diverse characters, yet they somehow just make stereotypical characters...

[@Jonkin715]

TF 2 is amazing from a character design point.

[@Yattayatta]

Symetra really looks cool, the color schemes are so pleasing to look at.

[@sungrandstudios]

Yeah, she's awesome.

[@mattd5857]

Something is striking me about the Concord designs is that they feel like they are designed to be extras in a sci-fi movie. The muted tones with mismatched looking gear and odd equipment. The sorts of looks a costume department throws together quickly to fill out a crowd. It feels like these characters were meant to fill out a Star Wars cantina scene, looking strange and exotic but also not standing out from the crowd to avoid drawing attention from the main characters.

[@havcola6983]

I think they were going for something like Mobius designs, which were indeed a large influence on sci fi movies in the 70s, like Star Wars and Alien (the space suits, not the Geiger stuff) etc. But those designs were rarely front and center.

[@AnonymousCoward3000]

I am not here to hate on anything. Just here to learn from a pro.

[@xolotltolox7626]

Well if you don't acknowledge things as bad you can never learn what is good

[@FungalBunghole]

Nobody asked😊

[@FungalBunghole]

Nobody asked

[@FungalBunghole]

Nobody asked

[@Gohan-Bestia]

Nobody asked you 3 times

[@flowapowa4307]

I love watching professionals geek out on things in their expertise, so watching Jerrel enjoying the overwatch designs was pretty wholesome.

[@enzo4497]

One thing worth mentioning is that Overwatch characters' abilities colours also match their design in a very nice way. Tracer, for example, has a light blue glow for her blinks and recall. It's something you only notice playing, but helps the design

[@ninjartist36]

Jerrel analyzing Overwatch character design: This Sparks Joy Jerrel analyzing Concord Character designs: This does not spark joy

[@ZahrDalsk]

I like how around 05:40 you can see him struggle desperately not to say nightmare

[@Upstart051]

In the first minute he was also struggling not to call the Concord characters “ugly”

[@Darkkfated]

He made a vow to take a drink IRL every time he says "visual nightmare" in any future videos, as a method to keep himself in check. ;)

[@Keldiur]

It's not only colour detail that works in Overwatch for visual clarity. They took it from the best in TF2. For a competitive shooter where your actions depends on your reaction time, it's mainly the silhouette that holds the information you need. Colour gradients help first by isolating the character from the background, then help 3rd by hitbox positioning. The pivitol step though is when you see the outline it dictates how to engage. That is the second step. Concord's characters are even confusing on their silhouettes because there Is a lack of unique features on some heroes. In Overwatch, most of the female cast have the same body model. Yet Symm design is angular while tracers is sleek. Ash has a squared up posture while firing while Widowmaker stands angular and runs straighter. All these differences so recognition can become instinctual.

[@sungrandstudios]

This is a great comment. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Especially in the Hero Shooter genre, knowing the enemy archetype informs how you should engage.

[@KopperNeoman]

In general, unless you're building characters of different heights or species, (and with heights you can accomplish some things with simple scaling) you only need two general rigs: Male and Female. Everything else can be expressed through animations and models.

[@gracecalis5421]

I like that you can pinpoint when exactly he goes back to analyzing the Concord design to the left by just how much his voice and figure deflates

[@DiranJiru]

My take on the differences here is that while the Overwatch characters look like heroes and with a style to them, Concord characters look like people just dressing like they would if they were going to work, which I for one, appreciate the idea. Unfortunately, I think the idea was used in the wrong context. If I'm playing a 'Hero Shooter' I want to play a heroic looking player, not someone who's just doing another day of work.

[@desislavvelchev8728]

It's not even that their costumes are mundane either: the outfits are still extremely weird, like you're looking at a parody of high fashion with the colors bleached out. Like Michelle's outfit will literally poke your eyes out if she passes you on the street and one of them has a bucket on their head...

[@GabrielRamos-jq5hj]

The effort this guy put to hide his frustration is incredible . Any other person would just say the designs are trush, but he does his best to be respectful and give constructive criticism from an artistic view

[@lambertlum1087]

Such politeness. We can all learn from this man how to be better speakers who speak truth when the truth hurts.

[@yagamijubei28]

nearly 47 minutes of beating around the bush to say what we already know. concord character designs suck. he went so far as to take a polite Jab at Emari and call her Big Bertha.

[@ruok-l5t]

Because he is a fraud

[@lambertlum1087]

@@ruok-l5t Fraud? What did he get wrong? It sounded like legitimate advice to me.

[@ruok-l5t]

@@lambertlum1087 He doesn’t add knowledge that’s not already covered in the basics. He’s just saying what people want to hear. Credibility is important. You just have to look at his own work and designs to see that this guy is not a pro. His games and character designs are terrible. He consumes information, but doesn’t have the actual skills

[@doomspud6302]

One of the main things I have always respected about Overwatch character designs, is that they really understand how to properly balance bright colors with neutral colors. Like how Reinhardt is almost nothing but shades of grey, with a tiny bit of yellow detailing. Or How Symmetra is almost entirely black and white, with one big chunk of blue, and some gold trim. I always love that kind of design, Where its almost entirely different shades of the same basic color, because it allows the actual shape of the character to shine through much more. Whenever I'm making color schemes in games like Armored Core or Warframe, I usually end up liking that kind of color scheme the most, because it doesn't obscure the nice model I'm using as my canvas. Like, I love using bright orange and white together, because it looks fast and dangerous. But, for that to work, you also need to have a lot of black or dark grey to balance it out. Otherwise, it just ends up being overwhelming. So, a lot of the time, I'll actually use dark grey as the primary color, and save the orange and white for detailing. Which if done right, can still make a very bright and flashy color scheme, without becoming gaudy and obnoxious. Meanwhile, one of Concord's many problems, is how they almost never use anything neutral. Grey and black especially are barely present on any characters. Instead they tend to use strange colors like beige or pale green where they should have used grey or black. That's what creates that effect where so many of their schemes have both too much, and not enough color at the same time. Like Roka, the one with the rocket launcher. She has like 5 different shades of beige, tan, brown, and green across her suit, yet she looks almost colorless. Though, since the physical models of the Concord characters aren't good either, simply putting a more balanced color scheme over them still doesn't help much. They need to actually have interesting details to accent, before you can accent them with interesting color choices.

[@HomerNarr]

On Overwatch: The character creation was incredibly detailed. Not only just the visuals. The heroes had created personalities and backstories. You should also watch the character videos Blizzard has done. Even Bastion a robot got a sweet emotional introduction. The OW heroes do not exist in a vacuum. Bevor the game came out the world was known. Something not mentioned are the stances of Reinhard and Symetra. Reinhard projects strength by his stance alone. Symetra has hints of an indian stance. Watch the lowered hand and the signs it does. And the lifted arm, which are from indian depictions of mythologic entities. her hip is tilted to break symmetrie. (lol) Projects sovereignty. Tracer: Look at that powerful stance. Looking at you, feet apart stabile stance clenched fists, ready to jump at you right now. And then Genji: Right away he has a powerstance. "Got any issue? Come at me!". Again: OW Heroes are NOT just excellent visual designs. Blizzard created great personalities. - Great visual designs. - The stances and postures are projecting power. - they have a complete detailed backstory shown in excellent short movies. - excellent voicelines that emphasize the characters. Reinhard is german therefore has a thick german accent. Tracer is a bubbly funny young woman underlined by her voice. Symetra radiates "coolness". Genji as japanese cyborg has a japanese accent. The OW heroes have full fledged personalities. And not just those you introduced. "Mercy" has a swiss german accent since she is from switzerland. Angelic Wings, she is the archetype of a healer. She can resurrect fallen comrades accompanied by her voice line "Heroes never die". You really should look deeper into this. When the game begins you can identify with them. You know them. Good characters are not just good graphic designs, they are personalities created to tell a story. EDIT: at any give time, blizzard could release comics and an animated series and tell hero stories on TV or movie screen.

[@papagaiu]

The new character "Juno" has her own animated story, where she has to leave Mars for safety reasons and goes to Earth, and with that the story connects Overwatch characters like Mei, and not only that, but conversations, speeches and emotes that give even more personality

[@jjt171]

keep in mind bastion ISNT JUST a robot. every other game I've ever played with a robot just has them be the typical robot voice. very dull and robotic which while realistic, has no personality. they sound the same when they're excited, scared, happy, or sad. but bastion honestly feels like a puppy. I mean have you ever heard him when he needs healing? he sounds like a whiny puppy! he's so cute and precious. it's so impressive how much personality bastion has by just beeps and boops. like, the concord robot really just seems to be just that. bastion is a character who just also happens to be a robot. there's a huge difference.

[@papagaiu]

@@jjt171 I also think he's really cute and nice, and there's also Wrecking Ball, which is a hamster that translates your noises into voice in your mecha.

[@drexnog1905]

As an aspiring videogame creator this is really educational, I'm not the most artistically creative person, I'm more of a technical person, I'm good at maths, coding, calculating geometry, engineering solutions etc.. but I struggle to do anything that is not a technical endeavor, painting, music, character design, writting, storytelling, etc.. Listening how these desing rules apply to the characters helps me understand character design as a technical endeavor, thus making it easier for me, thanks

[@ypesie]

I would 100% wacth a full video on the whole OW character roster! It could be 8 hours and I'd still watch, this is greatcontent!!!

[@SKINNY_HUMAN]

0:12 DUDE HAS THE BEST POKER FACE EVER 😂

[@sungrandstudios]

Guess I should try my luck at Vegas, huh?

[@SKINNY_HUMAN]

@@sungrandstudios for sure 🤣

[@nick4754]

​@@sungrandstudiosYou might be in the wrong profession, you'd make more profit then Concord as a poker player I almost guarantee you that

[@apepchoko]

This part make me lol too, what a master of disguise 😂

[@Dan_the_Hobbit]

Wake up new Sungrand Studios video just dropped

[@rlmush]

While I agree with everything, I do think it would have been fairer to use Overwatch’s in game 3D models too for this comparison- As their 2D character portraits are far more stylised and graphic. Not that I think it would change the outcome because that other game is ghastly to look at, but it’s a little unfair

[@SainKail]

bro born to say ''their design is ugly asf '' but forced to say ''quite weak, not gonna lie''

[@claytoncampbell6419]

The design of Concord character makes me think they were supposed to be in an like an RPG. They all have the consistent labor worker vibe. Almost like they originally stated to make a mass effect style game collecting characters on your ship as you explored a different areas of the galaxy. I wonder if they were all salvaged from another scrapped game.

[@johnernest5843]

>I wonder if they were all salvaged from another scrapped game. Gonna have to come back to your comment in a few months and see how close to the bullseye you are

[@guilhermevalente708]

Concord designs look like silly side-characters. Overwatch designs look like actual heroes and amaze players

[@SolasLunas]

id love to see a breakdown of Overwatch designs because its the games strongest feature

[@igordemelo4128]

Every Overwatch character has body modification (enhancements) or armour. The developers did not take this so seriously tho, twisting what a "body enhancement" means: a hiper intelligent monkey; a dna-modified person that evaporates his atoms to look like a ghost... This makes the entire roster cohesive too.

[@sungrandstudios]

Ahhh thanks for sharing that. I didn't know that. It explains why the whole roster in OW has so much cohesion in a satisfying way.

[@ДьулусСтручков-крутой]

You lying. You two talenteles freaks.

[@ДьулусСтручков-крутой]

You two lying freaks.

[@ДьулусСтручков-крутой]

You lying.

[@SecureBirch410]

​​​@@ДьулусСтручков-крутойWho doesn't then? I think maybe ana might be an exception? But she's old so maybe it makes sense

[@ryell0913]

After watching your concord character review i was hoping you would compare it to overwatch considering the similarities. Edit: Doing a review on himself was peak.

[@sungrandstudios]

Hope you enjoy the video! This topic got a lot of requests.

[@ChaoticMartian]

This man is based

[@animemonsterx]

i really want to see all characters from overwatch and all from concord explained like this, this was quite fun to watch

[@iromez1812]

i heard _"Concord is a award winning, universally beloved, best selling, most played"_ and almost clicked off the video. U had me there for a second 😆

[@Louiessss]

The Character selection satire had me dying🤣I didnt know they added a new character to Concord after the release

[@rah9722]

Something I've realized is whenever I look at the concord characters I subconciously avoid their faces while for overwatch my subconscious is automatically drawn to the face, I'd love for an expert to explain

[@Jet-ij9zc]

He explained it a bit around 28 minutes. There's arrows in the designs, arrows point to something so you look where the arrow point. In OW the arrows generally point towards their eyes while in concord it pointed toward their forehead/hair

[@Jeff-tt7wj]

And, let’s be honest, almost none of them have faces that are pleasing to look at.

[@rustyshaklford9557]

Expert here; they're black.

[@LuznoLindo]

@@rustyshaklford9557 Sad how you think you'll go far thinking of a whole group of people that way.

[@SumitShrivastava17]

​@@rustyshaklford9557What. Skin Color has nothing to do with it, hell the example of Symmetra herself is a Person of Color. Bap, Lucio and so many others have proper visual flows to them. Skin color has nothing to do with how bland Concord Characters are.

[@jacobmeyer4959]

Video breaking down the entire Overwatch cast please? LOL. I found this so fascinating, Thanks for the video!

[@NiohArcadia]

28:10 For someone who doesn't think they're funny you sure are halarious. I like the breakdown. My favorite part of the breakdown "I'm gonna do a little bit of dlc now."

[@sungrandstudios]

Thanks for watching and enjoying the video. I'll keep 'em coming.

[@gabrielchin4161]

Could you do something similar for Deadlock? It's Valve's hero shooter that just released recently. And it seems to have more players compared to Concord. I'd love if you could go into why people like Deadlock's character design more than Concord.

[@sungrandstudios]

Sure, I will do that. Thank you for the request.

[@gabrielchin4161]

@@sungrandstudios awesome, looking forward to it👍

[@sahabatgamerID]

​@@sungrandstudios thank you. Will be waiting for the video

[@JJay7042]

OMG yes!

[@BlueBD]

It has more active players, and a higher peak... yet the game is INVITE ONLY. Their is only 2 ways into the game. Valve invites you, or a player valve invited invites you(Which also extends to you, you also get free invite when you get invited) So while its technically open its a private Alpha test that has over 160k players. While Concord on their Open Public Beta has less then 2k

[@regulator18E]

Yo that intro though 😂 But man you are a master class in destruction with professionalism. Youre right, nothing you say is insulting or with malice; youre just breaking it down and the results speak for itself. Also super educational. Im not artistic by any means, i hardly ever think about the intent behind designs, but wow youve really opened my eyes to how much intent and thought goes into a good design. Bravo friend, keep up the education, im here for it

[@sungrandstudios]

I appreciate that and am glad you're here. A GOOD developer understands that gamers can detect and appreciate the intent and work that goes into a game, even it is on a subconscious level. A GOOD developer knows gamers aren't stupid and treats their work with respect.

[@Midahwashere]

well now i need to see you reviewing every overwatch character your excitement and energy is contagious i swear

[@Midahwashere]

i felt like you were gonna have an "organisnm" when you were reviewing genji's lines 😭

[@TheHighborn]

>Cheer love, the cavalry is here >sticks nade on the enemies back >reverses time. Character is fun on a conceptual level

[@minhkieu21]

Ayo another round of character design talk.

[@sungrandstudios]

I'm team Lieutenant Tupperware.

[@akimbofresh8109]

@@sungrandstudios Ok Cpt. Clown Shoes

[@mattwhitedev]

The overwatch characters are beautiful the concord ones are not. It's educational to talk about color balance for sure, but at the end of the day a game is about selling a fantasy and no one wants the fantasy of being these concord characters. Incidentally, I had not seen Overwatch in some years and Symmetra is such an incredibly striking character, seeing her next to Concord person is jarring, the gap in design chops is just wild in my opinion

[@tuba3000]

Color balance, tonal values and such are part of what makes a character beautiful and interesting. Idk why you’re acting like they don’t matter that much.

[@mattwhitedev]

@@tuba3000 they do matter. but if you recolored tupperwear person or non descript rocket launcher girl or yondu copy from guardians of the galaxy or lasertag guy or any of the others in the cast to have the best possible color theory, they still wouldn't be inspiring characters that pull people in the way overwatch characters do, if you say otherwise I just can't disagree more strongly. In short, the concord characters, with the possible exception of the android in a suit (which I think is a decent design), aren't salvageable by recoloring. They need to be redesigned from the ground up (which isn't going to happen, but that's what it would take).

[@tuba3000]

@@mattwhitedev My point is that even if the face is pretty, if the rest isn’t, it’ll be a boring design. And the face is part of the design and color balance and all that other stuff. Makeup can add color and tones. The shape can add shadows and character. An ugly character won’t make people not want to play as them. Plently of monsters out there are ugly and yet people always seem to call them cool. Crazy how that works. Discount yondu is 100% save-able by not even changing his face but everything else around it. That’s literally what the video was about. It’s not just moving colors around and I have a feeling you don’t quite understand that.

[@mattwhitedev]

@@tuba3000 it's not just the face, it's the entire character. You can't recolor lasertag guy into being an inspiring or interesting design, I promise. I double dog promise. also I never once mentioned the face as the sole problem in any of these, nor did I even mention the word "face" at any point. you made up something then started arguing against it. in fact the only character in concord I highlighted as one that I thought was good doesn't even freaking have a face lol

[@tuba3000]

@@mattwhitedev alright you completely misunderstood what I said..

[@castlewells1]

Hey Sungrand Studios, I hope you get a chance to read this; I’ve been playing Overwatch since before Overwatch 2 launched, and I have mixed feelings about the designs of the newer heroes. In my opinion, the heroes from Overwatch 1 (like Roadhog, Junkrat, Symmetra, Ana, Zenyatta, etc.) felt more diverse and unique in their designs compared to the more recent Overwatch 2 characters (Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Sojourn, Illari, Junkerqueen, and now Juno). One thing I’ve noticed is that many of these new heroes share similar traits: slim, muscular, 'attractive' bodies, and overly 'perfect' faces. Personally, it feels like they’re leaning into the 'attractive' design trend, almost as if they’re drawing inspiration from Valorant. I can't help but think characters like Roadhog or Torbjorn wouldn’t be released in Overwatch 2 because they don’t fit the generic attractiveness that we see with heroes like Kiriko or Juno. I’d love to see a video where you compare the Overwatch 1 characters to the Overwatch 2 heroes. I hope to hear your thoughts:) - overwatch gamer and undergrad animation student

[@porpoise8160]

Venture is the 2nd newest character tho?

[@castlewells1]

@@porpoise8160 yea thats true i didnt consider that, but haven't you noticed how many skins are released for kiriko, dva or sombra, meanwhile venture doesn't get any? it's just to me personally i feel like they're praising the more attractive heroes and giving them all the attention rather than the more "unattractive" ones which sit in dust.

[@zer0doughnuts]

I have to say thank you for the tip regarding the viewing the character models in greyscale. I find it quite surprising how much that puts the visual design/composition of artwork into focus. Subconsciously there was a lot I understood regarding the use of tones, textures, and visual flow that would make it into any of my art, but the simplicity of just removing hue from the equation entirely just makes the whole thing immediately make sense on a conscious level. It just clicked! I find it very telling that once you remove the color from the Concord designs they almost look exactly how I would picture them without texture & materials in some engine editor or modelling software. As you have said quite often they are quite tonally flat. It is such a simple trick yet it works so unbelievably well!

[@misha6699]

I agree. I wouldn't call myself an artist, but to me the "grayscale" function in a graphics program was simply to save toner on printouts, other than that it was a filter I never really saw a use for. Until I watched this series and then, like you, it clicked for me. There was something about the color composition of the Concord characters that really put me off and I couldn't put my finger on it. Until he turned on the grayscale and explained it.

[@ksy6177]

When i see Reinhardt, the words come to mind : knight, strength, brotherhood, lion heart, power, honor When i see Big Bertha, uninspired,tired, trapped, rubber, hockey suit, lump of green, blob It's not that the character cant be fat. But i feel u need to put extra efforts to conveying the message there is a hidden strength, maybe thru her eyes design?

[@sungrandstudios]

I agree. I think Reinhardt is my favorite design because of those Lions.

[@PMARC14]

You should look up Gibraltar from Apex Legends, such a contrast in design

[@OBSDCC7]

Which is why the fat Overwatch characters still work like Roadhog or Mei. They’re designed as an interesting character FIRST, and not just “well we need to have representation for plus sized people!”

[@puffer_frog]

Speaking of fat.. When I see Roadhog, these words come to mind: bully, brutish, rugged, burly, rude, unrefined, intimidating When I see Daw (The fat guy with a blue jacket who is supposed to be a healer): nerd, discord moderator, random joe schmoe on the streets, wardrobe malfunction, harmless.

[@ferrishthefish]

@@OBSDCC7 The Tom Bombadil design (didn't make it into this vid sadly) is the worst offender in that regard. The lines on the jacket, creases on the pants, and curvature of the chest piece are all designed to emphasize the belly and make it look even bigger than it is. There is no conceivable reason to do that other than fake representation.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

The great thing about the OW designs is that everything about them is meant to communicate something to you. Like, Cassidy - you immediately know he's a cowboy, he has a revolver so precision is important. All the browns and earthy tones are meant to remind you of leather and old cowboy outfits. And there's the hat! Also, his revolver is this big silver and glowy blue thing. I bring this up to contrast with Lennox, because (like you said) his vest monopolizes so much focus. Also, and I just realized this while quickly looking over Cassidy, his revolvers sorta blend into the background on him? I just noticed that. I don't think the vest helps there.

[@sungrandstudios]

Thanks for sharing that. I'll look up Cassidy. I always like the cowboy style characters in games. They get to evoke the history of wild west in an interactive way.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

@@sungrandstudios you’re welcome! I’m also a big fan of cowboy stuff. And especially revolvers.

[@calvin10]

Every time when someone mentioned Cassidy, I think of McCree. And also all the crazy stuff happened in Blizzard. Its better not to change the name imo.

[@riatorex8722]

​@@calvin10 Yeah, I'm one of those who still calls him McCree, even though I am very well aware of the serious shits involving the guy whom the character's name is based on

[@KopperNeoman]

@@riatorex8722 By trying to rewrite history, the Socialist only invokes the Streisand Effect.

[@gingercultleader5500]

This is a good example of criticism. You point out areas and offer suggestions on how they could improve those areas. Very informative and interesting.

[@sungrandstudios]

Who is your favorite Overwatch character? Which character would you recommend I try if I play Overwatch for the first time.

[@ZimmerF1]

i reccomend Solider: 76, he is simple to use and a good start for beginners

[@MoistYoghurt]

@@ZimmerF1 I agree, but if your aim sucks there's venture and junkrat which are pretty good for dps. I would never recommend tank to anyone lmao it's a nightmare, but yea dps is the easiest to start with since you don't need to worry about healing or tanking

[@buddabudda]

Roadhog! He's fun, he's got a hook, and he's a big piggy!

[@NiohArcadia]

Pharah

[@BKDDY]

D.va because she likes A2M.

[@A_Dog_You_Know]

16:30 "Contrapposto Technique". Essentially its the tilt of the shoulders and hips to be perpendicular to each other rather than parallel. It doesnt have to always be used, but it gives that feeling of balance. It certainly makes characters feel more dynamic too, especially in stylized designs. Its also used in live action films, particularly cover art and posters. Also typically applied to female characters, but its not exclusive to them. Depends on "who" the character is.

[@dynamitevortex5292]

watching him swoon over the overwatch characters makes me want to see his reaction to the overwatch cinematics.

[@teflontava7102]

the way you describes art as "intent" is so smart and its really speaking to me. its like you finally described what i couldnt for years, its insane.

[@sungrandstudios]

I'm glad my video could help you in some way. I will keep up regular video uploads for both art and other game development topics. It's great to hear from you.

[@Rusty254]

Man I don't do design stuff at all. It's amazing to learn about a thing I don't like but can't put words to. Well done on that! Also the concord devs called people critical of the game "talentless freaks", so I very much enjoy a talented person pointing out why they're wrong and imo projecting.

[@michaell4034]

The main thing is Overwatch characters have mostly 8 heads body length. Concord used 7 heads. It's very hard to design short characters - they hire tall models because they look good even in plain clothes.

[@ryosama1988]

Captain Tupperware's outfit is kinda crazy! Who made that and think "THIS IS THE COOLEST FIT EVER CREATED!!"

[@lareolanKFP]

Thank you for the laughs! I absolutely loved your self-review of your own character design! Best laugh I had today, and still quite insightful. Honestly, I never realized how much work goes into a good character design, so much most of us feel subconsciously, but can't express if we see something off or wrong.

[@sungrandstudios]

It is over. Sony has shut down Concord: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5_CmX-Hqr9lqNk

[@bungobogus8132]

This is going down in history as one of the biggest triple A flops of all time, this has been wild.

[@Rher_the_Moon]

ITS OVER

[@EternalInquisitor]

Are you gonna get a refund for that $5 concord alt skin for yourself?

[@DemoNinja79]

Good riddance!

[@riazyusufkhan]

The irony behind one of the characters in Concord being a trash can like it is actually disposable.

[@kmr147]

Never stop reviewing character designs, these are gonna be gems

[@sungrandstudios]

I appreciate that. I'll try to focus on just looking at games on their own and not comparing to Concord. That way we can focus on the positive aspects.

[@Cyyanss]

Haven’t watched yet but wanted to mention that I really appreciate how you’ve chosen to present your thoughts in your content. It’s so refreshing to hear direct focused criticism/analysis over the usual “super energetic entertainment” oriented presentation normally seen over such topics. That other style is a great for a lot of people I’m sure but for me your approach is much more effective. Reminds me of my old college stats professor in a good way (I’m sure that sounds strange).

[@ushinkou8569]

That was THE most wholesome signing out in all of KZbin. 46:00

[@Chippaization]

right in the feels

[@bhirbmother5413]

i feel like in comparison the concord characters just look really… tired? feels like they’re exhausted and sick of life 😭

[@milesv5579]

I know the feeling...

[@babute21]

"Non white person criticises their shitty game", Developers: "Hey that's illegal"

[@sungrandstudios]

Looks like I found a loophole.

[@vbun4662]

Nobody is defending this 💩. A lot of the legit criticism is being drowned out by psychos. People latched on to the pronouns and the "go woke go broke" narrative before realizing the designs are just universally unappealing and it never needed to get that far.

[@Megalon-qc8pf]

I’m scared to fully share my opinions on woke culture online due to being online. But I did notice the lack of white people

[@milesv5579]

The Woke criticism is true but it does cover a lot of other issues gameplay for example.

[@mikubrot]

@@vbun4662 as a "Woke" myself yeah these designs are dogshit.

[@ochunks8624]

would be cool to see your thoughts on fighting games characters and some of their redesigns in later games and whether they are successful or not.

[@kurikuraconkuritas]

also a good character design must have a solid established personality so the design flows from within and then outwards.

[@sungrandstudios]

You are absolutely right. Having strong, well written characters is vital even before starting the visual aspects.