feedback Armored Bearger's Art feels lacking

[-Variant]

This is a personal take, one I've seen a few others having.

Personally, I feel the design of the Armored Bearger falls behind next to the other 3 Mutants introduced.
I think it has to do with the eyes, if I were to throw darts.

The Frog, Varg, and Deerclops all have vastly unique effects and changes done to the eyes, but Bearger remains the same.
Bearger's design is mostly that of default, with armor coverings. Her fur has been mostly left alone, aside from a darker hue.

The design feels like it falls behind when compared to the others, both in the fantasy elements and the gore.
Additionally, unlike the others, there's no real genuine wave-y Gestalt effects going on, only the Corpse Gestalt appearing when she's stunned.

Something to note is that the backside is very bland, too.
The only thing that visually tells it apart from default is the armored claws.

I have no real suggestion as to whether it should be taken in a gore-y or a fantasy approach, but I felt the need to share some feelings I had over the design.

[Theukon-dos]

If you think about it. Shouldn't Armored Bearger be bald?

 

Deerclops drops it's eye. So once it's reanimated, it no longer has an eye and now has an ice spike jutting through it's skull where it used to be.

 

And Bearger drops it's pelt on defeat. Therefore, once reanimated, Bearger should loose all it's fur and run around naked. Or the fur could be replaced by moonglass or moonstone, thus explaining why it's now "armored bearger"

[Golden Daemon]

13 minutes ago, Theukon-dos said:

If you think about it. Shouldn't Armored Bearger be bald?

 

Deerclops drops it's eye. So once it's reanimated, it no longer has an eye and now has an ice spike jutting through it's skull where it used to be.

 

And Bearger drops it's pelt on defeat. Therefore, once reanimated, Bearger should loose all it's fur and run around naked. Or the fur could be replaced by moonglass or moonstone, thus explaining why it's now "armored bearger"

That makes sense and would be awesome if it was the case since it fits thematically but still very unlikely to happen sadly.

[skile]

1 hour ago, Theukon-dos said:

If you think about it. Shouldn't Armored Bearger be bald?

 

Deerclops drops it's eye. So once it's reanimated, it no longer has an eye and now has an ice spike jutting through it's skull where it used to be.

 

And Bearger drops it's pelt on defeat. Therefore, once reanimated, Bearger should loose all it's fur and run around naked. Or the fur could be replaced by moonglass or moonstone, thus explaining why it's now "armored bearger"

Armored Bearger, currently, still drops fur bits, so fur might be intended. Replacing the fur with moon stuff sounds interesting though. 

[goatt]

I like the rib cage theme. I think they should make it his main feature, and expand it to other body parts to make it look more morbid.

The eyes should also emit lunar vibe, just like deerclops and varg.

[BezKa]

3 minutes ago, goatt said:

and expand it to other body parts to make it look more morbid.

Poking out spine bones (in form of lunar glass) come to mind

[Furyestdestroyr]

I sorta agree that out of all of the mutated creatures, Bearager feels the weakest design wise. I do like the idea of the moon not changing things likes the shadows do, but rather reusing the bodies. I really want more body horror in this update. Something like mange could fit well.

Edit: props to theoken-dos for the bald idea

Spoiler

Disturbing bear image

 

[-Variant]

There was a typo in the title and no one told me. I'm so hurt.

8 minutes ago, Furyestdestroyr said:

Edit: props to theoken-dos for the bald idea

  Reveal hidden contents

Disturbing bear image

 

It's not loading/embeding!

30 minutes ago, BezKa said:

Poking out spine bones (in form of lunar glass) come to mind

Yes please! The spine/back area is really lacking.

[Jakepeng99]

I think Bearger's lower body is alright, but his upper body looks bare.

[SapoLover]

Absolutely, they toned the art down too much from the concepts seen in the rhyms with play stream.

Spoiler

Congrats to OP, they did a great job redacting their concern. I cannot find such a politely way to say my full opinion on this.

[Mike23Ua]

I kinda want it to look similar to the lunar Varg.

With this same purplish fur tint and white glowing mouth & eyes, they can even put the same crystal shard design on his forehead.. Idc, just make him look Moontated.

[Wonz]

"Drew like a dark, fricked up version of the bearger haha. Just a glimpse into my dark reality. A full stare into my twisted perspective would make most simply go insane lmao?"

Adding spikes is anti-peak of nice design. The armadillo bearger concept was so good and smooth.  

[Atkvin]

I kinda like the creepier vibe of the base bosses designs being perverted and retained with lunar elements protruding out of their carcasses, than just mutating them fully, but to each their own! I think the biggest flaw with the current design is just Bearger still having her angry narrowed eyes that makes her feel too alive and well though she's dead and possessed by a lunar spirit with some martial arts training.

[Spino43]

With clops and varg, you can really feel they are possessed.

With bearger, it just looks like he has fancy upgrades.

That's the problem, I don't feel like his corpse is being possessed at all.

[PerJacob]

To add to this, it doesn't help that the bosses have identical death animations. Bearger clenches his heart which doesn't really make since he's already dead. 

And there's a fact that if you kill a brightshade you can see gestalt leaving a plant and dying. I think it would really fit here as well. Am I expecting too much from Klei? Maybe.

[Szczuku]

I think the simplest way for devs to make bearger look creepy without having to drastically redraw everythink is probably to remove his stomach. Just make the glass ribs be his actual ribs exposed by the lack of a belly. During the possesion animation when the ribs grow his belly would just sink. And that's it

[goblinball]

I think giving bearger some horns would be cool

i know this is a lot more generic compared to some of your guys ideas but even if it’s a simpler addition I think it could work

you could also give his fur like some sort of lunar themed pattern to it that’d be neat

[landromat]

 

[. . .]

It looks like a basic recolor.. very uninspired and boring. One of the design sketches that had crystals on its head looked a lot better.

[Neu7ral]

On 9/30/2023 at 6:58 PM, Theukon-dos said:

If you think about it. Shouldn't Armored Bearger be bald?

Is one Thick Fur (and many Fur Tuft) equivalent of a whole Bearger? 

I'd rather take bald spots getting Ryftstalls or something like that.

(Bald Bearger is still a funny concept lmaoooo)

[-Nick-]

They shouldve went with this design in my opinion. Its similair to the final design but way more interesting and has a lot more going on. 

[sudoku]

the concept just looks unfinished. They should continue with the crystal exoskeleton theme and just add more to it, like legs, spine, shoulders etc.

They could even kinda combine the concept with that of marionette dolls 

[BezKa]

If the thing it drops is called polar something something, maybe Beargy should get bleached for the transformation?

[xhyom]

On 10/1/2023 at 3:43 AM, Mike23Ua said:

I kinda want it to look similar to the lunar Varg.

With this same purplish fur tint and white glowing mouth & eyes, they can even put the same crystal shard design on his forehead.. Idc, just make him look Moontated.

Yeah the eyes/mouth make such a difference in the Varg art, it looks possessed and hollow and flowing with unnatural energy, Bearger on the other hand looks exactly tired as always but with fancy claws. Some small ice spikes on his back would do wonders too...

[dzzydzzy]

On 9/30/2023 at 5:08 PM, -Variant said:

Personally, I feel the design of the Armored Bearger falls behind next to the other 3 Mutants introduced.
I think it has to do with the eyes

I agree, the problem with the current design is that it doesn't read as gestalt possession as much as pokemon evolution. What would help is to really zombify it further. The way deerclops was done is so perfectly, I guess I just yearn for that same level of horror.

Losing the angry eyes and perhaps a more slack-jawed look to give a more vacant expression would be an improvement.

13 hours ago, -Nick- said:

Something I do find successful about this design is the glass protruding from the skull, and I enjoy the silhouette being enhanced with the spiky back fur. It's as if all the hairs were standing upright from the gestalt's energy.

I'd cut those shoulder pads though, it veers too far off from possession and brings it more to a clothed king which I think makes the design crowded and weaker.

And I agree that if the ribs are to be exposed, maybe the belly be removed too.