As a passionate screenshots taker in MMOs, I love the first few weeks when that folder is swelling on my hard drive because there are so many things to see and love. Back in August 2012 I did a series of GW2 panorama pictures and now that Wildstar is finally out of its beta-overlay phase, I had another shot at some of my favorite vistas in the game so far. I used to eye Wildstar’s cartoony graphics with worry but having seen the game live now, I am a sucker for the whimsical aesthetic and detail of the Nexus which outdo other cartoony titles by far.
All panorama pictures were created by myself and photoshop (I insist on not spoiling these by slapping on a fat mmogypsy banner or something). You can click individual images for a full-HD version. Enjoy! (as always all screenshots are best enjoyed while listening to Louis Armstrong!)
Sylvan Glade
Algoroc
Whitevale (my favorite zone!)
Galeras
Gallow
Farside (new!)
sigh, you make me want to play the game even more!
What’s stopping you? 😉
The last two pictures oddly remind me of Glitch.
Ah yeah? I never played Glitch but in retrospective I wish I did.
The cartoonishness of the scenery reminds me of WoW.
That reminds me of something I read a few years ago, when there was a question posed to one of the Devs and/or GC about WoW changing the graphics engine. Their response was that they liked the cartoon nature of WoW because it didn’t feel so dated so quickly.
The ironic thing is that all of the supposed WoW-killers of the past several years went in the direction of more realistic-looking graphics. Now, here comes Wildstar with graphics that tickles the same cartoonish urge that WoW does.
Very interesting.
I don’t really believe in WoW killers anyway but Wildstar is definitely going to appeal to some WoW players, also in terms of questing and strategic combat. that said, the latter is highly active unlike WoW. will be interesting to see which people it can pull in!
Aaah, Galeras. I was also worried that the mega-cartoonish look would make the zones feel colorful and nothing else. I think it hit me in Galeras how lovely the zones are. Galeras is such a study in contrasts, I really enjoy it. Great shots. 🙂
Thanks! 🙂 It’s funny how many people say this – it takes a moment to get used to the style but then you can really appreciate all its finesse and details. I still like GW2’s graphics better but Wildstar is pretty in a different sense.
I was never truly worried about the “cartoony” graphics – it’s a valid style as much as the GW2 tech fantasy style or the ESO “realistic” style. I think the game has picked the perfect style to go with the rest of the game. Having played it now, I am happy that i’ve pre-ordered it and can’t wait until release
Ya it sure is although I won’t lie – if I could choose the graphics, I would always go with GW2’s style or LOTRO’s. at the end of the day however, it’s all about a solid design concept that is consistent and polished and all of that is true for Wildstar. I’m glad you liked the beta so far, looking forward to June! 🙂
I think this is very cartoony for my taste :(. Although, if my friends play the game I will play it too. This is the only reason I might play Wildstar. I don’t expect ultra realistic graphics. GW2 graphics are excellent, Lotro graphics are very good and the world is immersive. But Wildstar is too much for my taste.
One question though. Does it have day/night cycle? If yes, are the nights dark enough to create atmosphere? I love nights on MMOs, they are just so much immersive, especially with good music and some light effects (torches, e.t.c.).
I hear ya on the graphics! but hey, if I can get used to it, maybe you can too. 😉
And jup, there’s a day/night-cycle. I’ve experienced it in several zones so far and if memory serves, it was quite dark in the Aurin woods for example (with lots of shiny lamplights and fireflies etc.). I don’t know if there is one in every zone but it would make sense since the mechanic exists. it’s not a realistic cycle however the way WoW has it – at least in this beta it was night in the afternoons and mornings too, changing gradually over a longer timer I wasn’t able to find on the UI.