The Morning's Wrath Box Art:
It seems that a lot of people don't like the morning's wrath box art.
(as seen here in a digital rendering)
So lets talk about this for a bit.
Where did it come from?
Anyone who has been following the MW project closely would likely identify the box art with the majority of the other hand-drawn art in MW. That is to say, it was drawn and colored by M.J. Chaput, I then added the upper and lower bars and logos.
Why is the box art drawn but the CD art CG rendered?
There is no especial reason for this, save for the reason that everything in MW is as it should be.
(say what?)
The basic scene for the box art was of my imagining, which i conveyed to M.J. Chaput. We knew that we needed some kind of cover art, so he drew it. I was happy with how it came out, since it reminded me of the Kings Quest series box art.
And I 'think' that is what the problem is, (assistant, the diagrams please...)
This is what many of us are used to now-adays:
(doom 3)
Specifically the box art style we were trying to emmulate was this:
I would say we got pretty darn close, and I was very pleased.
So why is the cd CG rendered then?
I've heard from everyone under the sun that consistency is very very very important when it comes to things like, character art.
Though... I am not neccisarily convinced of this, and it was for this reason I decided to make different cd label art, than simply using the box art.
I felt it was important for the player to see Morning as she was in-game, close-up, and also to have to chance to wittnet somthing that you don't explicitly see in-game, yet is implied to happen.
So, on the cd art:
We see Morning in the ruined atrium (where the well is), this is denoted from the ground type and the crystals.
She is wearing the armor she took during the invasion, and the sword as well.
She is leaning against one of the Ruined Atrium walls, and is staring with, amazement? wonder? fear? all of the above maybe?, at her new-found abilities.
I think this shot is very important to the game dynamic. A new player would not understand it fully until they have played up until the Ruined Atrium, and even then not fully until they beat the game.
The most important reason why things are as they are:
Morning's wrath, is the artistic extension of five people, some would say it sufferes from this, however, I would say that it makes the game far better, due to the diversity of the content, and the different angles and shades that it can be seen from.
Your average game player would not look at a game as such however, but for us, and many people planning to play MW, this game is seen as art.
Hope that clears some things up =)
Great work, can't wait 'till it's available.
-IV