But yeah i guess some people talk from a "we wait for the content to appear and then we say our opinion about it" without really thinking of why it is like that and such.
I agree. A big problem I see when people compare these designs, is that they compare them on roughly the same level, disregarding just how drastically different the parameters behind each designs' decisions were. They see one design that they feel looks cooler, understandably, but then jump to the assumption that it would "work better" for the game because of that. They also analyze the original concept as if it was a fully realized character that
could have appeared in the game, even if many aspects of the concept would have needed to be changed no matter what.
Since we know the roster had to be narrowed down to a couple dozen, that meant a lot of weight was put on this smaller cast to represent a similar variety in fighting styles, personalities, body types, races, attire, color schemes, and other traits that you saw in the larger IGG roster. That's on top of the production challenges of making sure the team was happy with the decisions, that the designs would look good onscreen, that the designs could be produced in a timely and efficient manner, and that they could avoid as many revisions to their contractors' assignments as possible.
Like Peter said, it's a huge task, and I believe if most harsh critics had been directing LabZero on the ground level, reviewing the IGG designs under these same parameters, they'd have ended up making similarly large decisions that would have left some people unhappy. Sure, maybe a different direction could have allowed them to preserve something closer to Vasco's old look and personality, but that decision might have then required drastic changes to another popular character that would have also been met with a lot of backlash. Parts of other characters' backstories might have needed to be rewritten, and maybe a proposed playstyle would have ended up cut from the game altogether. There are just a ton of moving parts to consider.
Personally, I get really excited when I see the new designs, because I know these will be the living, talking, moving characters I actually get to play and learn about in the game. I know that they'll be animated beautifully, and will satisfy the needs of the story and the gameplay. Yeah, I might miss a circlet here, or a hairstyle there, but if the changes still ultimately serve to make a satisfying game that actually gets released, then that's really what I value the most.
