I hate play the i-was-studying-as illustrator-and-i-do-design-getting-money-for-it card, but sometimes is needed, lol
It's not ever about opinion... i mean, everybody can have his own opinion but like something does'nt automatically mean "good design". In fact ironically many ridicolous low chara design (yes Ragna from BZ,i'm looking at you) in FG world are considered "good" by the big audience.
On the other hand i've seen many times a design that impressed me as dude-that-do-it-for-work, when 999999 kids on teh internet spit shit about it
Is about understand the creative process behind a design
Chara design (well, quality one) is a complicated form of design, because it involve many factors
Like or not like in Pat there is good deep creative process, just to say some you can find
-Alexander (the Great) iconic figure
-Achilles ideal of perfect warrior/plastic pose (Pat have also same name of his only "student")
-Patroklos (Iliad) himself, because he still have a still young/need experience touch
-Mini-Heracles lol, with linx theme as a mini citation of Herc's nemea lion skin
-Ottoman janissary uniform (in 1p, but in the dropped 3p was even more evident)
-Cataphract that give another connection to the eurasian world, as sign of oriental touch (ottoman)
-the focus almost obsessive on the white colour, related to that "JUSTICE!!!" thing (also note the gold statue on his stage)
-the fact of have a military uniform, wich make him a -young- soldier more than a warrior. This reflect well his starting condition of being manipulated from Dumas: soldiers never fight for themselves, are tools used by powers above them
-the boring aura of "new hero" that make him play a role in a cast design logic
-soldier but still a special individual, arm stripe, medals and animal skin kinda give a higher grade look, captain or something. A young official. This mean less chess-piece? No, just a more relevant/useful one :D
-other things
And look, i'm making it simple, when i say "other things" is because list will go on
From here i may still end up not like it due personal tastes(personally i like it), but as dude that understand the creative process i've before all to admit that's a good chara design work
Then you have Zwei
-Herp look at me i'm badass derp bare muscle chest leather oufit chains robo-wolf pokemon demonic powah dark blackpurple color scheme to make fap kids that can't resist to some retard anti-hero in black
Sure, as defense one can point
-celtic wannabe sword decoration and tatoo
-moon motif as link to wherewolf
-hairs and eyebrows as link to wolf fur
-body proportions exagerated on purpose on neck/shoulder area, as link with wolf anatomy
-Pat hero, Zwei anti-hero. Linx and wolf. Cat and Dog basically. Perfect animal theme for nemesis (ever if friendly ones)
-Black work as opposite to Pat's white (but let's be clear,more than else is marketing)
-Zwei role in the story wich remind that wolf/dog aspect: the hunter look, the fact that he follow somebody (Sieg) order, the final perfect lone wolf style. Basically he's a wolf that do the dog job only because he want to
-aggressive wild attitude, growl voice and so on
-the fact that fight in team like wolves fight in pack helping each others (wolf is known for avoid 1vs1 even with weaker opponents, they are natural "team fighters")
-biker theme (lol i find it ridicolous but is in both 1p and 2p)
And?
And are all true, in fact Zwei (him, not what he wear or the ridicolous pokemon) is a good designed character with many applied ideas behind it.
But
His 1p total destroy all this touches... and in FG design 1p mean "official/canon"
Why do this? Because marketing explain that if you create a around 20 yo dude, and you give him wannabe badass biker antihero look, demonic powah and blackpurple leather outfit, the young audience will blowjob it.
Also there is marketing ride twilight banana, so RaphNight- AmyViola -Zwei being SC version of the vampire-bitch-wolf triangle :sadface.jpeg:
Even being far from great(but with nice lil touches) 2p kinda save Zwei, and obvious is the one hated by all, lol
Then you have Xiba that -even being teh usual newyoungversionof wich often result in shit- as design is VERY good, but ingame it end up look a gay asian peter pan orangehead bieber with annoying voice.
Here is a problem of translation to the 3D model, wich may be unintentional (example 3D dude tryed but resulted this) or intentional (modeller left free to change the style, or one more time just shit marketing get in again)
But is another story
I don't blame them (on the contrary,i consider them with the best ones), everybody worked even once in professional ($) art world at any level know that there is ever somebody over you that impose to tweak something -9 times on 10 for worse- because he think that it will sell better.
Or because is just his retard opinion, but retard or not he's your boss/who pay... and not only you must apply his idea, you know people will blame you for it :D
Like for all things, understand chara design is about knowledge
