A while ago, Kodomut did a wonderful photoshoot of Black Rock Shooter Figma. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out. He felt the bridge was too small. I decided to ask for the source file so I could get a crack at it in photoshop.
While I do agree that the bridge was too small, I decided that it didn’t have to be a bridge. It could be a ruined piece of something bigger that BRS was perched over, like a ledge.
I duplicated the “ledge” and did some warping around of it to show that there were basically more of these lying around here and there, and somewhat displaced.
Here’s the original:
This is a somewhat unorthodox approach to my figure photoshops, since I didn’t cut the background out, but in fact utilized it as part of the entire image. The buildings were scaled and warped to match the boxes in the background, and I deliberately kept part of the fan to look like some sort of futuristic building structure. I used the frame on the wall as a guideline to place the billboard (though in retrospect, I don’t think I should have due to perspective errors). And I used the wall and lens “glare” as part of the sky lighting.
I had to paint in my own lens flare since I painted all over the image. I don’t think I’ll be doing my photoshops this way anymore though. Cutting the subject out first makes it far easier to control the lighting and filters applied to it. Using this method, I had to create A LOT of layer masks and adjustment layers. Ultimately, I had to flatten some layers too to get it to work, which is not a very good practice at all.
Here’s a video of it being made, with a timer to show how long it took, complete with hardcore Miku rock music.
[pro-player]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWaC8Ogp8l4[/pro-player]
I definitely had a lot of fun doing this! Thanks for the pic, Kodomut!
On another note, I finally finished Valkyria Chronicles 2, pulling in at 67hrs of total play time. This and I deliberately turned on no-grind cheat codes (exp multipliers) to speed up my playtime.
I tried to play the english version when I bought the game, but I really couldn’t stand the horrid dubbing. I resorted to grabbing an Undub ISO off the net. I figure that it should be fine to do so, since I do legitimately own the game. I’ve given my support (and hope VC3 will be released in North America).
I must admit though, VC2 is a mixed bag…
The first gripe I have about it is how it just simply doesn’t look like Valkyria Chronicles. I’m not talking about the fact that it’s PSP graphics, but the art style they chose is deliberately anime (as in the mainstream series). Normally, there’s nothing to complain about, but VC1’s style had a distinct flavor about it, much of which is lost here. Putting cross hatching in your shadows does not make it VC.
Secondly, there’s the costume designs. Shown above is the terrible design for Aliasse, a Valkyur. (I won’t elaborate on the plot here). Those weird rabbit-ear horns are just wrong! Also fan-service seems a bit thick here, especially for the loli-fans. Thank god you only have to see that outfit once.
Without getting into too much detail on the characters and story, this should explain everything:
Zeri: Zetsubou shita!! The predictable plot of troupe-tastic anime JRPGs have left me in despair!!
I do however, approve of some of the voice actors (JP voices in the Undub. Not available in North American retail release). The dude with the glasses is voiced by none other than the guy who voiced Ishitoki Sensei. I’ll bet it was deliberate that one of the characters who follows this guy around is also a stalker.
The blond clutz in the middle is voiced by the same actress as Ami from Tora Dora (and Juri from Super Street Fighter 4!!). Aliasse is voiced by the same voice actress that voiced Nagi from Kannagi. Both have long blue hair! I’m sure there are more, and deliberately chosen voice talent that I’m not aware of. But it’s neat little homage/trivia.
Outside of the troupes and predictable non-plot, I really enjoyed the little banters between the classmates. While trivial and pointless, it did reinforce the troupes they were trying to fill, and made them a bit more likable (if you abandon the frustrating realization that they are troupes). I found these characters quite endearing in the end.
The best part about this game though, is the mechanics. They essentially took everything that was good about VC1 and improved on it. They went a little overboard, and introduced a bit too much clutter, but overall, it was an improvement. Some annoyances were removed, and some mechanics changed slightly because of the PSP’s limitations, but it’s a great game overall. I absolutely cannot wait to play VC3 and hope it will be the best of the three.
On another note, Gallian paper-craft tank is so much win.
Anyone else here a Valkyria Chronicles fan? Or maybe you have something to say about anime troupes in video games in general?
Read more!
That’s it. I’m getting the figma RIGHT NOW. ( ???)o??
The buildings were a nice addition..as was the ledge over the bridge. Felt a lot more busy that way. And THAT FLAME. So amazing I came buckets when I saw it. oUo
Also, Zetsubou-sensei..I miss that guy. Or rather, Kiri-chan. Why did the series have to end? D: Valkyria games tho..albeit having deprived of any spare time at all, you have piqued my interest..and I have to try simply because of the VAs. *w*
lol buckets?!
I’m actually still only on the third season of Zetsubou Sensei. Kiri is really a romanticized hikikomori, I think. I doubt real hikikomori are attractive like her, or even have any sort of social tendencies at all. I do like Kiri though. ^_^
If you do buy Valkyria Chronicles 2, be aware that the North American release does not have the original Japanese voice overs. The version I played is an Undub, which means they take the north american release, and replace the voices with the japanese ones.
I loved how the image turned out in the end :). It did look like there were a number of extra procedures you usually don’t employ, but one of the things I think really noticed was the this one didn’t take you long at all to finish :). Less than two hours.
Never-the-less another great addition :). It’s a nice touch how you gave a comparison from the original to the photoshopped one too.
Take care buddy and I’ll catch you on MSN! 😀
Thanks! 🙂
I guess it didn’t take that long… typically, these photoshops take me only an hour and a half. This was getting closer to the 2-hr mark.
Thanks for visiting! 😀
Then again, your other photoshoped vids that are similar to this in technique also don’t have the little ‘real time’ indicator like they do now :).
When I saw that video I was lost on all the stuff going on. It’s nice to have an explanation.
I mentioned it before VC2 being troperific really lowers my enjoyment of it and the more I play it the more I miss the first one’s plot and characters. Still the gameplay, I concur it’s awesome.
I do however, like one thing about the school setting, you get to know you squad mates better unlike VC where you had to read the glossary, and even then only if they where used constantly in battle.
Was the video too fast? I needed to make sure it was compressed enough so that it would fit within the youtube limits (and also for attention span reasons).
Glad the explanations helped a bit. 🙂
I really do miss VC1’s characters. Even though they are unlockable in VC2, it’s just not quite the same. Like you say, I am glad about the little school setting banters. It’s cute. I had a few good chuckles, but it’s nowhere near as humorous as say, Disgaea. In fact, I’m almost certain that the “limit” is due to the setting itself, being a serious story about war and all that.
All the profiles in the glossary are unlocked once you beat the game (provided the character doesn’t die). There were several characters I never used because I hated them, and all their profiles unlocked.
Black angel… Interesting title for BRS, and sorta fitting as well due to her character design.
Using existing objects and putting new images like buildings and ad boards over them is interesting. Reminds me of people doing texturing on 3D models (well sort of), except here it’s on a 2D photo based on 3D stuff inside the photo. Afterall it’s interesting to see what you did there, even though I haven’t really watched much of your other videos to compare. Like Marx said having a busy surrounding is like what a city should look like. Somehow reminds me of Batman all of a sudden lol…
Speaking of VC2, while I still haven’t got myself a PS3 (therefore no VC1 either), this PSP game kinda turned me off, not because of the fact that it’s a PSP game (nothing got to do with that), but as you said it doesn’t feel like VC. Just looking at the trailer – what’s with the fanservice and costumes?! Well I will still try and get my hands on one and see how it goes though. Can’t judge a game just from how it looks afterall.
Btw that papercraft tank is Definitely Awesome~ Looks like a lot of WWII elements are taken there too. For example that Gallian tank has a chassis similar to the Panzer 38(t), whereas the next one (red one) has a lot of similarities to Panzer III!
You know, thoughts of Batman did run through my mind a lot when I was making this image! 🙂
I totally know what you mean with 3d textures and stuff. I used to do that all the time (I am a video game artist after all). Application of these buildings was a little bit strange, since I wasn’t really following any true perspective rules. In fact, A LOT of perspective rules are broken here. It adds to the surrealism of it all, but having it perspectively accurate my add to the composition. Oh wells, whatever! 😀
If you’re thinking about getting a VC game, don’t get VC2 as your first game. There are serious spoilers in it for the first game. And yes, keep in mind that VC2’s story and character are not the best, so don’t let that be the impression for all VC games.
The gameplay for VC2 is vastly improved, but they also add A LOT of complex stuff in it, like sub classes and stuff. It might be a bit overwhelming. I seriously recommending playing VC1 first.
I’m contemplating building one of those papercraft tanks, but then again, I don’t really have the room to put it anywhere, so it’d be a bit of a waste of resources if I built it, and then threw it away or recycled it. ^^;
Ack, I still haven’t purchased a PS3 yet… Still got a lot of PC games on backlog, along with anime and Gunpla backlogs orz
What a transformation! You’re genius!
arigato!
Namie Amuro! ?
I really need to play Valkyrie Chronicles but I don’t have a PS3. ;A; Did you order Alter’s Selvaria Bles by chance?
Namie Amuro? What do you mean?
Yeah, VC is the most overlooked game on PS3 IMO. Such an awesome gem.
And yes, I did order Alter’s Selvaria! Already paid for, and she’s on her way here! Can’t wait to get her! 😀 😀 😀
Wow, that’s beautiful! I love the lighting. Such a gorgeous atmosphere.
I keep hearing about how good Valkyria Chronicles is, but I haven’t had the chance to play it. I’ll have to hi-jack my brother’s PS3 someday and give it a try.
videogamesplus is selling VC for $20 on special!
Dammit man, the way your site links fade in and out is so mesmerizing. Lost like five valuable minutes there.
Great work (words that are redundant at this point). You should have the option to automatically stick that into your comment box somehow. Normally I wouldn’t be much for that by now canonical image of BRS standing at the tip of some dysfunctional bridge, but that extra one you practically hand-freaking-drew augments the scrap-iron motif the original should’ve had. Maybe the backdrop just reminds me of home. Crows and Angels would be the bestest title.
Kudos also to Kodomut’s choice of pose; it’s an angle that innovates from the original and keeps me interested. Confident and Dark Knight-esque, which is usually a good thing.
Well, despite crosshatching branding a poor choice of art, I’m beginning to think that it makes anything cooler.
So what was that about loli-fans?
the fading is done using jquery. It’s such a simple thing to add too. But it took me a while to figure out since I’m not programmatically inclined.
I know what you mean with the canonical stuff. BRS has become too much, and I think a lot of people agree with me on that (I do intend to blog about it at some point).
I suppose yeah, the backdrop could remind you a bit like home. I haven’t been to HK in such a long time now, so I don’t know how drastically it’s changed… actually, the buildings I used are from NYC.
I do agree – cross hatching looks cool. 🙂
Aliasse is like totally a loli. There’s a shot of her wearing a school girl outfit, and she’s got the blouse tied in the front exposing her midriff, and sleeves removed. Even the girls in the game start talking about her revealing fashion sense. Total fan service.
As always, the photoshop art amazes me. I love how you used all the existing parts of the photo as a skeleton for the finished product. Great choice for billboard art btw! That’s Namie Amuro posing for Coke Zero right? X3
I haven’t seen/played Valkyria Chronicles yet. Now I’m getting more curious. I do have a comment about RPGs though. There’s always a certain troupe for RPGs — especially the bosses and their minions. I remember reading something about it but I’ve forgotten where. Haha. If I find it again I’ll let you know XD
OOooh so that’s what Ami was referring to! I had no idea it was Namie Amuro! I just googled “japanese billboard” and grabbed whatever was most eye-catching. It totally works, yes. 😀
VC is totally one of my games of the year. Even today, I haven’t really found a greater RPG on the PS3 that dethrones it.
Looked so bad-ass that I lost sleep!
lol!
Hmm, looks like we’re on opposite sides of the fence for VC2.
I don’t really rate it very highly. It’s a pretty decent game but the vast majority of if feels too stripped down for the unneccesary move to the PSP.
There are some improvements but they made them too overcomplicated and annoying in the end, such as the need for certificates to change your class. It would have been fine if you just needed one to unlock the class and then other awards to change but instead, you need to have one every time you change!!
The maps are too overused as well and battles generally lack the scale and sense of epic-ness which the first game had.
As a PSP game, VC2 is pretty good, but as a VC game, and a sequel as well, it takes far too much away from what made the first so loved and memorable. In fact, the one thing it did well above all else was that it made me want to play VC1 over again…
I think that we’re sort of on the same side of the coin here actually. I totally agree with you on every point you mentioned. I absolutely hated the certificate/diploma crap. And it seems it was designed to increase grind time too. It deliberately didn’t give you the stuff you need to upgrade your characters. I am glad I removed that design flaw by using cwcheat.
I understand the limitations of the PSP forced them to redesign the maps to be all area-driven with warp points. But at the same time, it did introduce a new gameplay element which I really liked.
You could totally tell how low-budget this title was, with the constantly reused maps. 🙁 That really turned me off… and the gameplay started getting really repetitive, where as VC1 always felt fresh.
Overall, with the exception of the diploma grinding, and overflooding of repetitive missions, VC2’s gameplay is vastly improved over VC1. Honestly, if this was on PS3, it probably would have been an excellent successor given the removed technical limits of the PSP, and budgetary constraints.
Can’t say much for the tropes though. 😛
Wow nice one o_o
i think the original photo already looks good and your photoshop touchup makes it even better 😮
grats on another another job well done~
to addon, would like to see something similar but with Miku VN02 >_>
I had thought about doing a VN02, but she doesn’t really interest me as much. The only scenarios I can think of involve virtual words, which to me seems a little cliche. Got any good suggestions?
“The dude with the glasses is voiced by none other than the guy who voiced Ishitoki Sensei.”
I love his voice and acting. He is one of my new preferred seiyu. Every time I get a Final Fantasy game I wish to god that they’d allow the Japanese dub to be an option. I would much rather hear Yoko’s voice than whoever the English voice actor is that is Vanille. I haven’t played first Valkyria Chronicles yet, I’ve been meaning to.
He is a good voice actor, eh? 😀
Fat chance on any future FFs having dual audio. I think it’s deliberate for some reason. 😐
Oh well, I actually don’t mind some of the past voice acting. But yeah, you’re right about Vanille. I haven’t even started FFXIII, and after hearing what everyone has to say about it, I have little intention to.
Valkyria Chronicles on the other hand, you MUST. You MUST play it! omg.
“WTH!!!”, that’s my first tought when i saw the video, that was very cool man, i’m so envy tith your skill in photoshop, i should study more to make my photo good like that too =3
Thanks! Hope you like my other photoshop posts, and that you can learn from them too! Cheers! 😀