Unique VN art?

[Pockets]

I'm really curious to see Visual novels that change the trend a bit, art wise. I saw this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVcMJ8IjWPE
Kinda change things up by putting characters in various different places, and that's interesting to me. I just want to take a look at others that are just unusual/ try to change things up. (For better or for worse.)

[gekiganwing]

I just want to take a look at others that are just unusual/ try to change things up. (For better or for worse.)

Seven examples, including some freeware...

1. Trigger stands out partly because of its art. Since the story is about adults dealing with complex and depressing problems, the drawings seem thematically appropriate.

2. To Love and Protect is a romance story. As such, I'm not sure what I think of its relatively realistic art. I have been asking myself if it invokes the uncanny valley. However, I don't know whether I'd prefer to look at photographs of actors.

3. The Romance of Miss Boop references a vintage cartoon. I like this category of art, since it's relatively abstract and not too serious. I hope to see more cartoonish art in more visual novels in my lifetime.

4. Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom was first created more than thirty years ago. It's kind of different as far as graphic adventure / story driven games go, since it does not feature human characters.

5. The House in Fata Morgana features gothic, florid art. I think it fits since this is a downbeat story with historical settings.

6. Quartett! stands out because of it presents dialogue through comics-style word bubbles. It's my first point of reference when I think about visual novels that use floating textboxes. Quartett! has a story, but it's also NSFW.

7. The Song of Saya is infamous for several reasons. One is because the protagonist sees the natural world as a hellish nightmare. This story has been praised, but it is definitely NSFW.

Incidentally, I wasn't sure what to expect when I clicked on the Youtube link. It lead to a fan translation of Witch on the Holy Night presented through video.

[Pockets]

Yep, I thought the presentation of the characters were really interesting and unusual). As opposed to the usual side by side textbox in the middle.

[Mammon]

About Witch on the holy night, that doesn't really seem like unique VN art. In fact the sprites themselves seem rather stereotypical for those Japanese VN. Skipping through the video I did see a lot of dynamic movements and placement, not to mention more setpieces and backgrounds, making the otherwise common VN look more varied and dynamic itself. I wouldn't call that unique VN art though, the difference probably lies in this VN having a good visual director and/or a good timetable + organisation. Motivated and inspired people, no slave regime on their time table and good communication between the departments.

The simple way to describe this is: Dedication.

The more elongated description is a good combination of a team. There were people willing to put in the time and effort to make this VN better by adding proper and directed improvements like these and going beyond the basics that people expect. Even the most breath-taking art and interesting premises can still be bad stories, while simpler or more basic stories that are inspired and show their maker's enthusiasm can be much better.
Someone convinced the producers (or the producer themselves had this insight) that spending a month or two more on the VN's production to implement this dynamic style would greatly improve the VN's eventual quality. Then the people working on this project had good communications with one another, for example the writer could properly tell the artists and coders what they needed and wanted where.

About unique VN art, I'd say that you'll see that more and more with the less professional the VN gets. Professional and big-budget VN have this standardised style, there only being a few styles they pick depending on the genre and story. They want to keep it safe, not willing to risk a part of their income by potentially scaring away buyers with the front art being different from the same old. Better is always good, different is not. Unless the unique-ish style is directly linked to a well-received and known artist. With low-budget VN, especially the ones around here, that's not really the case. A lot of artists have a very distinctive style, even if they switch up their style for variety. It can be the line thickness, the eyes, the shading. It can be anything, but they have an unique style no one can copy completely even if they don't realise it themselves. Because there's no industrial line of other artists and people giving feedback on how they have to make it more alike the norm, the freelance artists are unique.

[VimislikArt]

Florence, an "interactive love story" that just came out on iOS is probably a good example - it goes more for an indie-comic influence in terms of art and presentation. Notably, the gameplay intertwines with the story SUPER well - the little games that you play are really just one-off interactions that help the reader get into the main characters shoes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPUwFEhgvVA

Starlit Flowers is a more conventional visual novel in terms of gameplay and presentation, but also has an indie vibe to the art.
https://cosmic-latte.itch.io/starlit-flowers

One Night Stand made by Kinmoku (who goes on these forums! I saw!) uses rotoscoped art and animation, with a nice, unified early-morning color palette. Really differentiates itself from the pack, and got a lot of press attention when it came out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ2HGlxYiH4

The Dr. Darley series by Lars Martinson is yet another visual novel with an indie comic vibe to it, because it's made by an actual published indie graphic novel writer and illustrator! These are some mystery VNs, with a TinTin vibe to it. Very conventional in terms of VN layouts and interactions, but the art really sets it apart.
https://pliantpress.itch.io/

And before someone else does, I'll bring up Snatcher, by Hideo Kojima. You know all the cyberpunk pixel art story-based games that have been popping up recently? They're all trying to be Snatcher. Traditional Visual Novel presentation intermixed with some old school first-person-shooter style gameplay, pixel horror, and some light animation. And of course, Kojimaaaaa!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ij_Oo4zIVI

[Nighten]

It not only to advertise a french studio, but Nova Box produced a really great example of unique art for a VN.
One of their game, Along The Edge, despite being a really good game, have more than 450 hand-made illustrations in an impressionist style. It’s really really unique, and beautifies the experience.
The game is available for a few dollars on Itch.io, Steam and iOS.

Try it, it’s worth your time.

[morinoir]

No one mention Cinders?
Also I haven't finished it yet (and it's interactive novel, not visual novel. Does it counts?), but I REALLY, like, REALLY REALLY recommend Ken Follet's Pillar of Earth by Daedalic Entertainment. The whole game is a feast for the eyes. Just check their steam page, you'll know what I meant.

[Pockets]

@ Mammon, gotta admit you're right what I presented was more about the dynamic camera angles and what not ^.^;.... Oops.

[Mammon]

@ Mammon, gotta admit you're right what I presented was more about the dynamic camera angles and what not ^.^;.... Oops.

Don't worry, that wasn't critism or correcting you, rather than adding to the debate. WotHL is a good example that working well with what you have can be as good or better than having better base ingredients to work with. The best beef can still be burned or otherwise ruined in a shabby diner, while a true chef cook can make store brand beef taste good. The challenge to the developers in this forum, the ones that get success, lies in becoming that dedicated chef rather than losing sight of what's important by replacing their investmentment of enthusiasm with personel and budget.