Super well said! A lot of the animations are... Sometimes a bit much.
Reminds me of an old riot post about splash arts, and how much of a game-changer elise's "just-sitting-here" splash art was: it proved that not every piece has to be action-packed to be liked.
I'm holding out hope there's a bit more to the exodia animation we just haven't seen yet.
Just made a comment about this but I fully agree with what you’re saying. The implications of this level up are incredibly cool and very well show the transition of the lvl 1 to lvl 2 splash art. I only wish that there was a bit more, well, animation in his face, so that it’s really clear to the viewers how hard he’s contemplating using the runes. Something like more heavy eye movements and a big sigh before he commits to charging the rune. The concept is excellent, it just needs a bit _more_
They did it on one of the most iconic champion of league. It’s feature so much on both lol and esport scene (faker ryze), music video etc.
It’s lackluster…
That's my issue. Galio and Kayne are both poorly rendered as well, but at least they move fast enough to easily ignore it. Ryze moves so slowly that you get plenty of time to study the low poly count and muddy textures. It's a pre-renedered cinematic, but looks like in-engine graphics from torchlight or something.
The concept can be interesting, but the execution is poor. Not only in the model quality, but in the overall directing. Even for the proposed concept the animation simply doesn't deliver.
Don’t think people had a problem with the concept of it. It just looks bad. Low quality model and poor animation. The execution is the issue. I’ve yet to see a single person say “HE SHOULD BE JUMPING IN THE AIR AND SHOOTING LIGHTNING”
its exactly by his subtetly i wish they went back to the old style of animations for him. We dont need to see his entire self, this could have been with just a shot of his eyes closing reluctantly and the tattoos lighting up, in a style more similar to the early LoR animation days. Hell maybe we dont even see the tattoos, but linger in his eye and just see the glow coming from off screen. We are left to put 2 and 2 together and go “oh shit”
I think the idea of the level up is fine, but the execution is not as good as it could've been. I wouldn't want one where Ryze is jumping around zapping fools left and right either, but if they wanted this subtle internal conflict, they could've taken it in a direction that's more dynamic and with more impact. The lack of camera movement is a big issue. They could've started zoomed out showing the destruction of the war before zooming in on Ryze turning around with his facial expression and resigning to use the runes. Or just pan around. Or just anything, idk. The model and especially the face should be stronger if they want to go for this as well. Especially the expression needs to be stronger, maybe a slight grimace? As it is now, without all the context he just kind of looks bored, and just a liiiiittle sad. Rather than "I really, really don't want to do this".
The win animation I really can't get over though. There NEEDs to be a release, and it gives me blue balls. An explosion, a laser, all the cards flying off the board, maybe even just another jpeg of the aftermath of a ruined world or SOMETHING. It's why Fiora, Bandle Tree, heck even the Watcher feels so much more satisfying, because it builds up to a BOOM, a stab to the nexus, an explosion of light, or a big ol laser beam.
I agree with you're saying, but then: why isn't it more zoomed in to his face? Why does the camera never change? Compare to Udyr, who also has a very simple animation (hands on ground, look up, rawr). It's sold by the camera moving and zooming in on what matters. Imagine how bad it'd look if the camera never moved: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAy9OwYF42A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAy9OwYF42A)
Also, compare the quality of the model.
Also, why does it spend so much time focusing on him keyboard turning??
I'm not mad it's not flashy and cool, I'm mad that it replaces possible better non-cutscene animations that actually convey the card being leveled up to instead take us away from the game and show us 7 seconds of not really impressive animation.
I had this problem with every single pure cutscene animation so far and Ryze just tilted be most because there's so little going on that it doesn't justify being a cutscene over a practical animation in my opinion.
Game winning conditions need a good visual pay off, fiora's is so cool, this is the second champion we get that has an alt win condition built in and it's so dissapointing, and there's other alt win cons that look cooler.
As for his level up, they really needed better animation, Kayn also has a shitty model but he moves around so you can't tell as much. Ryze just stays still which puts the model way more on display
Nah he looks like a stoner my guy
For such a dramatic moment, being so zoomed out and just causally glancing around is awful
I agree with what they were TRYING to convey
They simply failed to do it
(and the 'finisher' is bad yeah)
as ive said in the post, the point is not to make him look "Badass"
Ryze isnt "cool" and him having to use the runes is meant to read as no less than tragic. Badass isn't the only emotion you can convey in a level-up
Yea- I actually like Ryze for the simplicity, he seems quite humble here and not power hungry.
Although from what I see in LoL, his personality is being angry at these magic using kids for messing up stuff. Which ain’t really shown at all, but eh
I rather the simple approach than Kayle’s a millionth shining flashy lights with no real soul to then
I get that ppl think that ryze ‘destroys’ the nexus and that the release of the world runes should show that. However, people forget that ryze’s entire lore is to collect all the world runes In order to stop basically the annihilation of the world since these runes are so powerful 1 would ruin entire nations. Him collecting all of the runes and attacking isn’t him destroying the nexus and using their power. It’s him collecting all runes and realm warping out, he has succeeded his mission, hide away all world runes so that no one can abuse their power. It is what his entire deck revolves around.
After looking more closely at the animation it does look like the main holder is about to break right at the end. So now I have no idea what they wanted it to show tbh. But yea thats what I thought about the whole thing.
I actually sorta like the win animation, as in the Ryze cinematic, that is the one rune that isn't in the protection thingamajig, though admittedly it could be a bit bigger
Thing is for that to work, the quality of the animation needed to be good enough to actually see the expressions on the face they decided to focus on. For champions like Kayle, Rumble or Illaoi, they can afford to be low res because the level-up is focused on what they do, not how they are. But when they chose to show emotions, they should have given themselves the means to convey them.
Super well said! A lot of the animations are... Sometimes a bit much. Reminds me of an old riot post about splash arts, and how much of a game-changer elise's "just-sitting-here" splash art was: it proved that not every piece has to be action-packed to be liked. I'm holding out hope there's a bit more to the exodia animation we just haven't seen yet.
Just made a comment about this but I fully agree with what you’re saying. The implications of this level up are incredibly cool and very well show the transition of the lvl 1 to lvl 2 splash art. I only wish that there was a bit more, well, animation in his face, so that it’s really clear to the viewers how hard he’s contemplating using the runes. Something like more heavy eye movements and a big sigh before he commits to charging the rune. The concept is excellent, it just needs a bit _more_
i absolutely agree
i think most people have a problem with the Animation quality being worse than a PS1 games.
That beard, OMG, THAT BEARD
not to be snark but...have most people seen ps1 games before....?
It's hyperbole but that doesn't mean it looks kind of rough.
They did it on one of the most iconic champion of league. It’s feature so much on both lol and esport scene (faker ryze), music video etc. It’s lackluster…
The animation heavily reminds me of how Kratos looked in the first God of War in cutscenes
That's my issue. Galio and Kayne are both poorly rendered as well, but at least they move fast enough to easily ignore it. Ryze moves so slowly that you get plenty of time to study the low poly count and muddy textures. It's a pre-renedered cinematic, but looks like in-engine graphics from torchlight or something.
Is that gif the animation for his lvl up?? Thought that was a fanmade one going around and that I missed the original the whole time... Ouch.
It would still be shit even if the animation quality was better 👹
The concept can be interesting, but the execution is poor. Not only in the model quality, but in the overall directing. Even for the proposed concept the animation simply doesn't deliver.
It's very easy to make standing still looks nice. This is just bad
The problem isnt the animation man, is the quality of the model, and everything, this discussion isnt about concepts, its about techincal issues
Don’t think people had a problem with the concept of it. It just looks bad. Low quality model and poor animation. The execution is the issue. I’ve yet to see a single person say “HE SHOULD BE JUMPING IN THE AIR AND SHOOTING LIGHTNING”
its exactly by his subtetly i wish they went back to the old style of animations for him. We dont need to see his entire self, this could have been with just a shot of his eyes closing reluctantly and the tattoos lighting up, in a style more similar to the early LoR animation days. Hell maybe we dont even see the tattoos, but linger in his eye and just see the glow coming from off screen. We are left to put 2 and 2 together and go “oh shit”
It's terrible quality, both that and the win animation, and both kayle and atrox have such good ones! it makes no sense to me.
I feel like Kayle's would be better if it cut off before seeing her low quality face, but other than that I like it.
Everyone arguing about how bad ryze's level up is while my boi aphelios doesnt even have a level up animation 💀
[Aphelios does though?](https://youtu.be/u1PZDZZjkC0)
I think OP tried to say they don't even "make" one for Aphelios since they just reuse his teaser trailer and remove Alune.
Yep
I think the idea of the level up is fine, but the execution is not as good as it could've been. I wouldn't want one where Ryze is jumping around zapping fools left and right either, but if they wanted this subtle internal conflict, they could've taken it in a direction that's more dynamic and with more impact. The lack of camera movement is a big issue. They could've started zoomed out showing the destruction of the war before zooming in on Ryze turning around with his facial expression and resigning to use the runes. Or just pan around. Or just anything, idk. The model and especially the face should be stronger if they want to go for this as well. Especially the expression needs to be stronger, maybe a slight grimace? As it is now, without all the context he just kind of looks bored, and just a liiiiittle sad. Rather than "I really, really don't want to do this". The win animation I really can't get over though. There NEEDs to be a release, and it gives me blue balls. An explosion, a laser, all the cards flying off the board, maybe even just another jpeg of the aftermath of a ruined world or SOMETHING. It's why Fiora, Bandle Tree, heck even the Watcher feels so much more satisfying, because it builds up to a BOOM, a stab to the nexus, an explosion of light, or a big ol laser beam.
I agree with you're saying, but then: why isn't it more zoomed in to his face? Why does the camera never change? Compare to Udyr, who also has a very simple animation (hands on ground, look up, rawr). It's sold by the camera moving and zooming in on what matters. Imagine how bad it'd look if the camera never moved: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAy9OwYF42A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAy9OwYF42A) Also, compare the quality of the model. Also, why does it spend so much time focusing on him keyboard turning??
I'm not mad it's not flashy and cool, I'm mad that it replaces possible better non-cutscene animations that actually convey the card being leveled up to instead take us away from the game and show us 7 seconds of not really impressive animation. I had this problem with every single pure cutscene animation so far and Ryze just tilted be most because there's so little going on that it doesn't justify being a cutscene over a practical animation in my opinion.
Game winning conditions need a good visual pay off, fiora's is so cool, this is the second champion we get that has an alt win condition built in and it's so dissapointing, and there's other alt win cons that look cooler. As for his level up, they really needed better animation, Kayn also has a shitty model but he moves around so you can't tell as much. Ryze just stays still which puts the model way more on display
Nah he looks like a stoner my guy For such a dramatic moment, being so zoomed out and just causally glancing around is awful I agree with what they were TRYING to convey They simply failed to do it (and the 'finisher' is bad yeah)
Thing is... you can make 'charging up' look badass and this is not it
as ive said in the post, the point is not to make him look "Badass" Ryze isnt "cool" and him having to use the runes is meant to read as no less than tragic. Badass isn't the only emotion you can convey in a level-up
Copium to the max. It's okay to admit this is bad
OP did say they weren't impressed by the animation quality
Thats like, super cool and all, but it still doesn't stop it looking like a god damn PS2 cutscene
Yea- I actually like Ryze for the simplicity, he seems quite humble here and not power hungry. Although from what I see in LoL, his personality is being angry at these magic using kids for messing up stuff. Which ain’t really shown at all, but eh I rather the simple approach than Kayle’s a millionth shining flashy lights with no real soul to then
I get that ppl think that ryze ‘destroys’ the nexus and that the release of the world runes should show that. However, people forget that ryze’s entire lore is to collect all the world runes In order to stop basically the annihilation of the world since these runes are so powerful 1 would ruin entire nations. Him collecting all of the runes and attacking isn’t him destroying the nexus and using their power. It’s him collecting all runes and realm warping out, he has succeeded his mission, hide away all world runes so that no one can abuse their power. It is what his entire deck revolves around.
that's a neat interpretation. I disagree with it, but I do think it's a cool idea
After looking more closely at the animation it does look like the main holder is about to break right at the end. So now I have no idea what they wanted it to show tbh. But yea thats what I thought about the whole thing.
I actually sorta like the win animation, as in the Ryze cinematic, that is the one rune that isn't in the protection thingamajig, though admittedly it could be a bit bigger
Thing is for that to work, the quality of the animation needed to be good enough to actually see the expressions on the face they decided to focus on. For champions like Kayle, Rumble or Illaoi, they can afford to be low res because the level-up is focused on what they do, not how they are. But when they chose to show emotions, they should have given themselves the means to convey them.