Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - General Monsters: Inspiration from The Witcher 3

TW3 was a great game (from what I have heard and seen in TW2 and the trailers) and it definitely created a great halo effect around itself (I think it accommodates for at least half the Swearing and Sexuality votes if not the whole movement). However there is a lot of storytelling that you want to mix into D:OS lore. TW3 is a game about a monster hunter; every monster within their game adds to the experience whereas in other game the same procedure could result in inefficient storytelling.
In high fantasy scenarios it can lead to questions which should not ask for an answer (How did the giant get into this cave? If undead need human flesh, what do mummies eat? Do Demons have partnerships/marriages? mother-in-laws? as for in-game jokes).
Realism works in low-fantasy genres mostly. I don't say that monsters should not be thought out. Their level of detail must be proportional to how well the game itself can (and wants to) let you get to know them.

Then there is the problem of both 3rd person view and real-time vs isometric view and turn-based combat. The main factor for how epic a monster is becomes size instead of realism. It is not just size in relation to your tiny characters but perceived size as in pixels on your monitor. In 3rd person view you basically have blinkers on, while from above you cannot see a lot of details otherwise.
TW3 lets you experience scripted camera scenery and real-time interactions (including rag-doll physics). Then dangerous encounters are perceived as dangerous, training your reflexes against single/few enemies. The same situation in D:OS becomes a challenging puzzle vs their team composition. Animations are gamey and reactivity occurs - if anything - in context of a ruleset.

I would not specifically call for intimidating or creepy designs - more like stereotyped ones (which includes creepy ones ofc). When you see a water dragon you should recognize it immediately, not because he spills something at you that is hopefully water. He should (as an example) have colours of a sea creature, a streamlined body and interdigital webbing.

Atmospheres, ambient sounds and stereotyped environments on the other hand have a chance to dominate your perception and create immersion. I partially agree on that, it is just that I find them even more important than the monsters themselves instead. That's why I think holistic design approaches will benefit the game. If you have a cool environment ofc you think of creatures to fill these places but if you have a cool monster design you should not back off from changing the environment around to befit the creature.

From what I have seen in the D:OS 2 test area and the new Kickstarter update I am pretty sure they are already doing a pretty decent job at monster/environment design.

Lore-friendly Loot is a really noble and beneficial design goal. It would definitely reduce questionability/ player doubtfulness and wouldn't necessarily clash with most games. However I don't mind if it has to be subordinated to encounter and level design.