This is only slightly left field, but I like that the Pathfinder games have kept with the tradition of 2D portraits, since at least I can still make use of the art archives there. Even if the 20 some odd portraits they're likely to include with the game itself probably won't blow my socks off, they do get a laurel for not ditching the 2D portrait concept entirely.
I'm not totally anti-3D models for portraits in a modern D&D game, I just haven't seen that brought to a level that can really compete with like half a century's worth of fantasy illustration that already exists out there in the world. In BG3 my character options are pretty limited based on the models and concepts that Larian provides, and I'm sure I won't be able to use any of these BG3 heads 10 years from now in any games that might follow.
The high rez Icewind Dale portraits on the other hand, work just as well in Pillars or Pathfinder today as they did in the Black Isle games way back when. Or vice versa. I almost feel like I'm getting kinda taken by buying into a D&D game with no portraits like this in BG3. Aside from those 5 splash loadscreens of the Origins, that we see collaged together in the banner above, there's just not much here. It's not going to contribute to the fantasy portraiture legacy beyond that I guess, which is a little sad.
Pathfinder is at least carrying the torch on that front, though admittedly not really providing the best of the best according to my highest standards for their default spread lol.
It annoys me slightly that the Wizards have access to such much talent, and own the rights to so many thousands of images, and yet don't seem to ever dish it up in a form that's broadly usable for these kinds of games. I practically gave myself carpal tunnel creating targa files for use in NWN for my old portrait packs, but it was like the most inconvenient image handling scheme imaginable. I think I assembled like 30 years worth of material there, but which could never go on their NWN vaults, just for copyright reasons. They had no love for Jah-Din's thankless efforts there lol. Honestly though, you'd think by now, a game with the official backing could provide portraits from past official publications, or pay whatever pittance in back royalties might be required, so that I could play a game with characters inspired from the old boxes, covers and backpages. Just like cropping their all time hall of fame into a series of consistent headshots and whatnot, so the sizing isn't all random. Maybe labelling them in a way that gives all those artists some credit and another spin at the wheel.
I guess it's just too sensible an idea to make work? I'm sure they figure that enthusiasts will just do it for them for free anyway, and why bother with the logistics to make it actually work in a way that gets old timers paid or affords some name rec, when people would rather pillage pinterest. I suppose its just an unfortunate feature of modernity, that nobody wants to pay for anything that isn't video or animated or which doesn't have a time signature built into it. Everyone expects awesome still images to materialize for free out of nowhere I guess? But they could use their digital gaming platforms in the exact same way they use magic cards, if they actually wanted to. I wish they'd hire an art director to harmonize new material with the old like that. Assemble and curate it in a way that provides a consistent and enduring vibe for the whole.
That would have been such a cool way to do a BG game. Like they could have just hired Dave Rapoza to bring all the BG1/2 characters up to speed for a revamped look, along with a few classics from other campaigns too, and then made those all part of the ongoing thing. Bring back some of the oldies. Found a new gang of a dozen kick ass painters like Black Isle did, and really make it special that way. Alas, I think the curtain may have fallen already. But I still bought WotR, just to keep the hopes alive, since they're at least giving it some kind of nod. Maybe they'll come back strong and enduring like Repin over there? Or maybe not. But it pleases me that I can at least make use of custom portraits in Pathfinder, even if I can't in the Realms anymore.
