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Can I write a lot? I absolutely love the aesthetics in the game, although of course the graphics are not great in some cases... )))
(When referring to creature versions, I use the words "first", "second" and "third" options — these correspond to their positions in the recruitment table, i.e., base is the first option, original upgrade is the second option, alt upgrade is the third option.)
Academy
Gremlins - very good. Exactly as they should be.
Gargoyles - this is, excuse me, some kind of misunderstanding. They are certainly very well drawn (thankfully stone isn't hard to draw), but it feels like the artists have never seen gargoyles. These are supposed to be the embodiment of all fears and horrors! And you're afraid of your nightstand???
Golems - nothing good here either. Firstly, they don't create a metallic impression at all (the first ones are pure stone, the second ones — who knows what, well the third ones look a bit like gold, although they should be magnetic...), and secondly, these are mechanical creatures created by mages! Why are they so sloppily hewn? Are the mages blind???
Mages - very good. Charismatic.
Djinn - mixed feelings. The bottom is a simply gorgeous embodiment, but as for the head and arms — I don't even want to discuss it. At first, I thought some kind of rough draft was accidentally left in the game, but when THIS wasn't fixed even in the last addon... excuse me. Disgusting!
Rakshasas - just super! The first option is simply the embodiment of lethal speed and grace, and the way they attack! You could actually watch them! An ideal unit. The second option also fits its description very well. You want to fear them, and at the same time there's something magnetic about them, characteristic of the religion they came from. The third ones turned out a bit vulgar, which in my opinion is misplaced here, but overall not bad either.
Titans - the first two options are wonderful — such power, simply unearthly. Plus those lightnings surrounding the second option are very appropriate. But as for the third one, the color scheme is just terrible!
Dungeon
Assassins - just wow! Especially their last version — they are so swift and ruthless! One of the most beautiful units in the game.
Blood Maidens - the first ones are good, although they have obvious problems with their faces. The second ones are simply perfect. Both the color and movements — another embodiment of lethal grace. Moreover, they blend very well with their light-elf runner brethren (from whom they separated in their time, if legends are to be believed). But the third option, IMO, really failed. They are drawn just horribly — crude and low quality, plus their voice acting doesn't fit the image at all, plus they look too heavy for their specialty — it's hard to believe that these plump ladies are some of the fastest creatures.
Minotaurs - the first two options are very good — powerful, fierce, untamed. But as for the third ones, the mask is clearly unnecessary and the sound again doesn't match the image.
Riders - I don't know... they seem to be drawn well enough, but something is missing. This unit doesn't grab me at all. It's kind of faceless...
Hydras - a wonderful idea, zero embodiment. The first option is okay, but the second and third — how could you draw them SO disproportionately! I'm constantly afraid that these poor things are about to tip over on their side...
Shadow Maidens - these are my favorite units in the whole game (we are talking about appearance now). They are absolutely beyond competition. I don't like their hands, actually, but I try not to pay attention to them. But the implementation itself! They completely match their image! And even the third option, however crude and vulgar it may be, still fits the description perfectly (although the hair could have been a different color — white or red would look great, but as it is — completely unnatural).
Dragons - the first ones look unconvincing. But the second and third fully compensate for that. Very, very good! Especially if they stand next to the witches — these two units complement each other perfectly; you can practically smell the feminine cunning and irresistible dragon power from them. )))
Castle
Peasants - some kind of horror! Whose inflamed brain came up with this? What's wrong with their faces? Why aren't they drawn at all? And they create an exclusively alcoholic impression... one of the most unsuccessful units.
Crossbowmen - well, basically the same as for the previous ones. An absolute fail. As they say, you should either do a job well or not do it at all... against the backdrop of the furies, they look like ink blots on drawing paper.
Foot Swordsmen - not bad, especially the second option — there's a sense of purity and holiness about them (in the original, this race is indeed holy).
Griffins - so-so... the first ones are as if molded from plasticine. No matter how much I play, I can't get rid of the association with a plasticine crow. The second and third are much better, but there's too much iron on them. It must be very hard to fly with such ballast...
Priests - ugh! Highway robbers, nothing more! In 4, the monks were much more charismatic. Here — a total fail.
Cavalry - good. They look very noble, just like kind knights from fairy tales. Again, the second option looks better than others, especially next to the armored ones.
Angels - well, firstly, I don't understand how they can be considered men! In my opinion, there can be no doubt here, they are a spitting image of Tatyana Ovsienko! And secondly, this is IMO one of the most beautiful units in the game. They fly a bit clumsily, but oh, how they strike with the sword, and how they die — it's just a sight to behold. And the third option is the most successful here — like some kind of holy avengers, gorgeous!
Inferno
There are many complaints here
Imps - another case where a good idea was poorly implemented. What are those tongues? Why do they have wings if they don't fly? Although they fight very beautifully.
Horned Ones - some kind of nonsense, honestly... they just look like a pile of something. Rags, for example...
Hounds - again, good idea, terrible embodiment. They are just VERY poorly drawn! Why, what did they do to deserve this?
Succubi - beautiful. All versions. Exactly as they should be. Another unit worthy of the title of one of the best in the game.
Hell Horses - nothing good. Completely unconvincing. What's with that idiotic grin? What kind of imbecilic skull shape??? Even the fiery back doesn't save it...
Pits - very good! Charismatic to the limit. They fight beautifully, they cast beautifully! A worthy unit.
Devils - a unit that should be the SCARIEST in the game turned out to be one of the least serious. A symbiosis of a goblin face and a tin can. Fail.
Necropolis
Skeletons - well, so-so. Some are too short. These must be skeletons of some kind of gremlins... and the third option is just comical — as if they stepped off the pages of a humor magazine.
Zombies - good. Especially the second option. In the third ones, the stupid spiderweb scratched on the belly ruins everything. Details should be in moderation!
Ghosts - simply magnificent! All of them! No words, one of the best units.
Vampires - unconvincing. In 4, vampires were extraordinarily beautiful, but here they are some kind of slowpokes. The first option even resembles village men. The third ones are okay, but still — these aren't vampires...
Liches - the first and second options are undoubtedly magnificent, top grade — mega stylish gentlemen! But as for the third... a stupid kokoshnik and fireworks shooting out of the book is, in my view, rare nonsense.
Wraiths - also very, very good. The first option is the embodiment of the spirit of death; you feel the cold just by looking at it! True, with the second and third this effect disappears because of a stupid glow, but the drawing is still excellent.
Dragons - and again I am delighted! All three options are wonderful. Although, IMO, the third one is unfinished. It needs to add transparency like the ghosts have, then the image will fully match the description. And they should die in a more incorporeal way...
Sylvan
Fairies – very charismatic! Especially the second and third options. Wonderful little creatures, embodiments of nature itself.
Dancers – the first ones look like snotty first-graders, the third ones — like some people from a hospital. In general, nonsense. But the second option is simply magnificent! Nothing to say, an ideal.
Archers – a small lyrical digression... when I was waiting for 5 to be released, what I wanted to see most were exactly them — elven shooters, because by definition this is one of the most graceful units, which should evoke nothing but admiration... what I saw in the end was, to put it mildly, horrifying. All three options are a total fail! (The second option, moreover, looks just like my former classmate!)
Druids – the first ones aren't great, too multicolored, not stylish at all. But the second and third — very stylish! Beautiful, very beautiful units.
Unicorns – again another disappointment — the first and second options are terrible. I was already upset, but then they made the third option — they are beautiful! This is exactly how I pictured them in my imagination — bright and pure spirits of nature, animals that embody magic itself...
Treants – blegh! Really, could you not have drawn THIS beautifully? These aren't trees, but some kind of stumps with scraps of leaves. The only thing good about them is the roots that come out from under the ground and entangle enemies — it looks very effective.
Dragons – again a complete fail. Dragons that look like iguanas or tritons are not dragons... and when they die, they turn into a pile of green decorations. In general, this race disappointed me more than any other. I expected it to be one of the most beautiful, but it turned out to be one of the ugliest...
Fortress
This isn't even a race, it's a hymn to disproportion! The most unsuccessful race in terms of appearance, IMO. And largely due to these disproportions. Plus everything is drawn very crudely. Why???
Defenders – these aren't dwarves, but some kind of giants. They are twice as big as all the elves! They aren't perceived as dwarves! Absolutely do not match the image.
Spear Throwers – same thing. Plus unnatural faces make these fellows look like figures from chocolate eggs.
Bear Riders – well, these aren't bad, the third option is even good, but again no proportions. Are these dwarves? In that case, why are they bigger than the bear???
Brawlers – no, this is just too much! One of the most terrible units in the game! The first ones — barbarians, the second ones aren't even worthy of being called anything — as they say, neither skin nor face, and that's without any allegory. And the third ones look like failed ballet dancers in a helmet.
Rune Priests – my fingers are tired of typing about proportions... but if you set that aside, it turned out to be a very good unit. They went a bit overboard with details on the third ones — they look caricatured, but overall — good.
Thanes – first option — long live the plasticine crow! The second and especially the third are significantly better, although the burning hand of the second is, to put it mildly, annoying.
Dragons – again the first option — an artist's delusion and ancestor of the imps (see imp description)... the second and third are perhaps the only units in this race that don't cause any complaints. Beautiful!
Barbarian
Goblins – very good and believable. Beauty!
Centaurs – what's with their faces? And why are they so fat??? Why were they given children's toy bows? The third option gets a mediocre grade minus for at least wearing a mask, but the first two are a total fail.
Warriors – first option — complete perversion. Second and third — significantly better, very well justify their descriptions. I like them.
Shamans – first option — very good, especially the facial drawing, just a sight to behold. Daughters of the Sky are an obvious overkill with accessories. They look like cheap magpies that grabbed all sorts of junk from the nearest dump. Daughters of the Earth, excuse me, evoke no other association for me than failed transvestites — blegh! Regarding all options — they fight completely stupidly, but they cast very beautifully.
Assassins – well, classic orcs. Ugly, but that's how they are supposed to be... I don't know. This unit is as faceless as the riders in Dungeon. No emotions.
Wyverns – what is this? Who is this? It feels like the first breeze would blow these pieces of crap (that's exactly how they look) into the blue endless distance. Some kind of shapeless, disproportionate, dystrophic NON-creatures. Ugh!
Cyclopes – now these are very good! Mega charismatic! The embodiment of crude untamed strength, wildness, rage. In short, it's scary to meet them, as it should be. And they throw goblins very effectively.
Neutrals
All Elementals – a complete misunderstanding. I don't understand how SUCH things could make it into the final version of the game. These are the UGLIEST creatures in the game!
Death Knights – well, not bad... they look way too scrawny, and their voice acting is kind of hilarious, but overall okay.
Phoenix – another big disappointment. One of the most beautiful creatures of the magical worlds — the sacred phoenix — a majestic bird carrying the ash of destruction and simultaneously the light of new life — turned out looking like a flying snake — some kind of viper. If you remove the glow surrounding it, you can see that it's also terribly dystrophic. Total fail.
Wolves – I don't even want to write anything here. One of the most terrible drawings...
Mummies – seems like a good idea, but these scrawny things don't inspire anything serious. And they die in such a clumsy way...
Manticoras – again, this creature should instill terror, but it only causes hysterical laughter. And at the same time, you get the feeling that it understands the comicality of its own appearance and is very ashamed of it. Another delusion of the artists.