Everyone has different tastes, but I think the game looks incredibly good. They're obviously a top notch studio, with a talented art department. Any perceived "flaws" are not for lack of effort or know how, but compromises based on artistic direction. I still like to see the discussion about what those tradeoffs are, and what their upsides and downsides are. I think anyone that complains the game is too blurry because of x, or any other complaint, is fair to say so. All interesting.
I agree with everything you wrote, first sentence included. The technical and artistic aspects of the game (minus the cinematic optical effects but I really hope that art in a videogame is (should be) more than just a few
easy post processing filters) are top notch and the game itself looks promising. But everybody could win in the end, there is an
ridiculously easy solution: what they've eventually done with lords of the fallen (CA disable option).
They could implement options to disable some effects: CA, grain filter, High-degree myopic DOF. When was the last time you
really watched a movie with such heavy grainy filter? Who would want to watch such a movie? I have never watched one personally, not completely.
And I can perfectly tolerate reasonable options like a very light grainy filter (used in TLOU and only noticeable in situations of low contrasts) and DOF only for very far away backgrounds (used in Infamous SS to
really hide low resolution assets).
The era of totally fixed settings in console games is over, people want more options, console gamers are PC gamers too and they want more choice and customization options as seen in many games in the last few years, from only the games I've played:
- Motion blur disable option in Warframe (god send), reduction in KZSF MP (after many complaints)
- 30fps cap in Bioshock infinite, TLOU, KZSF and Infamous SS (also after many complaints for the last 2 games)
- CA disable option in Lords of the fallen (many complaints....again).
Win/win situation for everybody.