I noticed a few people commenting on yesterday's new screenshots - specifically the field of view (FOV) and the perceived 'flatness' of the Zoë model - and I'd like to address that briefly.

Yes, the FOV was definitely exaggerated in those shots. We currently don't have a way to adjust it when using the so-called 'god camera' (which allows us to fly around and snap pretty pictures inside the game), but we'll be adding that functionality soon. Keep in mind that most 3D games use an exaggerated FOV to enhance the sense of speed and space. With Zoë standing close to - and in two cases, slightly to the side of - the camera, you get a little warping of the model. Thus the 'fisheye' effect. It won't look like that in-game...except where we want it to look like that, of course. The next batch of screens might use an adjusted FOV.

As for the flatness of the character, that's literally a trick of the light. The Zoë model is actually incredibly detailed (though, of course, we're not done with her: we'll keep tweaking the player-character models until the game ships), and, in the right light, she looks absolutely stunning. But our artists haven't gotten around to setting up the lights in the scenes yet, and the exterior shots of Zoë in Casablanca use only temporary, placeholder lighting. The interior shot is slightly more representative, though that too uses an early lighting setup. And, of course, the FOV in that one makes Zoë look a bit like a (very sexy) cardboard cutout.

Thirdly, I saw a comment regarding the environments - that they don't seem to match the level of detail and complexity of those in The Longest Journey. Yes and no. They are actually much more detailed in Dreamfall than they ever were in TLJ, but then the background plates - the 'mattes', if you will - in the latter were not only retouched, but they were also very, very low resolution (640 by 480). Once you increase resolution, things look sharper and cleaner, but they can also look more clinical and less detailed. It's a trade-off, but once you see these scenes in motion, with a full assortment of shaders and lighting (these locations aren't done yet, and we are taking a calculated risk by showing you work in progress), they look absolutely stunning. Take my word for it. Yes, TLJ had the classic 'painted' appearance, but Dreamfall will look even better. In my opinion.

It's always a bit touch-and-go showing stuff that isn't quite ready for primetime, but it's either that or a total embargo on screenshots until we go gold. I'm happy to see that most people are excited about the new art, and I'm also - believe it or not - happy to get constructive criticism, and even negative feedback. It's tough working in a vacuum, which is why we like to show off what we're doing. I firmly believe that Dreamfall will look as good as anything else out there at the time of release, especially with the enormous amount of variety we have in the game. There are landscapes and characters in there that (I hope) will blow your mind. Not to mention motion captured animations, facial expressions, lip sync, wonderful voices, fantastic music, lights, shadows, particles and special effects - and of course that whole gameplay thing. Apparently there's a 'story', too. Ooooh.  ¶ 10:28