Wall of Text
1. Fade to Black
by Over-employed Concepts Inc.
The high textured vs. not-so-high textured areas impede upon the visual impact and the quality of the transition. It's not entirely unpleasant to look at, but it would have been of greater impact if the avatar had stuck to either high texture, or no texture, instead of crudely picking and choosing to force the concept through the cracks.
The hair is brighter than the face. Lol.
Verdict: 6/10.
---
2. Sune-ku Tsuwamono
by The Little Engine that Could Kill
The gloves and sandals flank the perimeter of an otherwise themed based avatar with a tad bit of forced matching. The plushness and the stripiness of the socks feels uncharacteristic. The texture of the gloves and the juxtaposition of the fingers suggest a more dainty, childishness than it does merciless killer. Just having left them exposed seems so much a better idea.
But to let go of that allows to examine an otherwise pleasantly constructed core, in which multiple and otherwise unrelated items are layered together to make a cohesive garment.
Verdict: 8/10.
---
3. Crescent Blade of the Wight
by Theme/Matching Spousal Abuse
There is some insightful layering going on here. I lol'd when I pinpointed the cincher. I'm not even certainly what that jacket is.
I'm negligent to approve of these arm and leg bracers. They're comparatively smooth to an otherwise predominantly sandpaper-like avatar. The arm bracers nearly feel plush. On the other side of the spectrum, the shoes feel too spikey. While noticeably rough, the avatar is lacking in sharp, jutting edges. It is mostly smooth lines with a few 90 degree angles. Then, suddenly, POIT, you're stabbed in the eye.
But beyond such nitpicks, my greatest concern... is the crescent blade, the premise of the avatars, feels little more like a distraction from the menial imperfections of the avatar, and not the premise.
Fun to mull over a few times, though, let the layering sink in, and examine the closest thing to tattoo abuse without inciting my rage.
Verdict: 7/10.
---
4. Ancient Samurai
by The Little Engine that Could Not
The set abuse is flagrant. The multiple sets used to complete the avatar as a whole, are further, very expectable selections that don't really deserve any applause.
Frankly, this feels like Tsuwamono's special little brother, who rides the short kappa to school.
Verdict: 3/10.
---
5. Toxicity
by Mrs. Menial Innovationz
This feels like a math problem to me. This isn't a sudden breakthrough in matching, but an accumulation of well established matching selections, plus the latest additions to the color palette. Those pants, cincher, and goggles have always matched, and every avatar maker whose dabbled would know it. Gaga shoulders are released and suddenly INNOVATIONZ? Afraid not.
But an accumulation of data across time immemorial is not necessarily a crime, and indeed is perfectly sensible. What kills my high above all things is the cripplingly obvious black/white accent scheme employed. White banded socks matched to white wristbands? Demonic anklets matched to demonic anklets?
INNOVATIONZ.
The alleged riskiness of using the bright lime color is nothing short of murdered by the bland black/white safety net employed underneath.
Verdict: 6/10
---
6. Fish are friends. Not food.
by Similar Items ad Infinitums
CALLING ALL XYZ ITEMS.
This method is just so safe and uninteresting at its core. Two items of obvious relationship employed together, in an obvious setting? The standard of genius has been set.
Its interesting to look at, I'll give it that, and it gets a passing thumbs of for guising the body with the sea bouquet and skirt - but that might be because I touched a frayed wire and my abductor pollicus is stick in a state of tetanus. Body disguising via the headless horseman pose is becoming nothing short of a cake walk. We can't keep ooing and awwing forever.
Verdict: 5/10
---
7. Sea Goddess
by Low Standards
The atmsophere effects only serve to distract from an otherwise uninteresting core. There are a few interesting accessories, but they don't hold the attention enough to distract from the fact its just another trite mermaid avatar expecting the pretty fins to do all the work.
Its matching the mermaid hair to the mermaid body. Mind = blown.
Verdict: 4/10
---
8. Winter Fairy
by Necessity, I Guess
Its the same non-skill oriented, cutey wooty cutems avatar that always wins, making it difficult to critique on a technical level, because objective qualities were simply not the qualities which won it favor.
The avatar is of a certain kind of low technical quality. Its bad because there was no desire to follow a technical and objective root, simply an administration of personal motivations alterior to avatar making itself. It exists to put those fuzzy feelings on paper - or in this case, on the internet, and they liked it enough to put it in arena.
It isn't art, but it is carthartic.
...That line was stupid. I'm ashamed.
Verdict: na/10.
---
9. Tin Soldier
by Eyeliner
I'm suffering from serious CANNOT UNSEE in regard to the exposed calves and forearms. There's an emptiness to them which doesn't fit with the rest of the avatar, and a sincere reality that the empty space could have been used to push the visual impact of the avatar even further.
Of course, the dilemma comes from the fact it is a single defect on an otherwise delightful avatar. Good show.
Verdict: 9/10.
---
10. Nora from the Black and White
by tl;dr
Every item selections seems to rely on a necessary, detailed explanation to compensate for the lack of visual impact. The ballet legs have probably set a record for fastest acquisition of an obvious use. The body is that figaro outfit, that hat. and. nothing. more.
Verdict: 3/10.
