Guild Wars 2

Is it just me, or does some concept art as shown on the loading screens (for example, Hoelbrak, Straits of Devastation) look strangely futuristic. Some of those buildings and landscapes remind me more of a post-nuclear apocalypse or crashed spaceships than anything to do with a fantasy setting.

Well…it’s concept art…
Straits of Devastation reminds me of limbo from Inception, but other than that, I don’t really think much of it.
Hoelbrak I think the only thing weird is the construction in the background, I think there’s a crane?

Could be scaffolding around one of the great lodges being created?

I haven’t been to Hoelbrak in a while though, so I don’t remember exactly, but I think the main point is just that early on the game designers gave the concept art team quite a bit of creative liberty, and from the concept art they were able to put together what they liked, what they didn’t, and they eventually came up with how things really are.

The Straits of Devastation artwork actually makes sense to look post-apocalyptic/futuristic considering the Orrians were highly advanced in terms of magic. I wouldn’t wonder if they were almost comparable to asura in regards of understanding how magic works.

The buildings in the background of Hoelbrak reminds me more of Khmer architecture than anything futuristic. It’s a bit weird that of all races, the norsemen types have this, but on the other hand, Anet is known to mix match human cultures like crazy to get their desired results. Though I can’t recall these buildings actually being in Hoelbrak, so it might just be the designers preference.

Where GW1 had a purely ancient fantasy look, in GW2 they incorperated more modern fantasy. SF is still fantasy.

I think that Orr is made very perfectly both in the loading screen as in the world itself.

The Hoelbrak shown in the concept at surely looks way more futuristic than the actual Hoelbrak.

Take a look at for example, concept art from the “Temple of the Forgotten God” chapter of the personal storyline or maybe the Black Citadel loading screen – that’s sci-fi. Don’t get me wrong, I love sci-fi, but you just don’t see anything like that in the actual game.

Maybe GW2 was supposed to be set a lot further into the future, but they changed their mind and kept the art (which is, by the way, really nice)?

The Chantry of Secrets, at first glance, looks to be quite a futuristic place (especially the globe of the world).