The Art of Hades II with Supergiant Games' Jen Zee | Interview

Ойындар

In this exclusive video, Game Informer interviews Jen Zee, the renowned art director behind Supergiant Games' Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and your favorite characters in Hades, about the making of Hades II. We discuss how art history inspired Jen when depicting Melinoë, why she loved revisiting her past work, the graphical differences between Hades and its successor, and fan art from Supergiant's community.
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Пікірлер: 128

  • @user-sz2cv4bw5q
    @user-sz2cv4bw5q18 күн бұрын

    so good to finally hear from the person that my generation is named after 🙏🙏🙏

  • @infinitetranquilo

    @infinitetranquilo

    16 күн бұрын

    I hate you lmao took me a minute to get the joke

  • @immortalkombat9289

    @immortalkombat9289

    15 күн бұрын

    Ace Attorney ahhh name

  • @Moji55a

    @Moji55a

    15 күн бұрын

    My teacher fr2

  • @Balloonbot

    @Balloonbot

    8 күн бұрын

    Everybody has already forgotten about Mei Lenial 😢

  • @Haelian
    @Haelian17 күн бұрын

    Mel is SO much more detailed and it really shines in Hades 2. Great work Jen and the entire art team!

  • @tunab666

    @tunab666

    17 күн бұрын

    Haelian heree! My fav Hades streamer/player/creator haha shot out!

  • @evemartinez8519
    @evemartinez851917 күн бұрын

    As an illustrator, and animation student, Jen Zee and all Supergiant team are such a big inspiration to look up to.

  • @FryCanon
    @FryCanon18 күн бұрын

    Love this. Jen Zee is iconic!! Have loved her art for over a decade!

  • @FSmith-kv4fj

    @FSmith-kv4fj

    17 күн бұрын

    I first encountered her art when she was making items and site art for Gaia Online. I'm happy she's come so far since then.

  • @BucklingSwashes
    @BucklingSwashes18 күн бұрын

    1:50 I honestly never would have guessed that they were using different tech than the first game. I assumed it was the exact same engine with minor changes at best. They did an incredible job of mimicking the look of the first game. I had noticed improvements, especially to things like lighting and the general smoothness of animations, but I didn't think we'd gotten such an actual upgrade.

  • @freshFerdinand

    @freshFerdinand

    18 күн бұрын

    That's why Asphodel feels so different when Chronos sends you there, even though it looks exactly the same, even down to the enemies.

  • @Bards.98

    @Bards.98

    17 күн бұрын

    I tried the first game again after playing the new one no stop, and it feels so unpolished compared to the new one, although when I played the first one I found it completely beautiful, the second one just raised the bar to Selene

  • @dpurut

    @dpurut

    17 күн бұрын

    @@Bards.98exactly!!

  • @ElementalNimbus

    @ElementalNimbus

    17 күн бұрын

    That news is honestly both super surprising to me as a huge fan of both Hades, and also not at all surprising as a fan of Supergiant Games since literally Bastion. They have never been a studio for lazy choices and it shines through game after game.

  • @iditrirajan

    @iditrirajan

    17 күн бұрын

    ​@@freshFerdinand I thought it was solely because Hades 2 was more zoomed in

  • @ACameronUK
    @ACameronUK18 күн бұрын

    The art of their games is instantly recognisable and iconic - hooray ☺️

  • @lynox8639

    @lynox8639

    Күн бұрын

    Right? I fell in love with it way back from transistor and to see it evolved to such a heighten state is so amazing

  • @PhilipAlexanderHassialis
    @PhilipAlexanderHassialis18 күн бұрын

    The art direction and especially the zone art design is so much better than Hades 1. Kudos to the art team, and ofc to Darren for dressing it all up magnificently. Also, *WHERE IS THE COMPLETE SCYLLA & THE SIRENS ALBUM DARREN? WHERE IS IT???*

  • @grahamkristensen9301
    @grahamkristensen930118 күн бұрын

    I wonder how she feels knowing her art skills gave millions of people weapons grade bi-panic.

  • @belindaluna2067

    @belindaluna2067

    18 күн бұрын

    I think she'd be fine with it. She has said she was onboard with the initial idea of depicting all the gods of the first Hades naked.

  • @potatomo9609

    @potatomo9609

    18 күн бұрын

    @@belindaluna2067oh what we have lost 😔

  • @stratovolcano7813
    @stratovolcano781318 күн бұрын

    I got punked by this title so hard because I've been waiting for a hades artbook since 2020 and I wanted this so bad to be a release video 🤧 heartbreak aside I'm soooo grateful to be able to listen to jen zees artistic process !!! Supergiant is one of my biggest inspirations and I've always been in love with jen zees art!

  • @DariaElGrellPozina
    @DariaElGrellPozina9 күн бұрын

    I am SO OBSESSED with Jen Zee's art, ever since the Bastion, it has such a painterly quality, such a great balance between smoothness and details. If she ever makes an artbook whether of SuperGiant art or her own I would get it in a heartbeat. 💖

  • @paullittle835
    @paullittle83518 күн бұрын

    She's such a star! Not only a supremely talented character artist, but also, what a scholar!

  • @tristezaeternal
    @tristezaeternal18 күн бұрын

    Jen Zee is so talented like omg.... I wanna squeal at everything she created for both parts of Hades. And the passion of the community is only a fair tribute to such a great team as Supergiant

  • @ISawABear
    @ISawABear17 күн бұрын

    I love how even as wild as some of their designs can be (especially when compared to ancient Greek statues) they still have pin point lots of references to the depictions of the gods that informs their models.

  • @pastelhermit6946
    @pastelhermit694614 күн бұрын

    I just need an art book to drop for these games they are so beautiful!!

  • @andreeam.1888
    @andreeam.188817 күн бұрын

    Hades 2 has been a FANTASTIC early access. So much polished content already, it is insane. Had a blast with it. So happy to hear Jen speak about their creative process ❤❤

  • @BrettDalton
    @BrettDalton18 күн бұрын

    Love all the art work, since I accidentally came across transistor, I've been a massive fan

  • @Zories97
    @Zories9718 күн бұрын

    Love this. I’m so excited for Hades 2 when it’s fully done and released.

  • @xmlthegreat
    @xmlthegreat15 күн бұрын

    She's so genuine, and from the way she communicates I get the feeling that everyone at Supergiant is just having fun in the creative process of making these beloved games.

  • @Schizm1
    @Schizm117 күн бұрын

    She's AMAZING art director. Thank You for the interview!

  • @topacio3696
    @topacio369617 күн бұрын

    I want super giant to know that I would buy art books of both Hades games in a heartbeat

  • @Crocthunder
    @Crocthunder18 күн бұрын

    Super iconic , I always leave seeing comm from artists also trying this art style out cause its rad

  • @henrywilliams5427
    @henrywilliams542718 күн бұрын

    I wish they would make art books to collect.

  • @maxjohnson808
    @maxjohnson80817 күн бұрын

    Literally just bought this game so very hyped to watch this interview. The art team at Supergiant under Jen Zee goes insanely hard with each game.

  • @penkuro1864
    @penkuro186417 күн бұрын

    Been following Supergiantgames and especially Jen religiously since Bastion. She always gives and keeps on giving! I find the part she mentioned about putting blinders on other creative fan arts very interesting. Glad that she shared that part of her creative process.

  • @TehTeh911
    @TehTeh91118 күн бұрын

    I really wish she talked about some of her ideas with the witch you meet in Thessaly, because some choices were made and even though its still placeholder art I want to knoooooow

  • @smollmighto
    @smollmighto18 күн бұрын

    Amazing art and characters I really love all of them, and they're so loveable, sometimes I can't skip a dialogue or chamber just to not missing them

  • @magiclife1998
    @magiclife199811 күн бұрын

    I soooo want an artbook with all the design processes.

  • @Ironwill_Games
    @Ironwill_Games15 күн бұрын

    I really hope there’s some sort of art book of this game (and the one before actually) cause the amount of creative art is just amazing! Well done.

  • @TheM00ndawg
    @TheM00ndawg16 күн бұрын

    literally can't wait to see what Narcisus looks like. loving the early access already.

  • @DogginsFroggins
    @DogginsFroggins17 күн бұрын

    This woman is legendary imo and will go down as one of the best artistic minds in the games industries history, glad to hear her opinions, the team at Supergiant is amazing!

  • @MyNamesHunter75
    @MyNamesHunter7516 күн бұрын

    Honestly supergiant is kinda my dream studio to work at more so because i just adore the art and games and the art is integral to their overall games

  • @Bogrin
    @Bogrin18 күн бұрын

    Loving the early release so far! Keep up the great work!

  • @thiagocosta3953
    @thiagocosta395316 күн бұрын

    the art of supergiant games is so, so good. every one of them is unique and gorgeous. thank you, Jen zee and the team!!

  • @zahiar
    @zahiar16 күн бұрын

    I learned about internal game design from her. So fascinating.

  • @pinstripeowl
    @pinstripeowl14 күн бұрын

    This was great - its so good hearing influences on the art and i really have loved hades ii so fer

  • @ChrisLT
    @ChrisLT18 күн бұрын

    Some of the best art in games.

  • @leicean
    @leicean18 күн бұрын

    I’ve played the early access and omg this game is just as fun and amazing story-wise but the art ties it all together and I’m obsessed!!!!

  • @kraja15
    @kraja1518 күн бұрын

    3:06 Oh - *mood* paintings. Well i clearly heard that wrong lmao

  • @BrettDalton
    @BrettDalton18 күн бұрын

    In that opening sequence is a track we haven't heard yet that I remeber.... Can't wait to hear it all

  • @Evan_Campbell

    @Evan_Campbell

    15 күн бұрын

    nah. it's not from the game. the editor spent way too much time trying to find tracks in a digital library that felt like they matched the tone of the ones in the game. i bet a comment like this made it all worth it though.

  • @anna-kay-dweight
    @anna-kay-dweight15 күн бұрын

    Oh yes, when I started playing Hades II, I definitely felt the _smoothness_ and upgraded feel of the art and environment, despite it being a sequel. Everything is familiar, yet _new_ and _improved_. And the design of the camp in the Crossroads is so satisfying. I love returning there after each attempt. And bathing and fishing with friendly characters. :) Meeting familiar characters with their new looks is sooo good. New characters are also very inspiring (and can't wait for designs of robed figures!). Thank you Jen Zee and the team. Incredible job! 💚

  • @poszy6
    @poszy68 күн бұрын

    Have not played the game but in love with the art

  • @iESCAP1SM
    @iESCAP1SM17 күн бұрын

    Loving this! I have to admit that I miss the quirky little brightly coloured lines and dots used in the first game’s artwork. This is more refined and sticks to clear palettes, but the first game’s art had qualities I’d show our interns

  • @krjal3038
    @krjal303816 күн бұрын

    Fantastic interview. That's the type of behind-the-scenes info I love to hear about in game dev.

  • @bantyone5299
    @bantyone529916 күн бұрын

    Awesome video. I love'd getting to see Hades 1 development through No Clip and I am grateful Game Informer is also covering Hades 2 dev!

  • @ceno10101
    @ceno1010118 күн бұрын

    I feel her name is a stage name. Hades 3 will be art directed by Jen Alpha.

  • @Vub.
    @Vub.17 күн бұрын

    Cant wait to play this. First one was hooked

  • @seandever5761
    @seandever576116 күн бұрын

    The art is beautiful thank you so much for this game!

  • @davidbush8894
    @davidbush889417 күн бұрын

    Jen Zee is a legend. Supergiant games have so much style it’s unreal.

  • @bigmanfrank5708
    @bigmanfrank57086 күн бұрын

    This looks so cool love the characters design look forward to playing this game love creativity

  • @RoyalMudcrab
    @RoyalMudcrab18 күн бұрын

    I've had a small crush on Jen since Developing Hell and I had hoped she'd do an interview on Hades II. It's been great so far.

  • @kurrohii3957
    @kurrohii395714 күн бұрын

    They need to release an art book!

  • @Spaszer1
    @Spaszer118 күн бұрын

    I loved this video! thank you very much

  • @gameinformer

    @gameinformer

    17 күн бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @JayPeaFenn
    @JayPeaFenn18 күн бұрын

    One of the greats 💪

  • @princessthyemis
    @princessthyemis12 күн бұрын

    i love her artwork so much!!! And Joanne Tran, who is the enviroment artist if I got their name right--SPECTACULAR WORK!!!!!

  • @Chief_Ten_Bears
    @Chief_Ten_BearsКүн бұрын

    That chuggy guitar in the intro was NICE

  • @Bards.98
    @Bards.9817 күн бұрын

    I totally agree with the looks the same feels different

  • @brainpattern
    @brainpattern18 күн бұрын

    I agree that Hades 2 is even better. Can't wait for the game to be out in full, but it's been a blast to play in early access so far.

  • @NickelCanvas
    @NickelCanvas17 күн бұрын

    Great interview!

  • @gameinformer

    @gameinformer

    17 күн бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @user-ew7cu3bh1w
    @user-ew7cu3bh1w3 күн бұрын

    Jen Zee is such a cool name❤

  • @Himegw
    @Himegw14 күн бұрын

    Wow, this is awsome. After playing the 2 the 1st hades seems like a beta verson. I love 2. Congrats ❤❤❤

  • @Bards.98
    @Bards.9817 күн бұрын

    The second game hasn't even came out yet and i am already excited to see what will they do with Hades lll and Marika

  • @mis.-ty7ej
    @mis.-ty7ej17 күн бұрын

    I don't even play hades, I am here for the great arts and hot characters!

  • @LeonardoSilva-kc1id
    @LeonardoSilva-kc1id15 күн бұрын

    ❤❤

  • @shut7565
    @shut756518 күн бұрын

    It's funny how you guys scrolled through Hades twitter and then there's that one Lore Olympus fan art LMAO at 15:47

  • @everlastin8732
    @everlastin87328 күн бұрын

    Kinda wanna see that mood painting ngl

  • @MikeyJ1572
    @MikeyJ15726 күн бұрын

    can't believe that that's an actual person's actual name

  • @JDEdwards2331
    @JDEdwards233118 күн бұрын

    I need to go back and listen but did she say Hades 1 was in 2D? My brain refuses to accept that lol.

  • @ir-dan8524

    @ir-dan8524

    18 күн бұрын

    The engine is in 2D, which limits lighting and perspective features, but all the gameplay art is pre-rendered sprites that use 3D models. Technically the game could've been made without these models but it saved a lot of time/repetition with the 8-directional movement.

  • @JDEdwards2331

    @JDEdwards2331

    18 күн бұрын

    @@ir-dan8524 you're awesome. Thank you.

  • @belindaluna2067

    @belindaluna2067

    18 күн бұрын

    This was why you could only pet one of Cerberus' heads.

  • @ir-dan8524

    @ir-dan8524

    18 күн бұрын

    @@belindaluna2067 You can only pet one because the rest don't like it

  • @iditrirajan

    @iditrirajan

    17 күн бұрын

    ​@@ir-dan8524that's canonical justification to cover engine's shortcoming. Many games do this. Hades have too

  • @bryanlee1014
    @bryanlee101417 күн бұрын

    14:38 😳

  • @Saida-qy3ee
    @Saida-qy3ee16 күн бұрын

    ♥♥♥♥♥♥

  • @karlhendrikse
    @karlhendrikse13 күн бұрын

    No way that there is an actual person called jen zee that's hilarious

  • @marielcarey4288

    @marielcarey4288

    7 күн бұрын

    Omg I just noticed 😭

  • @amanofnoreputation2164
    @amanofnoreputation216418 күн бұрын

    "What color would their underwear be? (The raspy voice is non negotiable when submitting questions to the director.) What's their favourite food for breakfast?"

  • @TsasmineBaldwin
    @TsasmineBaldwin15 күн бұрын

    9:54 that's kronos, not chronos

  • @amanofnoreputation2164
    @amanofnoreputation216418 күн бұрын

    Hades: Ody-illissy Hades 2: Illi-odessy

  • @marielcarey4288
    @marielcarey42887 күн бұрын

    13:59 heheheheh

  • @Pumpkininater
    @Pumpkininater15 күн бұрын

    W

  • @ragros12
    @ragros1216 күн бұрын

    Ah I was hoping for a little more depth on the creative reasoning for transitioning away from the pre-rendered sprites for character models. I can only assume that due to the increased capabilities of the new engine they did it because they could, not because it would serve any artistic purpose. If anything they are detracting from the appeal by removing the final layer of controlled polish which was previously given to the sprites...

  • @user-ed5wc1op9o
    @user-ed5wc1op9o13 күн бұрын

    I expected some early artwork to be shared. Disappointing.

  • @KeyT3ch
    @KeyT3ch17 күн бұрын

    Gen Z?

  • @97wojak
    @97wojak18 күн бұрын

    Is her name pronounced Gen Z?

  • @Faceu7745
    @Faceu774518 күн бұрын

    She's the real piece of art...

  • @ju7644
    @ju764418 күн бұрын

    their work is impressive and great. nemesis' design kinda pissed me off tho

  • @smoogles.5534
    @smoogles.553416 күн бұрын

    cool but wasted because the game has these bizarre diversity characters for no reason but just to force them in, instead of something genuinely creative we could of got from her. oh well.

  • @smoogles.5534

    @smoogles.5534

    14 күн бұрын

    @@marciasouzabavaro2877 It's blatantly obvious that the recent changes in the gaming industry are being forcefully driven by a DEI agenda. This isn't about personal preference; it's a clear-cut fact. There's a bizarre wave of people who, without question, label any critique of these changes as 'hate.' But let's call it what it is: a purely agenda-driven move that does nothing to enhance the game. It panders to a microscopic minority, and despite the billions of dollars invested in these initiatives, they repeatedly fail because what they're pushing isn't in line with the natural interests of the broader gaming community. This isn't progress; it's a distraction from what gamers actually want. Funny enough, a few media outlets posted the same kind of article at the same time. They synchronized their watches courtesy of BlackRock and Vanguard ESG directives. It's not a coincidence; it's a coordinated effort to push this agenda from the top down. And nothing screams 'god-like being' like being in a wheelchair, right? It's laughable. The absurdity of these forced representations, which are supposed to be empowering, only serve to highlight the disconnect between these so-called progressives and the actual interests of the gaming community.

  • @LimaJayaSRC
    @LimaJayaSRC17 күн бұрын

    The only good thing Gen Z has done 😂😂😂

  • @MateriaGirl
    @MateriaGirl18 күн бұрын

    Ngl. The art is decidedly worse this time around. The character poses are stagnant and they aren't representative of their personalities. Hades is renowned for how dynamic and full of life the portraits are. The Hades 2 versions are standing still, in normal positions, with nothing indicating who they are. Hermes is just... Standing there. In the first game he was visibly on his way somewhere, at a crazy angle. The new design doesn't even have visual indicators that it's him. And the dynamic, colorful lighting effects are largely missing now, too. It's an obvious downgrade and I don't get it.

  • @dunadan1995

    @dunadan1995

    17 күн бұрын

    The game’s still in early access, plenty of characters’ art isn’t finished yet with some even being placeholders or a coarse doodle. If other characters are gonna have sprites closer in terms of detailing to what Melinoe has, it’s gonna be a massive upgrade over Hades 1 imo. Also, it’s a completely different aesthetic and a different context from the first game, it’s more melancholic and slower by design, hence the different posing and impressions on characters’ faces.

  • @MateriaGirl

    @MateriaGirl

    17 күн бұрын

    @@dunadan1995 they drew fully finished art as placeholders? That's fucking stupid. This isn't placeholder art.

  • @dunadan1995

    @dunadan1995

    17 күн бұрын

    @@MateriaGirl no, the art for Narcissus, Charon and Selene(dismounted in the Crossroads) are literally placeholders - as in the people in cloaks, the same placeholders that were in Hades 1’s early access. And arts for Hades, Icarus, Cerce and Medea are rough sketches of their complete future art. Some of the other art is less detailed than usual too - new Artemis sprite looks scruffy, and plenty of NPC’s with extensive dialogue don’t have more than one sprite yet, which is bound to change - all the people important to the plot had more than one sprite in Hades 1 to make them seem more expressive(Meg, Than, Hades, Dusa, Nyx, Persephone). And if you remember the early access for the first game - arts for plenty of characters changed for the full release from how they were in Early Access too - more details and polish was added for the full release.

  • @mrshmuga9

    @mrshmuga9

    12 күн бұрын

    ⁠@@dunadan1995 Sure on one hand it’s an early access “game”… but they’re charging money for it NOW so it’s still fair to criticize its current state. Especially when a lot of buzz around the game was “yeah, it’s technically early access but it’s basically completely done”. You’d think with how successful the first one was, they wouldn’t need to do a paid early access again.

  • @dunadan1995

    @dunadan1995

    12 күн бұрын

    ​@@mrshmuga9 Nobody forces you to play the early access version though. The cost of the game is lowered compared to the full release for a reason and the reason is that the game is unfinished and the devs need feedback. Hence the 3 long-ass patches that they've released since the intial EA version came out that have like half of the changes based on audience feedback. Please wait for the full release if you can't deal with the fact that the game isn't really finished just yet. That being said, they didn't release the first Hades in early access because they couldn't release the game in a complete state either, they EA'd it to get as much feedback and balance the game as much as humanly possible so that it'd become the best version of what it could be - which is what happened, and which is why Hades was so well recieved when it actually launched. Also, why'd you put "game" in quotations? The actual *gameplay* itself is pretty much done, what we don't have yet is one biom, one weapon, some visuals and the story beats(also some Gods are rumored to be added later as well, but that's just speculation). The EA version of the first Hades had 4 weapons with no aspects, initially looked like actual ass with pretty much all of the in-game art changing by the time it released and also ended the run after beating Hydra in the second biome. Hades 2 is a goddamn goldmine of content by comparison with its 5 weapons, 6 biomes including the final boss, keepsakes, aspects for existing weapons, the Fear mechanic(aka the Heat mechanic that wasn't introduced until launch in the first game) etc. In terms of gameplay Hades 2 already has pretty much everything that was beloved in Hades 1, they're just testing out all of the new stuff. I've personally played this game for 50 hours already and enjoyed it immensely.

  • @AnonYmous69271
    @AnonYmous6927117 күн бұрын

    You mean the horrible, ugly art where they race swapped characters?

  • @joshuasgameplays9850

    @joshuasgameplays9850

    17 күн бұрын

    They’re called the Greek gods because they were worshiped by the Greeks, not because they themselves were ethnically Greek. Also who the hell cares it’s a fucking video game.

  • @Corndoggo

    @Corndoggo

    17 күн бұрын

    +they aren't 1 to 1 exact replicas of the Greek gods, they are inspired by them to create characters for a story the Hades team came up with.

  • @bluevortexpng1211

    @bluevortexpng1211

    17 күн бұрын

    do you want to bitch and moan about ares, athena, dionysus, and patroclus from the first game as well? just for having a darker skin tone in their designs? or is it just hestia you're mad about because she isn't conventionally attractive enough

  • @dunadan1995

    @dunadan1995

    17 күн бұрын

    Race swapped who exactly? The burnt face of Hestia, the literal goddess of fire? Or maybe a very specifically Ancient Egypt inspired Chronos? Or maybe having literal Greek gods with some tan is completely unreasonable and anything other than completely white rendition is offensive to your refined tastes? What, you’re gonna complain that making Hephaestus crippled is woke too? Look at more anime girl №36942 Hestia art and GTFO.

  • @iditrirajan

    @iditrirajan

    17 күн бұрын

    ​@@dunadan1995except they did. They did complained about the fact that Hephastus is crippled because of the "wokes"

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