Hi everyone, I'm currently developing my own 3D ARPG, which takes heavy inspiration from titles like The Legend of Zelda series (specifically The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons).
As a programmer with very limited art skills, I rely heavily on AI to assist with generating game art assets. However, this has introduced significant challenges. The AI-generated assets are quite detailed, so when AI fails to produce what I need, I have to create those assets myself. This results in a jarring visual inconsistency between my crude handmade assets and the detailed AI assets. Trying to polish my own assets to match the AI quality requires a huge amount of time that I simply can't afford, and relying heavily on AI tools is also driving up my financial costs.
I've attached some gameplay screenshots of the first level. The floor, walls, and water were made by me, while the rest of the objects were generated by AI.
Should I "downgrade" my visual style—perhaps shifting to a low poly art direction—or stick with the current look? The current workflow is slowing down my development progress. While I'm reasonably satisfied with how the game looks right now, I'm feeling quite conflicted about the path forward. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
