Overall

Vision Vision

Originality Originality

Technique Technique

Impact Impact

In the background, two spears are stuck in the beast's skin. Closer, we see where an arrow has been embedded. And clearly, these two travelers have their own weapons - so what is stuck in the beast is the result of a lifetime of adventurers, each with their own desire to slay a monster which clearly regards them as little more than an annoyance. That level of detail, combined with the decaying gray overtones, sets this stage as both exciting and inevitable. Death surrounds these woods, and death is all there is left.The models of the soldiers/adventurers are oddly evil, but that's my viewpoint. They're clearly from the same regime, and clearly modeled after another dark entity of sorts. Their armor and their creepy faceplates evoke the same visceral response, the same "fight or flight" moment, combined with the intrigue one gets from encountering an enemy in a video game. Except, of course, that they're being overpowered by this monstrosity before them. With the beast, they go from intimidating soldiers to mere fodder for this horror.The horror itself doesn't exactly feel adequately represented here, although its scale is certainly present in the massive tentacle shown in the background. But it doesn't exactly feel...developed? There's not enough seen to evoke the true scale of its presence, but we're shown enough of its body and its head to make its presence unmistakable - and as such, un-mysterious. Still, the texture is a leathery amphibious mess to truly bring the sound and feel of this fight to life.The landscape has the perfect attitude for such a desolate hunting ground, but the trees are too sparse to make it seem like a forest, and not encircling to make it feel like a clearing. And why are there clouds in the background like that? Are they on a wooded plateau? That's certainly interesting, but as viewers we don't have the necessary context to piece this environment precisely together.Still, it's evident that the focus is on the action, and the somber terror in the hearts of what will soon be two ex-travelers. That aspect is clearly present and emotionally represented enough to give anyone the chills.