The vision

A vibrant maelstrom of explosive reds, sliced through with the cold, sharp blues and whites of Ivy in order to emphasise her brutally precise dominance of the battlefield.

The reality

Ivy smacks up a couple of washed-out skeletons in a washed-out room with a washed-out transparency effect. The better-looking Soul Calibur II weeps in shame.

The vision

A dynamic, nigh-psychadelic view of the unnoticed microcosmic dramas playing out under our noses every single day. Sharp colours contrast against powerful motion blur highlight the life and energy of our protagonists.

The reality

Bit brown down here, innit?

The vision

The classic Star Wars mix of spell-binding natural scenery, alien intrigue, and detailed, lived-in decay.

The reality

The classic PSP mix of boxy polygons and flat textures. And the most disappointingly attended rave in the history of the galaxy.

The vision

High-res, 360-quality modelling, lighting and particle effects. This stuff made us all feel a whole lot better about the Wii's then-recently announced lack of horsepower when we saw it. As this comes from a set of art released as screenshots in the lead up to release, we realise that it technically isn't concept art. But...

The reality

This is what we grabbed directly from the game. It made us all feel very sad about the Wii.