For a while now, people have been asking where AnthroXtacy reviews were on our site. In the time since our last review on [AX], much has certainly happened, including several new avatars from AX and a slew of other creators. In a re-debut of AX on SLARF, we discuss AnthroXtacy’s latest interpretation of domestic felines.

Out of the Box:

• Both Genders included
  • Male and Females Shapes and Skins
  • PG/Mature Female Skins
• 4 Eyebrow/Eye Expressions
• 3 Mouth Expressions
• Fluffy and Scotish Fold ear Options
• RGB Palette (Unlimited Eye Colour)
• Hideable HUD
• Muzzle Talking System
  • Jaw Openess Slider
  • Tongue, Typing AO and Voice Toggles
• Wagging Controllable Tail
• Wiggling Controllable Ears
• Sculpted, Controllable Blink
• Alpha Layer Compatible Prims (i.e. Viewer-2.x capable)
• Automatically delivered updates

Build and Skin Quality:

This avatar comes in a variety of different breeds of cat, whether it’s something as simple as a straight-up white cat, calico or a tabby. AnthroXtacy has come a fairly long way with their texturing, with all of the details of the fur markings well done on each given breed of cat. All of the markings are very distinctive, and the fur itself has a considerable amount of brushing which makes it look more fur-like overall.

A strong point to this avatar is also that the creator has utilised ample shading over the body, which accents anything from the hindquarters to the breasts on the female skin. A challenge is to ensure uniformity of textures across the avatar; between prims and the body shape, and AnthroXtacy has risen to the challenge to maintain that continuity of texture quality. The only issue with the skin is that there’s the slightest hint of a patch between the upper and lower body textures which is noticeably less detailed than the rest of the body.

Click here to view the Adult Female Skin. Warning – Picture rated MATURE.

In terms of the build quality, AnthroXtacy has made several strides since our last review of one of their avatars a few years back. The sculpt quality is consistent with what many have come to expect from creators in the field these days, and their arrangement ensures minimal amounts of creasing between prims. Additionally, there is no sculpt wrinkling that can be seen anywhere on the avatar.

Attachments:

All the limb attachments come in two forms; 1.23 viewer based, and 2.x ready, which means that users can easily switch between attachments that utilise alpha skin layers or not. It’s no secret that avatars almost always look better when there are fewer invisi-prims on it, so having 2.x ready parts is beneficial. The foot attachments mimic the 4-toed paw of a feline, complete with simple claws of white. There is nothing too overly detailed with the feet, but their structural and texture simplicity adds to the avatar as a whole.

Users are given the choice between two types of leg attachments. One is digitigrade which, from the side has a believable appearance and looks like it would carry the weight of the avatar easily. From the front though, the digitigrade legs look slightly hour-glass shaped; thinning out just at the bend in the leg. A little more width to that bend would have given the leg some sturdiness in appearance. The other option is the plantigrade leg attachments, which are covered with a lot of semi-transparent fluff; which, despite the alpha flickering, works well with the avatar. Users can easily use the feet attachments on their own to replace the human feet. The alpha layers provided hide the human hands, feet, and legs though, so to use plantigrade legs, you have to take the alpha layer off, and wear the paws with invisiprims.

Next up are the tails. Users get to select between two; a slinky, sleek tail, and a thicker, fluffier tail. Texture-wise they’re basically the same, but each tail’s textures accommodate the difference in width. However, the ‘Sleek’ tail often carries sharper texture details compared to the fluffy one. A neat option for the tails is that in addition to having received both tails, the creator has included 2 different versions of each tail that connect to either the pelvis or the spine. This means that users can get away with wearing clothing or other attachments without having to manually readjust their tail.

Now we move onto the the paws. On the wrists, there are semi-transparent fluff prims  to complete the transition between shape and paw attachment. The hand-paw attachments themselves make a fairly competent cross between hand and paw, though the fingers do not move. The pose of the paws is relaxed and natural, with detailed claws and paw-pads.

Head:

Our next topic of discussion is then the head. Right off the top, perhaps the most prominent feature is the eyes. This avatar uses moving eyeball prims attached to the eye attachment points, of which the application was skillfully applied. The eyeballs themselves were textured extremely very well, to the point of showing veins and arteries within the eyeball itself. Users are given the option to be able to adjust a slider which will adjust the pupil between large and round, to thin and slitted. Aside from eye colour, users are provided with the ability to choose directly where they would like to apply the eye colour. The gaze from this avatar is very direct and intense, providing both life and character.

This avatar comes with several facial combinations of facial expressions that can be coined from both eye and mouth states.  The following photo shows the strength and versatility of the facial expressions, which adds a degree of expression to the face.

The muzzle on the face is unmistakably feline, from the button-like nose to the whiskers lining the front and sides. The shape of the muzzle as the whole is well done, and the entire look of the face reminds me of the expressiveness of many a cartoon feline we have come to known. The only criticism that I could offer on the head regards the bottom jaw. In general the face is a fair distance away from the back of the head, allowing a tiny bit more of a feral look. However, this means that the bottom jaw has a longer distance to go back to the neck, causing for the slightest visual irregularity. While appearing slightly off, this is not  an overly big issue since the rest of the head really makes up for it.

The last feature we’ll point out with the head is the ears; which come in two forms, depending on the avatar; ‘fluffy’ or having a ‘scotish fold’ in the tip. The ears are feline-like in their texture and construction, with prim fluff lining the insides of the ears, all the way down the side of the cheeks to finish off the look.

Features and Heads-Up Display (HUD):

The HUD for this avatar contains all of the functions for this avatar. The following photo shows all of the available HUD options.

A neat function is that instead of opting for a notecard that explains the avatar, the creator has provided the following link http://anthroxtacy.com/axavs-catins.html, which explains many parts of the avatar with precise details and photographic examples. It includes information on how one can adjust the avatar shape, to finer details of avatar operation.

Other:

This avatar comes with a well made sculpted collar, complete with a buckle and a bell. The collar itself is recolourable, so the user does not have to stick with the default tint of the avatar. The photo is shown below.

What I will also mention is that the avatar comes with two different hairstyles, one for males, the other for females. The photo of both is shown above.

Customisation:

This avatar comes as modifiable and copiable, so users are able to make all the changes they would like to the avatar’s  look.

Conclusion:

It’s been a long time since we last reviewed an AnthroXtacy avatar, and in that time, there have been many strides in their skills regarding design, textures and build quality. The AnthroXtacy Cat v2.1 is a complete avatar, combining elements of expression and feline suavity throughout the shape and build of the avatar. This avatar shows a creator who has come a long way, fine-tuning their avatars and skills over time. We look very forward to discussing more of the works from AnthroXtacy in the future.