Raawr makes a return to the market with their own answer to the line of vulpine avatars available on the grid. Harnessing their own style and applying it to this popular species, we take a look at what there is to offer.
Out of the Box:
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Observations:
Build and Skin:
The fox avatar comes with male and female PG and Mature skins. (Warning: MATURE. Click for mature skins)The main differences between the genders are shown in the stomach and chest texturing. Both genders are based on the ‘female’ default avatar shape, and tweaked accordingly. The skins are unusual in their patterning, as they don’t follow the traditional markings of a fox. Instead, Raawr have taken their own creative spin and presented a striking striped style to the ‘sock’ sections of the arms and legs. These stripes serve another aesthetic purpose; they are positioned as such that they cover the wrists, knees and ankles. This helps to completely mask any creases or seams in the transition from body to prim part. These black socks are present on all colour varieties of the Raawr fox avatars. There don’t appear to be any issues with seams on the stomach, legs or arms.
The avatar is constructed well, and the quality of the overall product is pleasant. All aspects of the avatar (save for the flexible cone tail) are put together with sculpted prims. There are no visible signs of wrinkling, and the face and body parts are symmetrical.
Body:
Starting with the feet, the avatar comes with a pair of feet which are textured to fit to the ankle with no visible crease or seam. It’s clear from the start that the creators are going for a more ‘toony’ look, due to an overall lack of shadows and shading present on the feet. This method of colouring continues throughout, with extra attention to detail upon the pawpads. The claws on both the hands and feet are extendable and retractable respectively via a slider on the provided HUD.
The digitigrades legs of the avatar are very well made. The top and bottom of the sculpts are hidden entirely by the avatar ankle and knee to give an overall smooth look. The legs are textured with a true black, save for a spot at the front and back of the leg, and some added prim fluff at the heel. The legs are slim and well proportioned, they balance the overall shape and style easily. There is no shading, but the impression of fluff is given through digital brush strokes. The digitigrades legs are not officially optional, but it is possible to use the avatar without them with the use of third party alpha masks.
The tail is simple in its design. Spots are flecked along the base of the tail with a black tip on the standard versions. The tail has a slider for its gravity setting in the HUD, so the user has the option of whether the position is pointed skywards or down. There also exists a checkbox for ‘twitching’.
Just as an additional note, the rainbow editions of the avatar have the full colour spectrum on both the base and tip of the tail. This is also present in the avatar ankles and ear.
Head:
Raawr have defined their own style with this avatar, not only in the choice of fur patterning, but also in the way the head is styled. At a glance, the muzzle is short and sloped, drawing more attention to the forward-facing eyes.
The fox face can support a variety of expressions through a combination of jaw and tongue positions, eye expressions and ear angles. All of these can be determined through the HUD, and the user is able to toggle each option to make their own custom combinations.
The jaw is well sculpted, and transitions to the rest of the head with no issues. The inside of the mouth and tongue have been textured accurately with organic nuances, and the mouth has been lined with sculpted teeth. The jaw can be set to move upon typing or speaking.
The eyeballs are recolourable with the use of a slider found inside the HUD. Users also have the option to alternate between round or slitted pupils depending upon the wearers preference.
The fox comes with default hair, which can be applied to either gender and remain androgynous in appearance.
Features and Heads-Up Display (HUD):
The HUD is adorned with a charming illustration, and is easily tidied away into a small pawprint design when clicked. It is user friendly with its use of sliders and simple check boxes. The layout is simple and easy to navigate.
The fox avatar also comes with it’s own physics settings, to be worn by the female version. Whilst this isn’t necessary for the user to enjoy the full experience of their avatar, it’s an interesting addition which appears to be growing in popularity as an extra with some makers.
Customisation:
The Fox is entirely modifiable, and the small, rounded head shape will easily accommodate most third party hair without too much readjustment. Overall, the avatar is not weighed down with prims either, so it is not difficult to find clothing, prim or otherwise for the fox. Due to the black texturing at the arms and legs, it is also possible for the user to ‘mix and match’ hands, legs and feet from the different fox colourations, if they wish.
Conclusion:
Foxes are a popular species of anthropromorphic avatars, both in Second Life and out. With this in mind, it is always going to be difficult to tap into the market with a new version of this popular creature. Despite this challenge, Raawr Avatars have managed to produce their own interpretation of the fox to a high standard and an overall resolved look without straying too far from their original style shown in their Snow Mew. As far as incarnations of this well-known sly and cunning canine are concerned, this is a great addition to the available range. If you’re looking for something with its own defined style, or are just looking for a new fox avatar, this is certainly worth a second look.
Credits:
Clothing in this review graciously provided by Apricot Paws. Furry-friendly sculpted and mesh clothing! Click their logo for a landmark to their inworld store!
Pants: Apricot Paws – Echo Jeans – Brown
Vest: Apricot Paws – Salvatrix Vest + Pants – Brown
