The issue here is threefold, broadly speaking. Firstly, the artist contracted to produce the pertinent loading screens was the same person who drew the iconic Bob loading screen over a decade ago. The Indie Stone enjoyed their new output well enough without spotting that it sat in stark contrast with the dark and gloomy vibe of the game. Secondly, The Indie Stone has also spent a non-insignificant amount of money and time setting up these loading screens with dedicated animated effects and other fancy tidbits. Those, too, are now gone. Finally, the dialogue over the nature of this art was taking over the main subreddit, when the focus should’ve squarely been on the actual content of Build 42’s update.
It is a pity, the new menu art was good. Think of a 3D version of the one up now with some effects. I thought it was a nice face lift.
The loading screen images I felt were a nice addition, but felt a bit out of place in relation to the game - like it didn’t capture zomboid as well as something like the newspaper images do.
The build itself though is a great step in the right direction with a LOT of new things and probably needs the usual fixing, tweaking and fine tuning to be in a great spot for a stable release in the future