Artistic Styles in Video Games
Video Games are developed using a specific art style, this style helps to convey all aspects of the world and should complement the game. Below I will talk about four different art styles, including both illustrations and videos relevant to the subject.
Photorealism
Photorealism
is the name of an art style used in video games which is designed to look as
realistic as possible to the player. The process used to create this is
difficult and time consuming, therefore the developers behind this style are
highly skilled and very efficient.
The
style is used mostly in games that are story driven, this allows the player to
connect with the characters on a “Human Level” and involve themselves with the
world created for them. You wouldn’t find yourselves connecting with a video
game character in a Pixelated style as they’re not as human-like.
The
style is so realistic it can easily trick the untrained eye into believing that
the image is real, this is why the style has so much potential in video games,
the virtual world could feel a lot more realistic. Below are a few examples of
video games using Photorealism.
This
is an illustration from The Last of Us, a game that was story driven, and
focused on two main protagonist. The developers have used Photorealism to
empathise the mood of the game, the mood is depressing and sad which is
highlighted in this characters facial expression.
Similar games that use this style include:
- Uncharted
- Star Wars Battlefront
Abstraction
The
Abstract style is considered the direct opposite to Photorealism, it is in no
way realistic and is common in puzzle games and even the more retro older
games. The Abstract style is made up of simple geometric shapes, lines and
vibrant colours. Usually this style suits puzzle games, the bright colours
define the shapes used in the game. Abstraction can also be found in a
particular part of a game, usually in puzzle phases or certain points within a
story. A
game famous for it’s use of Abstraction is Tetris, the newest addition of Tetris uses the abstract style with a lot more depth.
Similar games that use this style include:
- Pac Man
- Space Invaders
Cel Shading
Cel
Shading or non photorealistic shading is used in stylized games, it is a
technique that aims to emulate a hand drawn style. This style is also common in
written mediums such as comic books, and games that are based off of comic
books usually make use of this style, for example Tell Tales The Walking Dead
is a game designed with the Cel shaded style.
The following illustration
was taken from Tell Tales The Walking Dead Season 1, the developers based the
game off of the comic books and so made good use of the Cel shaded style. The
colours used reflect the mood of the game, for example the pallet is dingy and
depressing which coincides nicely with the dark story line.
Similar games that use this style include:
- Borderlands
- Jet Set Radio
Exaggeration
Exaggeration
is a style that is based off Anime or Manga, characters and environments have
exaggerated features such as, larger eyes and big over the top weapons. Games
designed with this style are often influenced by the Japanese, the creators of
Anime/Manga and have themselves developed games using this style.
In
this illustration from Final Fantasy X, the characters appear to have a lot
more noticeability. This is due to the colours and the features of the
characters like their hair and face. The mood appears less serious than other
games which is why this style is so likeable.
Similar games that use this style include:
- Dragon Ball
- Naruto
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