10 Unique Graphic Art Styles in Games
Niche game developers love to make things that haven’t been made before. Designers spend hours thinking of a new genre-defining games and programmers slave over new mechanics. What then gets left in the wake of this quest for innovation? Why the art of course.
So as a little bit of inspiration to those aspiring artists, or just as an insight into some beautiful games, I have compiled a list of what I consider 10 of the most unique graphical styles used in games today.
XIII
XIII released in 2003 uses classic graphic novel visuals that still hold strong today, 6 years later.
Flipside
Flipside is the Half-Life 2 Mod that won the IGF 2008 Student Showcase award. Using serrated cardboard scenery, with hand-painted watercolour textures and vibrant craft materials, Flipside is the only game visually quite like it.
Cletus Clay
Cletus Clay isn't the first claymation game though it's one of the few that's staying true to its roots without compromise. As yet unreleased, the creator Squashy Software is one of the remaining pioneers of clay-animated games.
Machinarium
Machinarium is the as yet unreleased flash adventure game from award-winning game studio Amanita Design. The hand-drawn sketchy style is a branching out from their atmospheric use of photographic collage.
Okami
Okami is often cited as a reference point for many designers (along with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus) and has a strong cel-shaded visual style combined with the use of natural brush strokes.
Darwinia
Darwinia is the 'programmer art' success story. Creating a perfect harmony, the retro-inspired visuals create a compelling and aesthetically adept digital world.
Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles uses a soft palette, a watercolour texture effects and subtle cell shading to resemble a painting in motion.
Feist
Feist, winner of IGF Student Showcase award 2009, uses an original, stark combination of a silhouetted foreground combined with a limited palette to create visally powerful platform game.
Killer7
Killer7 is a fresh take on cell-shaded graphics, released in 2005 it mainly recieved praise for its mature-themed, semi-abstract art direction.
Katamari Damaci
Soft, simple shapes and endearing characters create a style with a life of its own in Katamari Damacy. Released in 2004, not much has changed in its sequels and not much needs to. The simple and effective art direction matches the gameplay perfectly.
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I agree that Rez and maybe Mirror's Edge (the recent expansion packs in particular) have a unique graphical style, though Braid for me doesn't do anything new.
I too didn't realise how awesome Valkyria Chronicles graphics were until doing some research into this list.
Thnaks for popping by.