2019 saw the release of an overwhelming number of great games in an ever more competitive market. Amid all the big-budget blockbusters and hidden gem indie games, developers must constantly push the visual boundaries of their games to stand out. As graphics technology improves to the point where pure realism is less and less impressive, artistic license and unique visual styles can potentially create a timeless look. Video games as a medium are maturing, and titles that can push the boundaries of the medium will make a much more lasting impression than those that stick to the same old visual language.
Anthem
Anthemwas one of the biggest disappointments of the year. It was a game that appeared truly next-generation and turned into a rushed letdown. However, what got so many people so enthusiastic about the game in the first place was its visual appearance.
RELATED:Games That Got Snubbed By The Game Awards 2019
It has bright, appealing colors reminiscent of a Marvel movie combined with a gorgeous open world. Every corner of the vast environment was lush with strange vegetation and unique creatures, while players were encouraged to soar through an intensely vertical landscape in customized mech suits. The landscape, creatures, and areas are all totally alien in a very evocative way. This is enough for many players to keep exploring the game asAnthemgets slowly patched into a more polished experience.
Ape Out
Ape Outhas a remarkable appearancefor a game that is ostensibly about a gorilla escaping captivity and fighting the security guards. However, in such a simple premise and short playtime, it not only provides a satisfying power fantasy, but also a wealth of artistic comparisons. Its dizzying vertical camera angles and oblique lines evoke the photography and art of Russian Constructionist Alexander Rodchenko, while the player slowly turns each environment from a work of geometric abstraction into an Expressionist drip-painting ala Jackson Pollock using only the gore of their slain enemies.
For all its lofty visual appeal,Ape Outsucceeds because its presentation is clear, simple, and easy to read even as the action becomes frenetic and messy.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightmay best be described as “Candy Gothic.” People who are familiar with vampire-themed media will be well acquainted with the game’s ornate, gothic stylings. However, while the dark and brooding architecturepays a respectable homage toCastlevania, a touch of rococo is added by the bright, soft bubblegum pink and purple hues that define the game’s palette.
Control
Controlwas a phenomenal narrative experiencebut is also, unsurprisingly, an Art Direction nominee for the 2019 Game Awards. The Oldest House was inspired by Brutalist architecture— a style named after its use of concrete as an inexpensive material for the masses. It is clean and utilitarian, but made ominous and foreboding by the otherworldly horrors that have occupied The Oldest House.
The blank walls are made even more expressive by the robust environmental destruction mechanics ofControl. After any fight, the once-plain walls of the room are scarred and destroyed by the player’s actions. The canvas-like quality of the game environment serves to make the player feel powerful and gives every action by enemies or the player weight.
At the same time, the geometric concrete shapes of The Oldest House lend themselves to thesurreal warping that bringsControl’s psychological horror to life. The twisting mutilation of the ominous, blocky environment evokes all the feelings of a bad dream in just the right way to bring out a morbid curiosity and compel the player to see the story through to the end.
Death Stranding
Death Strandingwas also a nominee for Art Direction at The Game Awards, but for very different reasons. The game has a photorealistic style that accentuates its vast open landscapes and bleak natural beauty. These broad vistas serve to drive home the huge distances that players walk for each mission and give the player a sense of loneliness and isolation. This feeling of loneliness makes thehelpful ladders and bridges left behind by other players all the more significant, and in a similar way strange, supernatural events break up the stark realism of the game’s natural landscapes.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysiumis asleeper-hit RPGthat is played entirely through dialogue options, text, and random rolls. Beyond its witty writing and noir soundtrack, it has an artstyle that belies its often quite comical gameplay. Muted smudges and broad paintstrokes make up each environment and character, creating something that looks like a mixture of Art-Deco and a somber version of Norman Rockwell’s Americana. The dim hues and muted artwork would lend themselves to a much more serious game, which just makesDisco Elysium’s dead-pan humor shine all the more.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houseswas the first mainlineFire Emblemgame to come out on a console powerful enough to support full character models and animation, rather than just sprites and pre-drawn artwork. As each season progresses in the game, gorgeous yet strange hand-drawn murals set the stage for the major story events to come with hyper-detailed lines and pastel colors.Fire Emblemgames have always been about characters, with roughly 700 individuals appearing across all of the games. As such, the developers have mastered the art of craftingunique characters that can stand out in a crowd of figuresand express their distinct personalities with clear, focused design. This is no more apparent than inFire Emblem: Three Houses’ bright primary colors and unforgettable character artwork.
Gears 5
Gears of Wargames have always stood outwith their gritty, burly style that immediately identifies any scene as belonging to aGearstitle.Gears 5upped the fidelity of this visual style to make for a truly impressive graphics experience. While gritty over-the-top realism may seem a bit boring at first,Gears 5has some interesting takes on the style. Instead of a brightly colored protagonist standing out in bleak environments, it seems like the grim protagonists pop in the bright, monotone environments of white snow and red sand.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3was one of the biggest titles of the year, and its visual style stood out as one of the highlights of the game. It is bright, vibrant, and cartoony in a way that compliments the story and themes ofKingdom Heartssplendidly. In a setting that includes such awide variety of unique characters and well-known worlds, it is an accomplishment to create a game that can include everything without anything ever seeming out of place.
Legend of Zelda: Links awakening
Link’s Awakeningwas another Art Direction nominee at the Game Awards due to its adorable, joyful, and naturally adventurous looks.The game exudes a lively spirit of discovery and funwith bright lighting and minimal shadow. Rich, clean colors make the game feel polished and beautiful while keeping everything on screen simple, clear, and readable. This is an example of a game that will look just as good years in the future as it does now.
