You play the game as Paul Prospero, an occult-minded detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter. Realizing the boy is in grave danger, Paul arrives at Ethan’s home of Red Creek Valley, where things turn out to be even worse than he imagined. Ethan has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder, which Paul quickly discerns might not be the only local murder worth looking into.
Inspired by the weird fiction (and other tales of the macabre) from the early twentieth century, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter aims to significantly evolve immersive storytelling in games. While it features a private detective and quite a few mental challenges, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is not an especially puzzle-ridden game. Our focus is on atmosphere, mood, and the essential humanity of our characters.
Still, the discoveries won’t happen on their own, or without your help. Using both Paul’s supernatural skill of being able to communicate with the dead, and your own powers of observation, you will discover the mystery behind a trail of corpses, the roots of a dark ancient force lurking in Red Creek Valley, and the fate of a missing boy.
The reason I find this game worth discussing before tackling my project is due to the nature of its design. Through out the gameplay, you encounter different scenarios that include man made objects that have been engulfed and altered by natural effects of time, one particular scene that springs to mind is when you explore and investigate an abandoned train. The contrast of a large man made machine against a more neutral background not only offers some juxtaposition, but it helps with the art style of this game. As the main type of design is realism, having two different types of materials against one another emphasises the textures, and make it seem more convincing. The fact the train is not pristine allows room for creativity, and room for imperfections that make the scene more realistic as a whole.
Here are other examples of the merge between nature and man made products in this game:
Sources:
– The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. (2018). The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – Official Website. [online] Available at: http://ethancartergame.com/#ECabout [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
“Which of your family members would survive longest in the wild? Which one of your friends was most recently sick in the street? Who among you is the worst chef?
Welcome to an irreverent party quiz where you and up to five of your friends and family get to find out what you really think about each other. With your TV, PS4 and a tablet or smartphone in hand, answer over 1,000 funny questions, take part in daring doodle challenges, snap selfies for photo challenges and more. The better you know your fellow players, the more points youll pick up.
With topics spanning everything from school days to pastimes, prepare to make your mark on the game.”
In 2017, Sony Interactive Entertainment published a PlayStation 4 exclusive party game developed by Wish Studios called ‘That’s You!”. When it was first released, it didn’t quite appeal to me as I had only seen television and youtube adverts about the game, and didn’t think I would be the sort of game I would be interested in, however as a PlayStation Plus subscriber I decided to download the game and give it a go. The game requires 2-6 players, and the aim of the game is to prove how well you know one another by answering a series of questions about other players and deciding which description fits who the best. Points are rewarded to players who vote for the same person.
Locations
The way the game works wasn’t the key reason I chose to discuss this game. As you progress through the game, each round is designated a specific location, and as the game waits for the players to answer questions and take pictures, the screen pans the camera through these locations. The locations were created by a few different artists who made them relevant to the topic of the questions.
“Love”“Creativity”“Wild”“Travel”
The reason these images caught my eye was the relevance to my area of study. The main aim of this semester is design and develop two detailed settings, each including high and low poly models, texture painting realistically, and slight animation. As you are shown these images in the game, the camera pans to different angles, showing the smaller assets, lighting, physical effects, and even some animation, all things which I hope to include in my final project. The game That’s You has many different scenes that encompass all of my project’s aims in, giving me an idea of what I should aim to recreate for my final output. These scenes also have many little details in their scene that add to the realism, such as half-eaten nuts, opened books, and clothing flung onto a bed, a level of detail I could easily add to my scenes. Here are some examples of these smaller details:
While I am not intending to recreate any of these scenes, it has certainly inspired me to take my designs further than just larger more obvious objects.
As the gaming industry has developed, art styles have jumped between 2D and 3D focussed graphics, and for a medium with so much riding on having the best visuals, they can be the make or break of a franchise. Above all things, however, isn’t always high definition or photorealism, to keep people interested and breach peoples interests, the aesthetics of a game are key. While the look and style of games can be placed into many different categories, I will be discussing them under two broad brackets; high poly games and low poly games.
High Poly Games
High definition graphics tend to stand out in video games as realism can induce immersion, a key part of what playing video games is about. When someone plays a game that is trying to resemble the real world, accuracy and authenticity is vital in preventing consumers from being taken out of the game, with mistakes jolting them back into the real world. While people don’t expect video game graphics to perfectly resemble the real world, high definition textures and actions can impress a community into coming back for more, and this has been proven with many popular games of recent years gaining praise because of their high poly models and attention to details. This being said, pushing as many high poly games to the hight of technical capability could lead to your work being outcast and ‘beaten’ in a matter of months, making other peoples work seem better in comparison. Because we can’t yet perfectly replicate reality in digital means, it is crucial that companies who are creating games with lifelike illustration stylise their game, to encourage players to stay for the aesthetics above the technological advancement. This can lead a game to be timeless, even as the technical world develops further. Here are a few examples of High Poly games that have received praise in todays industry:
Fallout [Franchise]
Fallout 4 – Latest release (2015)
Fallout is a series of post-apocalypticrole-playing video games. It was created by Interplay Entertainment. Although the series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, its atompunkretrofuturistic setting and artwork are influenced by the post-war culture of 1950s America, and its combination of hope for the promises of technology and the lurking fear of nuclear annihilation. – Wikipedia
Fallout (1997)
Fallout 2 (1998)
Fallout 3 (2008)
Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
Fallout 4 (2015)
Whilst originally using 2D graphics, Fallout transitioned to 3D realism when releasing Fallout 3 in 2010, and has stuck to this art style ever since. Despite having realistic elements, the art style of this franchise is renowned and recognised by many.
Battlefield [Franchise]
Battlefield is a series of first-person shooter video games that started out on Microsoft Windows and OS X with Battlefield 1942, which was released in 2002. The series is developed by Swedish company EA DICE and is published by American company Electronic Arts. The series features a particular focus on large maps, teamwork and vehicle warfare. – Wikipedia
Battlefield 1942 (2002)
Battlefield 1 (2016)
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is an action role-playingvideo game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The plot revolves around Aloy, a hunter and archer living in a world overrun by machines. Having been an outcast her whole life, she sets out to discover the dangers that kept her sheltered. The player uses ranged weapons and a spear and stealth tactics to combat the mechanised creatures, whose remains can be looted for resources. A skill tree provides the player with new abilities and passive bonuses. The game features an open world environment for Aloy to explore, while undertaking side and main story quests. – Wikipedia
Last of Us
The Last of Us is an action-adventuresurvival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 worldwide on June 14, 2013. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl named Ellieacross a post-apocalyptic United States. The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective; players use firearms and improvised weapons, and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. – Wikipedia
Low Poly Games
Low poly games can catch the interest of video game lovers just as much as high poly competition. As mentioned before, high definition graphics aren’t everything when it comes to developing a game for consumers, as there is a higher chance of breaking the players away from the content, with mistakes being more obvious when compared to real life scenarios (e.g. if someone walks in a strange way or uses a weapon incorrectly). Because aesthetics form the fundamental attraction of a game, many low poly games have unique art styles that are timeless and no indication of when the game was made. Many retro games that still look good today fall into this, game franchises such as Rayman and Mario have transitioned to new devices, yet still, resemble what they looked like when they were first released years prior. Not only can a stylised game such as the majority of low poly games released today become timeless, but they can set a mood and evoke an emotion they want their player to feel as they take part in the gameplay. Here are a few examples of Low Poly games that have received praise in today’s industry:
Firewatch
The year is 1989.
You are a man named Henry who has retreated from your messy life to work as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Perched atop a mountain, it’s your job to find smoke and keep the wilderness safe.
An especially hot, dry summer has everyone on edge. Your supervisor, a woman named Delilah, is available to you
at all times over a small, handheld radio—and is your only contact with the world you’ve left behind.
But when something strange draws you out of your lookout tower and into the world below, you’ll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making interpersonal choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have.
– Firewatch Game Website
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[a] is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. A part of The Legend of Zeldaseries, it was released for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U consoles on March 3, 2017. The story follows Link, who awakens from a hundred-year slumber to a mysterious voice that guides him to defeat Calamity Ganon before he can destroy the kingdom of Hyrule. – Wikipedia
Journey
Alone and surrounded by miles of burning, sprawling desert, you soon discover the looming mountaintop is your goal. The passage will not be easy but this experience of a lifetime will help you discover who you are, what this place is, as you arrive at your purpose.
Soar above ruins and glide across sands as you explore the secrets of a forgotten civilization. Featuring stunning visuals, haunting music, and unique online gameplay, Journey delivers an experience like no other. – Journey Game Website
RIME
RIME is a single-player puzzle adventure game about a young boy shipwrecked on a mysterious island after a torrential storm. Players must use their wits to decipher the challenges and secrets of an expansive world strewn with rugged terrain, wild creatures and the crumbling ruins of a long-forgotten civilization. With subtle narrative, colorful artwork and a sweeping score, RiME offers players a meaningful journey filled with discovery. – RIME Game Website
Here is a blog I found that celebrates many more low poly and artistic games available to buy that represent just how interesting games can be whether or not they have hyper-realistic qualities or not.
While there is an equal interest in high and low poly based video games in todays industry, I am confident that creating a piece that is somewhat realistic is the right route for me to take this project. While I won’t be sharing exact examples of my ability to transfer my skill from high to low poly games, the skills I hope to express in my final output will put no doubt in the mind of potential employees that I have the ability to create in either category.
Sources:
– Videogameartstyles.tumblr.com. (n.d.). Video Game Art Styles. [online] Available at: http://videogameartstyles.tumblr.com [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
-What the Fnu (2018). Top 8 Video Game Art Styles. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx6HidoL25g [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
– Towell, J. (2018). Who needs photorealism? Gaming’s most amazing art styles exposed. [online] gamesradar. Available at: https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-amazing-art-styles-exposed/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
– Wikipedia.org. (2018). Wikipedia. [online] Available at: https://www.wikipedia.org/ [Accessed 21 Mar. 2018].
Battlefield [Franchise]
Horizon Zero Dawn
Last of Us
Firewatch
