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
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
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.
Video Game Art Styles
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].
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