Best Art Styles in Games

by Menashe

Best Graphics Series
-Introduction: What Are Good Graphics?
-Best Graphics in Games on PC
-Best Graphics in Games on PS3
-Best Graphics in Games on Xbox 360
-Best Graphics in Games on Wii
-Best Graphics in Multiplatform Games
-Best Graphics in Upcoming Games
-10 Best Looking Games Overall this Gen

Some gamers will jump right to this section, skipping over the games that have more polygons or better textures. They don’t care what kind of impressive benchmarks the game’s engine pulled off or what kind of high-end graphics card you’ll need to play the game. What matters to them is the art style, the creative vision imbued into the game’s graphics by its artists. It’s hard to choose one game over the rest in this department. For example, I would personally choose Machinarium. Others may vote for Rayman Origins or Bastion. And there are probably plenty of Kirby’s Epic Yarn fans. So, we won’t choose a favorite, unlike in the other categories. Instead, we’ll look at the qualities of each game individually. Bastion had those floating, fantasy environments, with an isometric camera and a hand-painted, colorful art style. Botanicula was more abstract (and charming) art than it was a video game. Dear Esther made you feel like you were really on a hike across a gorgeous island. Fez made use of a retro pixel art style but was in a whole different league when the perspective-shifting rotation was thrown in. Journey felt like a sweeping, living narrative. Kirby’s Epic Yarn’s fabric art style was one of the most unique art styles of the entire generation. Machinarium looked like a rusty, broken-down robot/machine world straight out of someone’s sketch book. And Rayman Origins felt like an interactive TV cartoon.

Trine is also on this list, although you’ll find the screenshots in the Best of Multiplayer Games list. Here’s the full list of games and screenshots for the Best Art Styles in Games:

– Bastion
– Botanicula
– Dear Esther
– Fez
– Journey
– Trine
– Kirby’s Epic Yarn
– Machinarium
– Muramasa
– Rayman Origins

Click on the thumbnails for a better look