Artistic Styles Used in Computer Games
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Artistic Styles Used in Computer Games Pixel Art: Pixel art is an style that uses older looking visuals that were used on retro games. Pixel art is used in games as it is cheaper and easier to produce for indie companies and it is a throwback to the older generation of games. It is used in modern games like Fez which is an example of a pixel art game that is 3D which wasn't an available option in older generations of gaming as most pixel art games were 2D. An example of a pixel art game is minecraft which uses pixel art as it best fits with minecrafts block theme and block mechanics. Minecraft was made by a relatively small independant studio so the use of pixel art would have been cheaper and easier than using high resolution graphics. Also pixel art is appealing to adults who would have played older games with pixel graphics and children as the graphics are simple and not intimidating. Pixel art games are created on raster graphics software for example Microsoft Paint, Deluxe Paint and RPG Maker. Pros of pixel art are: ● It can be relatively quick and easy to create which is useful for quick projects or small companies. ● Pixel art has an indie feel about it which can attract an audience. ● Pixel art is a throwback to the older generations of games which can attract an older audience who grew up with games in that art style. Cons of pixel art: ● It can make the game look cheap and boring to some due to the simple graphics in an age of photorealistic games. ● Pixel art can also limit the depth and detail of the game for example character expressions which are difficult to create as the face is so small. Photorealism: Photorealism is a high resolution graphic style that produces the most authentic, realistic game graphics. This graphic style is more expensive than other styles like pixel art as it is more difficult and takes a longer time to complete. It is mainly used by larger companies who have the capacity to produce photorealistic games. It is used on games like NBA 2K15, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Grand Theft Auto 5. As an example Grand Theft Auto 5 is set in a real life setting so the graphics aim to achieve the look of real life to make the experience of playing the game more authentic and believable. Everything from the characters to the environments and weapons are all animated to be as photorealistic as possible. Other styles wouldn't be as suitable such as pixel art or cartoon visuals as the technology enables game developers to make more advanced games so it is expected of Gta to have the best visuals. Photorealistic graphics can be more controversial as cartoon or pixel art graphics aren't as real so actions you take in game don't seem to bad. However in a photorealistic game like grand theft auto actions like killing seem to real and graphic to some people. Photorealistic games take a lot of time and lots of programmes to create. The character models and objects in the game can be created on software such as Maya, Blender and Photoshop. It can take many hours and lots of people to create and photorealistic game as deep as games like Grand Theft Auto 5 Pros of photorealistic games are: ● Photorealistic games always draw a large audience due to attractive visuals and realistic games. ● Photorealistic games can earn a lot of money due to the depth of the games. Cons of Photorealistic games are: ● Not many indie developers can create these games due to the demand of creating a photorealistic game ● Photorealistic games can take a lot of time and effort to make due to the size and depth one of these games must be. ● Large photorealistic games can hide a lot of tiny bugs that aren't easy to find and might remain in the game after release. Therefore the game needs a lot of checking over and testing before it can be released as the developers name is on the line. Cel Shading: Cel shading is a graphic style that makes 3D characters and environments look 2D. This style is used mostly in games based of cartoons and anime such as Dragon Ball Z to recreate the exaggerated 2D style. This style isn't the most complex or expensive such as photorealistic but it can be challenging. Cel shaded games include Ni no Kuni, Jet Set Radio and Borderlands which all share a similar cartoon theme. In Ni no Kuni the cel shaded graphics are used to create a world separate from our own realistic world. This is used to create a cartoon feeling game which suits the fantasy themes of the game Another example is Jet Set Radio a game set in real life japan which was about street gangs, graffiti and rollerskating. As the game was originally released on the dreamcast the cel shaded graphics were the best way to achieve a somewhat realistic setting with the technology available. Cel shaded games can be created on most 3D game software such as Unity3D and 3Ds Max as they usually contain cel or toon shaders that can be used to create this effect. Pros of cel shaded games: ● Cel shaded games can be really unique and appealing due to their cartoon/anime style which reminds most people of shows they have seen before. ● Cel shaded games aren't too challenging to create and can have a nicely polished end result. Cons of cel shaded games: ● Sometimes when you force a 3D character to appear 2D the end result can be messy and unappealing. ● Cel Shaded models can appear stiff and rigid so fluid movement in games can be challenging to achieve. Exaggerated: Exaggerated visuals are most often used in games based on animes and mangas, art styles from the east, to recreate the expression and loudness of the stories and characters in a videogame. This style is a variety of cel shaded and cartoon games with exaggerated characters and game mechanics. The Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja series uses an exaggerated style to match that of the anime which is over the top and very fast paced. The Characters all have exaggerated abilities like in the anime and manga. Exaggerated games can be created on most 3D softwares such as Unity 3D as the exaggerated look is achieved through the design of the characters not necessarily the software or graphics but more the art and design of the characters. Pros of exaggerated games: ● Exaggerated games are key to making games based on manga and anime such as Naruto and Dragonball Z as they express a lot of emotion and the story, characters and art is usually over the top. ● Exaggerated game art can help make the game more compelling due to the emotions of the characters. Cons of exaggerated games: ● In exaggerated games there isn't much room for graphical improvement as most of it lies in the expressions, emotions and pace of the game. ● In lots of exaggerated games the pace is very quick to fit the theme, this can be challenging to new players and put them off Abstract: Abstract visuals are most often used by independent developers as it makes the games less challenging to create and makes the game stand out due to its unique quality. Most abstract games are one of a kind and very different from each other as the visuals are based on the creators imagination. An example of an abstract game is antichamber.This game is a first person, puzzle-platformer thats environment changes depending on which way the character faces or by the actions they have taken. Not only are the graphics abstract but also the games mechanics. Thomas was Alone is another example of an abstract game and is an indie puzzle-platformer. You control several simple polygons who are the characters of the game. The characters all have their own abstract abilities and they have names which suggests that they are people which is a very unique abstract concept. Abstract games are created on most software 2D and 3D as the design that makes the game style abstract comes from how the game is created within the gaming engine or software. Pros of Abstract games include: ● Most abstract games are unique as the idea comes from the designers imagination so it is unlikely to find too many similar abstract games. ● Abstract games can be interesting pieces of art that really aid the gameplay Cons of Abstract games include: ● A lot of abstract games have a learning curve which can exclude more casual gamers. ● Abstract games aren't conventional so might not attract very large reception. Cartoon: Cartoon style video games are games based on cartoons or games that use cartoon visuals. The graphics can be hand drawn like in Super Meatboy and The Binding of Isaac or animated visuals like the new Mario games. Cartoon style graphics are used by all types of developers from small indie companies to large gaming giants. This is because the cartoon style can be done by any artist and the standard of art differs between games. For example Super Meat boy developed by Team Meat, is an indie game about a boy made out of meat that is made in a cartoon, hand drawn style. This art style was chosen as the characters are significant to the developers who had strong imaginations as children and liked to draw characters.