Firstly, what is the most visually interesting game you have seen or played? Explain how the art direction (character and environment design, colour palette, post-processing, etc) supports the gameplay and narrative.
Figure 1: Far Changing Tides (2022)
I feel like there are so many 'visually interesting' games nowadays, from Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018) and its large open-world vistas of Ancient Greece to Elden Ring (2022) and its high-fantasy and golden setting of Limgrave. However, I have decided to analyse Far Changing Tides (2022) as the most 'visually interesting' game I have played recently. Far Changing Tides' (2022) art style is considered 'painted' as it attempts to portray a post-apocalyptic, steampunk world in the form of a 2.5D experience. Lastly, it uses a single saturated colour palette comprised of red and orange accents. I advise anyone reading this to research the game's concept art to fully appreciate how the developers were able to translate their ideas from sketches and paintings to in-game assets.
Secondly, please find a game that makes a big impact while using a simple or minimalist art style. Understanding how such games succeed visually is of special significance to game developers in the indie market, where art budgets are typically small and players aren’t necessarily looking for photorealistic visuals, but rather an interesting gameplay experience.
Figure 2: Superhot (2016)
The iconic FPS Superhot (2016) is minimalistic by design. It uses three stand-out colours; white for the environment, black for objects the player can interact with, and red for enemies. Other contributing factors include low-poly assets and the unique mechanic of stopping time whenever the player decides to stop moving. The design choices combine to create an eventful and addictive game, making it one of the most innovative shooters I have ever played.
Art Direction for Indie Games
In this lecture, 'Art Direction for Indie Games', Iain Lobb discusses techniques and concepts used to develop art in video games. When sketching a character, Lobb notes the importance of a silhouette and how it can exaggerate character features, making it a valuable technique when attempting to create an iconic character.
Game Art Workflows
Figure 3: So You Wanna Make Games?? | Episode 1: Intro to Game Art
"In this video, we talk to game artists about the purpose art serves in games, as well as some of the foundational tools they use to achieve a desired experience: shape, colour, and detail. These tools are leveraged across the full art pipeline, and this video provides a brief overview before we dive into each of the art sub-disciplines later in the series." (Riot Games, 2018)
This is not the first time I have recommended a Riot Games video! In fact, I recommend watching the whole series if you haven't (see figure 3). Episode two explores the benefits of planning and outlines the significance of moodboards, while episode three talks about creating iconic characters using silhouettes.
Indie Game Art Case Studies
Source(s):
The first video is very wholesome, with the team talking about how their artistic vision using vector art developed into the colourful world of Hohokum. Likewise, the second video is uplifting, as Thomas Shahan shows his unique work on the side-scrolling puzzle platformer Incredipede.
Character Design Principles
This video goes into detail about character shapes and how to develop characters that stand out from one another using clever techniques. Highly recommend watching if you're developing a game with a cast of characters.
Challenge Activity - Art Direction Document
Date: 12th March 2023
Figure 4: 'Space Junk' - Lighting & Character Moodboard
Above is the lighting and character moodboard for 'Space Junk' (see figure 4). If you were to draw a diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the upper right corner, you would separate the moodboard into these two distinct categories - the left side representing the lighting and tone and the right depicting character models. I intend to develop 'Space Junk' using low poly assets while taking inspiration from the images shown on the moodboard.
Figure 5: 'Space Junk' - Gravity Gun [Blender]
Above is the low poly 'Gravity Gun' I made using the 3D modelling application Blender (see figure 5). I intentionally kept it simple so that I wouldn't spend a notable amount of time in Blender and away from developing mechanics for the game. Overall I am happy with the design, although I may go back and polish the model once I am satisfied with the game.
Figure 6: 'Space Junk' - Gravity Gun v.01 [Unity]
Once I was happy with the overall design in Blender, I exported the mesh in parts and then imported it into Unity. Next, I added materials to the mesh and voila! Very basic, but good enough for now! I intend to go back and unwrap it, however, before then, I wanted to see how well it looked in the engine (see figure 6).
Figure 7: 'Space Junk' - Suck Cannon v.01 [Unity]
The 'Suck Cannon' is the sister gun to the 'Gravity Gun', so they look relatively similar, which was intentional to save time. However, as of right now, they more or less look the same. I hope to make some altercations later on when I have more time to tinker (see figure 7).
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