We were given a task to come up with five video games we liked and thought was influential to us for the visual design.
MEDIEVIL – PlayStation
The original Medievil was the perfect blend of dark, creepy and colourful. Perfect for Halloween and does somewhat give off Nightmare Before Christmas vibes. Especially the skeleton main Character, Sir Daniel Fortesque. The German Expressionist inspired look hasn’t really been seen in anything since. The game has seen two remakes that I feel never captured the original look and feel of the game. They always exaggerated on the more playful Tim Burton aesthetic instead of the more dark, creepy aspect that I feel was always in the original to a degree.
METAL GEAR SOLID – PlayStation
I’ll never forget playing the game when I was younger and being completely drawn in initially with just the fact the enemies were wearing balaclavas. I loved anything military at the time and seeing enemies on screen with balaclavas and gas masks was exciting to see. The serious colour pallet too that emphasises the coldness of the Alaskan base of Shadow Moses. The breath coming out of Snake’s character as he sneaked his way through a snowfield and the presentation of the story and cinematic cutscenes were utterly captivating and miles ahead of anything else at the time.
BIOSHOCK – Xbox 360
In Bioshock, the underwater city of Rapture is the star of the show. The art deco dystopia always draws attention. Whether it’s the impressive water effects for the time, seeping in through the cracks of a city falling apart. The old, crackling music echoing down the blood soaked hallways. Or even the spliced up inhabitants desperate to tear you apart for the one thing they all crave. From the get go, the stern statue of Andrew Ryan glares down at you as you begin your journey and enter the hidden city. The neon from the many store signs clash greatly against the dimly lit rooms. And we can even get glimpses of the sea life, swimming around outside through the many windows pouring light and seeping water. Bioshock Infinite, the successor, is also amazing in its art direction and also deserves a solid mention alongside the original.
GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY – PlayStation 2
It’s a game I’ll always go back to. It has one of the best if not the best collection of music to listen to played through its radio stations when you hop in a vehicle to set you in the scene. The colour scheme is marvellous pinks, purples, light blues, light green, yellows. All colours to match the 80s Miami setting. And I think it’s this holiday vibe that it gives me that always draws me back. It’s the fictional too good to be true 80s we all idolise in our heads. The locations look beautiful during the day with the colourful sun shining down on the beaches and sports cars and the night time shines also with the bright neon from the night clubs and bars.
GHOST OF TSUSHIMA – PlayStation 4
A samurai game set in such a vibrant playground of beautiful Japanese scenery. There’s all sorts of different environments that look different to one another and the mixing of different colours from the flora and fauna can be striking. The cloth physics flap in the wind, the large expanses of grasslands sway in the breeze, foxes scurry and beckon you to visit the many shrines dotted around the map. It’s no wonder the game has its own Photo Mode and players are encouraged to take photos in game. Because each shot can look stunning. It was even a tough choice choosing between pics to display the game here because they all look so good and unique.
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