Visual styles report

Visual Styles in Video Games James Wills |Subsidiary Diploma Games Level 3| September 15, 2015

Contents 1. Abstract – Pg.2 2. Cell Shaded – Pg.3 3. Exaggerated – Pg.4 4. Photorealistic – Pg.5

PAGE 1

Abstract An abstract visual style has a unique approach to art, making it stand out with such things as quirky and bold graphic design, geometric shapes or even creative use of lighting and shading. The result is often a distinctive and visually appealing game with its own personalized look.

ď ś ASTEROIDS

Asteroids features simple shapes that make it instantly recognizable

ď ś INFERNO 2

Inferno 2 uses simple geometric shapes and slick graphics to create a stunning visual style

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Cell Shaded The cell shaded style is in wide use today, through various mediums like movies (Disney), comic books, cartoons, and anime. In video games this emerges as an often bright and colourful visual style, echoing the comic book look and merging 3d models with classic 2d artwork. This style can be traced back to early video games such as Crash Bandicoot for the Playstation and Altered Beast for the Sega Megadrive.

ď ś TRANSFORMERS: DEVASTATION

Transformers: Devastation aims to recreate the cartoon style of the original TV series

ď ś DYNASTY WARRIORS: GUNDAM 3

DW:Gundam 3 delivers the clean and colourful look of the Gundam Universe

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Exaggerated Exaggerated visual styles are eye catching and often exaggerate features of characters, loosely grounded in a realistic setting. A good example would be Batman in the Arkham series, he has swollen features like biceps and upper torso. This does not only have to be applied to the main character however, often this style is used with the environment too.

ď ś WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE

Space Marine gives us huge environments and hulking warriors and enemies, dripping with action

ď ś DARK SOULS 2

Dark Souls 2 shows off its exaggerated photorealistic look with big monsters and weapons

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Photorealism Photorealism is one of the most visually appealing styles in video games. The aim is to deliver as much detail as possible to replicate that ‘real world’ look. This is typically associated with next gen titles such as Gran Turismo 6 or Battlefield 4. The result is a stunning display of realistic looking models and environments that pushes the boundaries of visual design.

 FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

Forza 5 offers gorgeous photorealistic cars and environments, making leaps over its previous titles

 CRYSIS 3

Crysis has always been credited with stunning photorealistic graphics. Crysis 3 upholds that legacy

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