Over the years, one of the things people like to focus on in a video game is how good the graphics are. What this boils down to is how realistic the graphics look, also known as the graphical fidelity. The more pores on someone’s skin or individual blades of grass you can see, the better the game looks. And that kind of reasoning is flawed, to say the least. It may be more technically impressive to look at, but does the game’s style and presentation stick in your mind long after the credits roll? I’d say no. And this article is going to explain why.
Graphics Are Forgettable
When video games first started, the focus on graphics was understandable. With each new console generation, there were massive shifts in graphical quality. Consoles started from humble 8 bit sprites of the NES. They doubled that amount with the 16 bit SNES, then moved into an entirely new dimension with the N64. But these days, the leaps in graphical quality have shrunk considerably. Look at the PS4 to PS5. The upgrade has a higher processing power, allowing for higher definition graphics and more objects on screen at one time. However, this leap has led to studios focusing on making games as detailed as possible instead of interesting to look at.
For example, look at Crysis. When Crysis came out, it garnered this reputation as a graphical powerhouse that could only run on the best computers possible. And it is impressive, with extremely detailed environments and effects that are still impressive almost twenty years later. But graphical prowess is all Crysis has. For the most part you’re playing through a very generic tropical island setting. Ironically, Crysis has become less memorable as a result. In contrast, look at Control. The game contains realistic looking character designs and environments. However, artistic choices like the inclusion of non-Euclidean geometry all throughout the game’s world and the cold, oppressive architecture and atmosphere of the federal bureau building where the game takes place also make the game memorable. And this memorability is because games with realistic art styles use art direction to full effect.
Art Direction Is Memorable
Art direction is completely different from graphics. It is the aesthetic choices that convey the mood and tone of the game. This ranges from the colors used in different environments to how characters and enemies are designed to the general art style for the world. I already talked about Control and why it’s so memorable, but there are so many other art directions to choose from.
The Art Deco style heavily inspired the world of Bioshock. It’s an artistic style that flourished in the early 20th century defined by bold, geometric shapes and a focus on power through opulence and wealth. This extends from the buildings to the posters and logos. The focus on power contrasts with how the city of Rapture has already collapsed. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker went in a whimsical direction that focused on bright cel shaded colors and a rounder art style. The effect makes you feel like a kid setting out on a pirate adventure, just like Link.
Then there’s Okami, whose world is defined by traditional Japanese ink wash paintings and wood block prints. The game’s main method of interacting with the world has you use an ink brush to draw lines and shapes. They build bridges and draw the main character Amaterasu’s line of attack, just to name a few uses. The art direction is literally used as a game mechanic. And you also have Cuphead, which is based on the rubberhose animation aesthetic from the early 1900s. Each character and boss has their own unique movement and expression, from simply standing around to how they attack. There’s a flower that shoots out his leaves and a queen bee that shoots missiles and sends worker bees after you.
Think More About How Graphics Make You Feel
These four games are just a taste of how art direction makes for a better game over pure graphical prowess. Just because you can see the nose hairs on a character’s model doesn’t make the game more fun to look at. If the game blends together into a generic mess, then all that work won’t mean anything. Games are an art form, and treating the world of your game like an art piece will make your work stick around longer. It’s more fun to play through and more fun to experience, and is the artistic metric that games should be measured against.
