Ever since the beginning of the medium of video games, there has been a dream of photo-realistic graphics. Whenever a new console is released or a new form of graphics technology is created, developers immediately demonstrate games or tech demos that push towards realism. I have no doubt that this will also be the case for the newly announced Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X. It’s true that photo-realism can suit many types of games but, concurrently, I am often drawn to games that deliberately eschew realism for a different style of art.
Let’s start with the disadvantages of photo-realistic games. While it’s true that photo-realistic games often drive forth graphics technology, the fact remains that no video game, as of yet, has succeeded in making a game truly photo-realistic (excluding FMV games which are simply using filmed footage as part of the game). Though revolutionary at the time of their release, games with a realistic art-style often suffer from the passage of time more than any other. This is not to mention that this art-style, understandably, is growing more and more expensive and labor-intensive as games become more detailed.
While not necessarily linked to photo-realistic video games, I remember a period of time after the release of the PS3 and Xbox 360 where it felt that any game going for a realistic art-style had a subdued colour palette. Instead of the colourful worlds of the past, I remember these games (often shooters) seemingly restricted to the colours of brown, grey and black. While we have since seen a resurgence of colour in these realistic games, I still feel that there is a danger in restricting the colour palette when seeking realism.
Instead, one of the most popular and iconic art-styles of video games was born out of restriction. Pixel art was originally developed due to a limitation in both technology and experience. Many iconic video games such as Pac-Man, Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog featured this art-style and this art-form remained the most popular until the advent of 3D technology.
I can still remember when I got a PlayStation for the first time. Many of the first games I played had 3D graphics. However, I remember one of the most impactful games I played on the console actually being a re-release from the SNES era. That was Final Fantasy IV. The pixel artwork of this game made a far stronger impact on me than many of the 3D games I played, possessing a sense of style and artistry that I found lacking in many of the other games at the time.
While we saw this art-style decline with the arrival of consoles and technology capable of running 3D games, it has since had a resurgence with many recent games such as Shovel Knight, Undertale, Stardew Valley and more not only embracing this art-style but achieving enormous financial success.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention the 3D art-styles that mimic cartoons, anime etc. One of the earliest examples of this art-style that I can think of is a game called Jet Set Radio. Released in 2000, Jet Set Radio uses cel-shading to give the game a stylish, cartoony look. Combined with the bright colours and stylized characters, I believe that this game holds up visually better than most other games of its time.
Of course, a game doesn’t have to use cel-shading in order to resemble animation. A game that I have sunk a lot of time into recently is Overwatch. The art-style has been compared to Pixar and the world and characters feel like they could have been pulled out from a Hollywood animated film.
While I do hope that video games continue to make strides in technology, I also hope that games don’t forget that they are capable of creating engaging and enjoyable worlds that don’t always need to be realistic to be take seriously.
Thanks for reading and if you wish to seek any of the titles I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs! Also feel free to follow my curator page on Steam “JRPG Reviews” for thoughts and opinions on any JRPGs that I play and my YouTube channel “Victory Achieved Gaming” where I guide my friend through challenging games.