The Most Gorgeous Games We’ve Seen During 2016’s Summer
Summer of beauty.
Collin MacGregor
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Published: Aug 15, 2016 02:08 pm
When it comes to video games the graphics and art direction have always been critically important to a title’s success. While not every game needs hyper-realistic graphics, the overall look and design of a game’s characters, world, and items can help convey the entire concept of a story. Without The Witcher 3‘s drab, pastel color pattern it wouldn’t be able to convey the sense of dread and misery that surrounds the story. When looking back over the games we received this summer there is no doubt that some truly gorgeous looking video games came down the pipeline. It’s important to note that when judging which titles are the summer’s best looking, that we did not factor in the quality of the game itself.
We are solely looking at the aesthetic design and art direction, not the gameplay, mechanics, or how the visual design reinforces those ideas. Given this is the summer and not as many games release we will be taking into account some title’s DLC, but this is going to be far rarer. Also, any game in Early Access or Beta will not be included as their entire design is subject to change over time. However, these are the games that made us stop playing and just stare at our televisions for longer than we’d like to admit.
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Mirror's Edge Catalyst
Mirror's Edge use of color, or lack of at times, gives the world a cold and distant feeling. With minimal use of primary colors, this city becomes instantly memorable as you jump from rooftop to rooftop.
Dead by Daylight
The design for Dead by Daylight reminds us of a twisted comic book thanks to its great use of colors, lines, and how it makes the letting pop whenever they appear on screen. Just try not to stare too long, you're being hunted after all.
God Eater: Resurrection
God Eater may appear like the typical JRPG, but there are some really nice design elements floating around. From the monster and weapon art direction to the use of the color red while in battle, God Eater: Resurrection looks great during the chaotic battles.
Inside
Much like Limbo, Inside's minimal use of color and stellar lighting really helped add depth to the world.
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
The Witcher 3's last DLC caught us by surprise, as it replaced the pale and bleak world with one of vibrant colors and lighting. There's a sense of hope that is conveyed by the art direction alone, something we rarely feel in this monster hunting game.
Furi
Furi's art style feels like a mix between modern anime and the 1980s, as bright neon colors flood the screen at every moment. Once the battles begin, the great use of color really brings some energy into this game's world.
Abzu
Much like Journey, Abzu utilizes a great mix of colors, lighting, and art direction to give their underwater world a real sense of scale. Couple this with the amazing soundtrack, and this is another adventure worth taking.
Song of the Deep
This underwater adventure game makes great use of the 2-D plane by adding a great sense of depth. This is largely thanks to the lighting and artistic design of each level, along with the great use of color and texture.
I Am Setsuna
I Am Setsuna feels like a painting in motion, with each brush stroke and use of color adding to the experience. It also helps that the game has fantastic lighting, letting the snowy world visually pop on screen.
Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 1
Telltale has readily defined its own style and art design by now, but that doesn't take away from how good it looks. The world of Batman is a great mix of the Animated Series and modern age comic books, giving Telltale's interpretation a unique look.
No Man’s Sky
I'm not sure if there's a game as gorgeous as No Man's Sky, as each world is truly awe-inspiring. You never know what you'll find in this digital universe, which only adds the experience of uncovering the hidden beauty on every planet.
Monsters & Monocles
Hearkening back to the days of arcade shooters, the colorful and bright world of Monsters & Monocles is full of personality. Plus the steampunk aesthetic perfectly fits with the retro design of the entire title.
Starbound
Another beautiful game that embraces the pixilated design, Starbound's use of lighting and color is quite fantastic. It's rare to see such colors pop in this style, but it works wonderfully with this world.
The Banner Saga 2
Banner Saga 2's entire design seems focused around a playable Saturday Morning Cartoon ascetic. This of course, gives Banner Saga 2 a really unique look, and helps it stand out among other summer titles.
Necropolis
You may not have never heard of Necropolis, but it's a game that's worth a try. From a design perspective alone, Necropolis has fantastic character models and an interesting use of color for each model. There's also a good use of blues and blacks, giving this game a cold and foreboding feeling at times.
Don't Starve: Shipwrecked
Don't Starve's style is readily known and for a very good reason. The pop-up book design makes this survival game feel fresh and unique. Getting lost at sea never looked this good.
Headlander
While other games utilized a more minimal use of colors, Headlander is absolutely dripping with it. The vibrancy is hard to ignore and is only boosted by the great art direction laced throughout every inch of this game.
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Collin was a Senior Staff Writer for Twinfinite from 2016 to 2017 and is a lover of all things horror. When he's not healing his teammates in Overwatch, raiding in Destiny, making poor choices in Dark Souls, or praying for a new Ape Escape you can now find him working at Bungie as an Associate World Designer.
