El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
El Shaddai is yet another game that uses a cel-shaded style to great effect. Taking cues from anime, a lot of this game does look like a direct animated sequence. Part of what makes El Shaddai so unique, though, is the theme the story and aesthetic plays on.
The game is actually based on an ancient Jewish religious text called the “Book of Enoch.” Enoch is the main character of El Shaddai, and religious themes and imagery are inserted throughout the experience. There’s an air of sophistication El Shaddai has in its visuals that few other games grasp, even other cel-shaded ones.
This style goes with Enoch’s armor as well, which falls off in pieces as he’s hit in combat. Contrast is used to great extent in the visuals, with bright pastel colors mixing with blacks. There’ an ethereal air in the game, that surely only helped it achieve the cult classic status it holds.
