Best Art Direction of 2020
Honorable Mention: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Staff Writer Ethan Anderson: The original Final Fantasy VII was released in 1997 on the first PlayStation. It wasn’t exactly easy to convey precise size and detail back then. This remake manages to effectively modernize the vision of the original, and then some.
Final Fantasy VII Remake faithfully recreates Midgar’s grand scale that players envisioned all those years ago. The game’s art direction breathes previously unseen life into almost every location, from the quaint and homely slums to the bustling and bright Wall Market.
The long corridor-like sections between major areas don’t look nearly as pretty or eye-catching, but that’s an easily-forgotten complaint once you’re looking down on the enormous plates and glowing reactors from high up in the Shinra building. That view will leave you in awe.
Whether you’re a longtime fan with high expectations, or a curious newcomer, Final Fantasy VII Remake will rarely disappoint in the art department. It no-doubt provides some of the best game art direction of 2020.
