Jake PopistHardware has become more powerful and affordable, and because of that gaming has moved from being an introverted form of entertainment to a more social one. And thus, more people have been exposed to video games, allowing many different video game brands to reach more people through the digital market. Powerful hardware means better graphics. But, better graphics doesn’t always equal a more enjoyable gaming experience.
Visual Information
Art plays an important role when it comes to the game’s design. In order to be playable on almost any device, games need to be less resource intensive. Not everybody can afford a high end smartphone, laptop or PC and that’s why art style in video games are starting to become more important than the graphics themselves.
When we talk about graphics, we talk about the technical bits of the game, the things under the hood that make all the visuals function on screen. When we speak about art style, we mean the color palette, lightning and visuals themselves. Good art style can make any video game look amazing without the need to add demanding special effects and resource hungry graphics.
Identity Through Art
Choosing a particular style for a game is an important element in order to differentiate a game from one another by creating an unique atmosphere for people to appreciate and enjoy. Popular video games such as: Overwatch, World of Warcraft, League of Legends have their own unique personality because of their gorgeous art style.
There are many people who are turned off by stylized games and tend to gravitate to the more realistic looking ones. However, many realistic games these days tend to be much more shallow and generic in terms of looks and gameplay.
There was a time when realistic first person shooters were becoming more popular than the regular Sci Fi shooters. The Call of Duty and Battlefield series have been dominating the FPS market for years but with each new release, they have become more stale and repetitive.
Now, compare those games to the likes of DOOM and BioShock series. You can easily differentiate these two series from one another. When it comes to pure gameplay, DOOM triumphs. It’s not bound to any realistic restrictions and allows the player to be creative in overcoming challenges. Bioshock on the other hand, makes heavy use of art style in the environment to convey an intriguing narrative to the player.
Stylized Slots
There are other types of games that benefit from good quality art. Online games, for example, especially slot games. Because of their similarity in gameplay, slot games implement many art styles and themes in order to differentiate themselves from one another.
Over the years, slot games have attracted a wide audience due to its simplistic gameplay and entertainment value. Each slot game has its own character that can fit almost any type of person. Surfing the internet for slot games will greet you with an ocean of possibilities and if you are new to online gaming, this number of games can be overwhelming.
If you’re thinking of trying out slots for the first time or you are a seasoned gamer and want to try something new, Book of Ra Online is good at opening the door to the world of online slots. It’s a great example of how art style can be used to create an exotic experience by using elements borrowed from Indiana Jones mixed together with an Egyptian setting.
Designing for the virtual space has allowed casino brands to experiment with different kinds of methods to improve the experience of players. Elements such as, improved animation, beautiful art style and crisp sound effects have a huge impact on the player’s experience and immersion. Developers can easily change elements of the game to fit the demands of the audience, something that could not be done before with traditional slots.
Final Words
With more powerful hardware, comes better looking games with improved performance and together with a slick art style you can immerse the player into the virtual space. In the end, the most important thing to consider when it comes to designing game’s art is to provide the player with the most enjoyable experience possible.
Jake Popist
