UPDATE: Elden Ring won Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2022!
Graphics versus gameplay is still a debate that dominates a lot of gaming discussions. But, with technology being advanced as it is in 2022, a lot of the time beautiful visuals can be accompanied with satisfying gameplay loops. Even if that wasn’t a case, there’s still a space to praise the art direction that goes into making the visual elements of a video game stand out from the crowd.The Game Awardseven has its own category dedicated toBest Art Direction, which focuses on the creative and technical achievements that go into creating great artistic design and animation.
Just like most of the categories forThe Game Awards 2022, the Best Art Direction award has some stiff competition. Including bothElden RingandGod of War: Ragnarokin its nominations list, which are being predicted to sweep a lot of the prizes this year, the Best Art Direction category is a difficult one to predict a winner for. However, among this list there are some stand-out titles, one of which is the most likely to take home the award at the end of the night.
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Elden Ring
Releasing in February, the fact thatElden Ringstill dominates a lot of talk around gaming this year is quite the impressive feat. As FromSoftware’s first foray into an open world,Elden Ringstands out as a triumph of the genreand a great addition to the Soulsborne series. There are many great things aboutElden Ring, but something that consistently stands out about it as well as with other FromSoftware games is its art style.
There is a great sense of creativity inElden Ring’sart style. Every enemy has been specifically crafted to be in their location. The Servants of Rot scattered throughout Caelid, for example, reside there due to their fascination with theScarlet Rot. Moreover, with art heavily inspired by Celtic mythology,Elden Ring’svisuals might not be the most realistic on this list, but they show a clear passion for art direction and making sure not only are the graphics impressive, but the look of everything makes sense in the world.
God of War: Ragnarok
As withElden Ring, there are plenty of impressive things that stand out aboutGod of War: Ragnarok. The cinematic epic from Sony Santa Monica has received rave reviews since it launched, and while a lot of the conversation aroundGod of War: Ragnarokis to do with its storyand characters, there are some beautiful visuals on display throughout the game as well. From the moment the player steps out into the Fimbulwinter snows, it’s clear a lot of attention has been paid to the visuals ofGod of War: Ragnarok.
Eachrealm inGod of War: Ragnarokhas its own unique visual style, from the dense jungles of Vanaheim to the winter wonderland that Midgard has become, the different areas players can explore are packed with engaging art design that invites exploration. As well, there’s a clear dedication to the Norse myths inGod of War: Ragnarok, as shown by the design of the gods, especially Thor.
Horizon Forbidden West
Taking place after earth was destroyed by a machine apocalypse, and society is rebuilding itself from the ground up,Guerrilla Games’Horizonuniverseis quite a unique one, as it combines highly advanced machines with a human civilization that is still mostly using spears, bows, and arrows. This is well reflected in the art direction forHorizon Forbidden Westwhich has a roster of dangerous, animal-based machines as well as distinct looks for the different human tribes.
From the blue wires that decorate the body of the Banuk, to the trophies from machines worn by theCarja ofHorizon Forbidden West, it’s clear to see a lot of time has gone into designing the looks of each part of the game. Also, the overall world is visually impressive too, asHorizon Forbidden Westshows vastly improved graphics from its predecessor, giving an increased sense of wonder to the world.
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Scorn
Scornis an FPS horror puzzle game that immediately drew gamers' eyes from its first promotional images due to its distinct look.Scornmight not be as pretty asGod of War: RagnarokorHorizon Forbidden West, but it has its own set of impressive visuals, inspired by the works ofpainters H.R. Giger and Zdzislaw Beksinski, the organic is combined with mechanical in a lot of the horror game’s brilliantly gross art.
InScorn, the world around the player essentially acts as a character in itself. It goes beyond being simply weird as shown by the fleshy, somewhat disgusting landscapes that populate most of the game space.Scornmight not have the most engaging gameplay to some, but it is hard to argue that it doesn’t stand out from the other titles released this year, especially from a visual standpoint.
Stray
The debut game from BlueTwelve Studio,Strayimpressed a lot of gamers when it released this July. A short story about a cat working their way through a city devoid of human life,Strayhas been nominated for a lot of prizes at The Game Awardsthis year, showing the strength of the title in a year that has seen a lot of great releases. Visually,Strayis a treat for the eyes, both in how it uses its characters and the world BlueTwelve has created.
Stray’sprotagonist is a cat, and BlueTwelve went into incredible detail to mimic the movements and behaviors of a real four-legged feline, giving that extra level of detail that adds a sense of realism into a futuristic, sci-fi game. Also, the design ofStray’scityscape shows a lot of dedication, standing out from other dystopian futuristic worlds in its art direction, being a perfect, bright background for the darker undertones of the game’s world.
Final Prediction
A lot of games have had some breathtaking visuals and creative art direction this year, but it seems that there is one clear winner within this category, and that game isElden Ring. This isn’t an understatement of the achievements of the other nominees, butElden Ring’sart direction shows a clear and innovative use of art and its visuals throughout its vast, open world. TheLands Between are littered with interesting detailsand fascinating views.
Elden Ring’sart direction wins out because of that aforementioned deep connection everything has to the world around it. It just shows how much dedication and thought has gone intoElden Ring’sloreand how its visuals represents that, as even months after it launched players are still discovering neat visual details that unlock more secrets about the Lands Between.
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