UPDATE: Deathloop won the Best Art Direction award at The Game Awards 2021!
Art Direction is one of the most integral aspects of a video game. Along with other technical elements such as sound and graphics, a game’s particular art direction can leave a lasting impact on a player. Looking back at the previous winners ofThe Game Awards' Art Direction category, it’s clear to see that the committee tends to vote for titles that have a strong focus on one particular style of art and visuals, withGhost of Tsushima, Control,andReturn of the Obra Dinnwinning the category in the last few years.
This year, the category is more stacked than ever, withDeathloop, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, The Artful Escape,andPsychonauts 2all being nominated forbest Art Directionin a video game. Each of these titles were critically acclaimed, with many outlets praising, in particular, their unique and distinct artstyles. At this point, it really is anyone’s game, but there are some aspects that could point to one being the winner.
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Deathloop
Arkane’stime-bendingDeathloopis in the running for Best Art Direction, and it isn’t difficult to see why. TheDishonoreddevs decided to go with a unique 1960s B-Movie aesthetic, and it gives the entire game a distinct and unique look that has come to define much ofDeathloop’s tone and action. Character models look a little Play-Doh-y, with their edges being unrefined, but that only makes the sharp weapon models and important objects in the game-world pop even more. The lighting in the game is beautiful, not only being used from a gameplay perspective to denote the time of day, but also looking truly next-gen.
WhileDeathloopdoes have a solid chance of winning this category, showing all that next-gen hardware is capable of already, its visuals are not what many players remember about the game. With its numerous nominations, it is more likely thatDeathloopwill take home at least one award, but that’s likely to be Best Action or evenGame of the Year.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
A Pixar video game is what all the critics calledKena: Bridge of Spiritsbefore and after launch. From its first trailer in PlayStation’s “Future of Gaming” showcase, it was pretty evident thatKenawas a game to look out for, specifically for its unique artstyle. As all outlets were quick to report, the facial animations and adorably cute “Rots” (the little Soot Gremlin creatures) looked very similar to creatures and faces in many Pixar movies, which is far from a bad thing. Upon its eventual release,Kenaproved itself to be more than just a Pixar rip-off, with a vast array of unique creature, character, and world designs that set it apart from its inspirations.
With Sony’s financial backing and the aid of Vietnamese animation studio Sparx,Kena’s bold and charming artstyle may be enough to get it the Game Award. Even with some fierce competition, there’s no denying thatKena’sArt Direction delivers the Game Awards' exact definition of “outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.” This is all especially impressive asKenaisEmber Lab’s very first video game, which many committee members will likely want to praise wherever they can.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games is knocking it out of the park right now. In just the last few years, it’s releasedMarvel’s Spider-Man, its follow-upMiles Morales,and nowRatchet and Clank: Rift Apart, an excellent return to a very beloved series.Rift Apartmarries stylism with realism, creating a game that looks phenomenal while also having its own unique flares. For example, for every minutely detailed fur on Ratchet’s head, there’s some stylistically vibrant purple laser zipping past the screen. The game’s entire visual style perfectly balances this photo-realism with bright and vibrant sci-fi stylism, forming one of the best looking console games available right now.
The Game Awards is no stranger to giving the Art Direction trophy to realistic games, withGhost of Tsushimawinning last yearandControlwinning the year before; both having a realistic art design overall with small splashes of stylism, much likeRatchet. But, in a category this chock-full with first-class art direction that really stands out, it might not beRatchet’s year.
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The Artful Escape
A game that may have passed by many gamers unnoticed this year,The Artful Escapehas an incredibly distinctive and vibrant artstyle that is sure to turn the heads of voters. Every frame ofThe Artful Escapeis like a beautifully neon-soaked painting. Pixel-art-inspired character models and cyberpunk aesthetics blend together perfectly here, harkening back to LucasArts' classics likeDay of the Tentacle. The crisp, bright, and stylish backdrops of each conversation and each encounter makesThe Artful Escapememorable, even to those who haven’t had a chance to play it yet.
Critically, the game performed quite well, but not as well as some other entries in this list. Still, one element critics universally agreed on was its art design. IfThe Artful Escape’s going to win anything this year, it’s Best Art Direction.
Psychonauts 2
The long-awaitedPsychonauts 2finally released this year to somewhat surprising critical fanfare. Along with aPsychonauts 2’s compelling narrative and fleshed out combat mechanics, the game’s visuals were highly praised. Essentially taking what worked about the first game and elevating it with new next-gen technological advancements,Psychonauts 2is an extraordinary display of bright and bombastic color. The trippy visuals go hand-in-hand with the game’s mind-hopping plot and tongue-in-cheek tone. The unique geometry of each level is also a point inPsychonauts 2’s favor.
As is the case withDeathloop, though, this category may not be where the game picks up its win.Psychonauts 2is nominated in quite a few categories, so voters may be more likely to give the game its due in a category such asBest Action/Adventure, where its other critically-acclaimed elements come into play.
Final Prediction
This is a tough category to predict, as every single entry in this year’s nominations could win the award, and deserve to win the award. But at the end of the day, only one winner can be announced, and it seems likely thatKena: Bridge of Spiritswill take the crown for Best Art Direction in theGame Awards 2021. With the game’s core focus being on animation and visual design, and with it being an incredibly impressive first outing for the developers, it seems likely that the voting committee will want to praiseKenafor the one element it pulled off flawlessly.
The Game Awards 2021stream December 9 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
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