Art Direction
Ongoing coverage on Art Direction.
Latest coverage
Ken Levine says Steam Machine shows we're hitting 'diminishing returns' with bleeding-edge graphics tech—just look at BioShock to see why art is more important
Ken Levine believes the industry is hitting diminishing returns with cutting-edge graphics technology, citing BioShock's enduring art style as more important than hyper-realism. He argues that strong art direction, rather than the latest tech, is key to creating visually striking games. Levine also mentioned that his current project, Judas, focuses on intensive narrative work rather than demanding CPU resources.
Aether and Iron's Worldbuilt Intricacies
Aether and Iron is an opinion piece praising the intricate worldbuilding, art direction, and narrative of the game developed by Seismic Squirrel. The article highlights the "deco-punk" aesthetic, the compelling characters like Gia and Nellie, and the unique automotive chess combat system. It also commends the developers for their transparent development process and the artistic integrity of the game's visuals.
StarCraft Shooter’s Art-Style is Closer to StarCraft 2 Cinematics Than Overwatch – Rumor
Rumors suggest Blizzard Entertainment is developing a StarCraft shooter with an art style closer to StarCraft 2's cinematics than Overwatch 2. Industry veteran Drew Murray is reportedly involved, and footage seen by Jez Corden indicates a realistic graphic style. The game may be in early development, potentially with South Korean developer Nexon.
Morbid Metal developer explains why he ditched an origami art direction in favor of gritty sci-fi — 'It worked, but it didn't really feel like me'
Morbid Metal developer Felix Schade explained the evolution of his game's art direction, revealing an initial origami concept that was abandoned for a gritty sci-fi aesthetic. Schade found inspiration in Bright Memory: Infinite, which demonstrated that visually striking games could be created by solo developers. The game, developed over nine years, is now available in early access on PC via Steam.
ChainStaff Review - Never Break the Chain
ChainStaff is a run-and-gun platformer that stands out with its unique 1960s sci-fi art direction and a versatile alien chain weapon used for combat, defense, and traversal. The game blends classic influences with modern design ideas, featuring a meaningful upgrade system and branching progression. However, it suffers from uneven pacing, inconsistent combat, and technical issues on the Nintendo Switch.
New Behind-The-Scenes Video Reveals The Process Behind Planet of Lana II’s Acclaimed Visuals and Sound
A new behind-the-scenes video details the art, animation, and sound design processes behind Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. The game has received critical acclaim for its visuals and music since its release on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
Here Are Your Canadian Game Awards 2026 Nominees | Console Creatures
The Canadian Game Awards have announced their nominees for 2026, celebrating the Canadian games industry. The event will take place on May 21, 2026, in Toronto, with tickets available for purchase and a Fan Choice Award voted on by the public in partnership with the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. Victor Lucas will receive the Game Changer Award.
What happens when story serves art direction in Absolum - Narrative Notebook #2
This article analyzes how the game Absolum uses its storytelling techniques to draw player attention to the environment. The narrative elements are designed to serve the game's art direction, encouraging players to engage more deeply with the game's world.
What happens when story serves art direction in Absolum - Narrative Notebook #2
This article explores how the narrative in Absolum serves its art direction, prompting players to engage with the environment for gameplay purposes. Developers Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks use environmental storytelling and quests that direct players to specific locations without UI navigation, encouraging close observation of visuals. This contrasts with games like Hades II, where narrative and art are less directly tied to moment-to-moment gameplay mechanics.
The Canadian Game Awards Has Unleashed It's 2026 Nominees & New Location
The Canadian Game Awards have announced the nominees for their 2026 ceremony, which will be held on May 21st at Toronto's John W.H. Bassett Theatre. Victor Lucas will receive the Game Changer Award. The awards celebrate Canadian developers and releases from 2025, with categories including Game of the Year, Studio of the Year, and Best Indie Game.
Epic Games lead producer calls belief DLSS 5 looks bad or detracts from art direction 'absolutely insane': 'If that was shown as a next-gen hardware reveal and not AI you guys would be going nuts'
Epic Games lead producer Jean Pierre Kellams defended Nvidia's DLSS 5 technology, calling criticism of its visual impact 'insane.' He argued that the AI upscaling offers significant improvements in lighting and shading, comparing its potential reveal to next-gen hardware demonstrations. Kellams emphasized that DLSS 5 provides developers with creative control and enhances realism, particularly in areas like subsurface scattering and lighting accuracy.
There's upscaling, and then there's straight-up changing a game's art direction, and your gaming hardware…
The upcoming Nvidia DLSS 5 technology is raising concerns about its potential to negatively impact game art direction by pushing for photorealism. While Nvidia states developers will have control, the author fears it could homogenize unique visual styles and diminish the artistic soul of games, potentially making hardware reliant on software that could change post-purchase.
Lightspeed Studios unveils proprietary development framework
Tencent subsidiary Lightspeed Studios has unveiled a proprietary development framework. The new framework will prioritize a strong visual identity and art direction over raw graphical fidelity.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic finds its studio art director in Myst IV and Splinter Cell: Conviction veteran
Pascal Blanché, known for his art direction on Myst IV and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, has been hired as studio art director for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. Development on the RPG, helmed by KOTOR director Casey Hudson, is reportedly ramping up, with Hudson previously stating it would release before 2030.
Samson: A Tyndalston Story’s City and Car Designes Detailed in New Developer Diary
Developer Liquid Swords has released a new developer diary for Samson: A Tyndalston Story, detailing the city and car design processes. Concept artist Piotr Kupsc and vehicle artist Damian Ksiezopolski discuss balancing gameplay with visuals, drawing inspiration from 1990s North Eastern American cities, and the iterative design of the player's car, the Magnum Opus. The game is set to release on PC on April 8th.
Marathon confirms global release times, launches cinematic music video, doubles down on its unique, weird art direction
Bungie's upcoming game Marathon has confirmed its global release times, coinciding with the launch of a cinematic music video featuring music by Son Lux. The article highlights the game's unique art direction and brutal extraction shooter gameplay loop. Release times are provided for various time zones, and the developer's roadmap for the first few months, including seasonal content and wipes, is also mentioned.
Clair Obscur wins Game of the Year at DICE Awards 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive won Game of the Year at the 29th annual DICE Awards, alongside four other accolades including Role-Playing Game of the Year. Ghost of Yōtei received four awards, including Adventure Game of the Year. The event also saw Evan Wells inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
