Summary
- Video games have evolved to incorporate various art styles, ranging from classical paintings to contemporary works, creating unique and visually stunning game worlds.
- Artists like Albrecht Dürer, Gustav Klimt, Francisco Goya, and H.R. Giger have heavily influenced the art styles and atmospheres of games like Apocalipsis, Transistor, Blasphemous, and Scorn.
- Games like GRIS, Silent Hill 2, and Okami have successfully blended traditional art influences, such as ink painting and figurative paintings, with modern gaming styles, resulting in critically acclaimed and award-winning experiences.
Video games have come a long way since the simple 2D-pixel style of early game titles. With the advances in technology, capabilities in graphics have improved, which has allowed developers room to experiment with their art styles and create stunning game worlds for players to enjoy.
Video game art encompasses many intricate and immersive styles, with developers taking influence from various sources, such as comics, architecture, and even the world of fine art. From classical-era paintings to contemporary works, art inspires art, and in video games, this has created some of the most unique and memorable worlds in gaming.
10
Apocalipsis
Albrecht Dürer Engravings
This 2018 point-and-click adventure game was released to mixed reviews, but shines with medieval imagery influenced by the divine comedy and the engravings of Northern Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer.
Apocalipsis follows Harry as he journeys through a dark and dangerous world searching for his lost girlfriend. Players are presented with different puzzles, with each featuring another grisly image straight from the Middle Ages. Dürer’s engravings inform much of the game’s style and create a unique and evocative look that meshes perfectly with the presented gameplay.
9
Transistor
Gustav Klimt
This 2014 action role-playing game is set in a world that draws its inspiration from Gustav Klimt and the Art Nouveau movement. Klimt’s inspiration works perfectly within the futuristic game world, providing a flowing and elegant nature to the setting. The game is a testament to the enduring imagery of such works as Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I and The Kiss.
Transistor takes players into a dangerous sci-fi setting where the player controls Red, as she fights robotic enemies in real-time combat or turn-based battles. The game was well-received on release and won several awards.
8
Blasphemous
Francisco Goya’s A Procession of Flagellants
Challenging, complex, and violent, Blasphemous is a classic Metroidvania that incorporates Catholic iconography into its game world and art style. Developed by The Game Kitchen, the Spanish-based studio infused the game with much of the local architecture and Catholic influence they grew up around, as well as many classical Spanish painters.
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Goya’s A Procession of Flagellants can be seen all over the game, most notably in the style and appearance of The Penitent One, the game’s protagonist. The bleak and dogmatic nature of the art lends itself perfectly to the harsh game world of Blasphemous.
7
GRIS
Alexander Calder’s Mobiles
It’s not only classic paintings that can inspire video game art styles. GRIS incorporates various influences into its vibrant game world, including the sculptures of Theo Jansen and Alexander Calder’s revolutionary 1932 mobile sculptures.
The influence of these layered and complex works sits perfectly within the video game, and GRIS uses these styles brilliantly to create a beautiful and engaging world for players to explore. GRIS is the perfect example of what can be achieved when fine art and gaming combine, and is an emotional and visually stunning game that explores the different stages of grief.
6
Scorn
H.R Giger
The 2022 survival horror title Scorn takes players into one of the most disturbing and uncomfortable game worlds in modern times. It is no surprise to find out that this dark and atmospheric game was highly influenced by the works of artist H.R Giger.
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Renowned for his transgressive paintings that often border on the obscene, Giger’s work has enthralled art fans for decades, most notably as the designer of the famous Xenomorph from the Alien film franchise. Scorn takes the work of Giger and creates an immersive and frightening atmosphere that honors the work of the late influential artist.
5
Silent Hill 2
Francis Bacon
Silent Hill 2 is firmly cemented as one of the most disturbing horror games in the history of the medium, with its bleak and desolate atmosphere and terrifying monsters. Although not the sole influence, many of the enemies within the game were heavily influenced by the great figurative painter Francis Bacon.
Bacon’s work was often transgressive, pushing people’s notions of taste with his deeply personal, yet highly disturbing imagery. Enemies such as Flesh Lip, Bubble Head Nurse, and Lying Figure are Bacon paintings come-to-life, and instill the same unsettling feeling that Francis Bacon’s work often evoked.
4
Okami
Sumi-e Ink Painting
One of the most critically acclaimed games of the PS2 generation, Okami takes players into the world of Japanese folklore, as they play as White Wolf Ōkami Amaterasu. Okami is a striking game that blends traditional Japanese influences, such as classical Sumi-e ink painting, with more modern gaming styles similar to The Legend of Zelda.
One of the stand-out features of the game is the celestial brush mechanic, which allows players to bring color to the game world. Okami wasn’t initially successful but would go on to become highly acclaimed, winning multiple awards.
3
Thomas Was Alone
Piet Mondrian and Minimalism
This 2013 platform puzzle game is an example of how to merge artistic ideologies into a fun interactive experience. Taking influence from the art movements of Modernism and Minimalism, players control various shapes as they navigate through the game, solving various puzzles and platforming challenges.
Thomas Was Alone exemplifies indie gaming, where using a simple idea can create an engaging and memorable experience for players. Where one may see simple rectangles as soulless, the game infuses the shapes with personality and humor. The game received positive reviews, praising its narrative and well-designed nature.
2
The Medium
Zdzisław Beksiński
Released in 2021, The Medium is a psychological horror game by Polish developers Bloober Team. In the game, players take control of Marianne, a medium that can travel into the spirit realm, solving various puzzles and taking on different threats.
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The game is heavily influenced by the works of Zdzisław Beksiński, the Polish artist whose Dystopian Surrealist paintings evoked nightmarish landscapes and unsettling gothic entities. His striking and unforgettable works sit perfectly with the psychological horror of the game, creating an atmosphere that is both chilling and spiritual.
1
The Master’s Pupil
Claude Monet
The Master’s Pupil brings together two art forms and combines them to create a love letter to both mediums. This 2023 adventure puzzle game was entirely hand-drawn and took the developer seven years to create.
Set literally through the eyes of Claude Monet, the game is a biographical retelling of the artist’s battle with the disease that would eventually take his sight. As players progress through the art-inspired world, they will solve various puzzles that recreate some of Monet’s most famous works. The game is not only a tribute to one of the greatest artists of all time, but a testament to overcoming the adversities we all face.
