Unit 3.1. Video Game Art

This unit explores the role of art in video games, emphasizing how visuals shape player experiences and contribute to storytelling. Video game art combines technology and creativity, evolving from simple pixel-based designs to hyper-realistic graphics that enhance immersion. Artists, animators, and designers collaborate with programmers to create virtual worlds that blend aesthetics with interactivity.

The course examines art direction in the gaming industry, highlighting how it defines a game’s visual identity. Art direction is not just about creating beautiful graphics but also about establishing a consistent visual style, conveying narratives through visuals, and balancing artistic creativity with technological constraints. Games rely on color palettes, lighting, and environmental design to evoke emotions and support storytelling.

Three major art direction styles are discussed:

• Realism and cinematic grandeur, which aims for photorealistic visuals, as seen in The Last of Us Part II and Red Dead Redemption 2.
• Stylized and artistic expression, which embraces exaggerated forms and vibrant colors, as in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Cuphead.
• Minimalism and indie innovation, where simplicity in design conveys deep narratives, as demonstrated in Journey and Hollow Knight.

The practical section includes exercises where students analyze game art, compare visual styles, and reflect on how art direction affects gameplay experiences. The unit concludes by reinforcing that video game art is not just an aesthetic choice but a fundamental element that enhances storytelling, immersion, and emotional connection.

Bibliography

• Aarseth, Espen J. (1997). Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Adams, Ernest. (2009). Fundamentals of Game Design. New Riders.
• Bogost, Ian. (2007). Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames. The MIT Press.
• Newman, James. (2008). Playing with Videogames. Routledge.
• Rollings, Andrew & Adams, Ernest. (2003). Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design. New Riders.
• Schell, Jesse. (2014). The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. CRC Press.
• Shaw, Adrienne. (2014). Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. University of Minnesota Press.
• Ward, Mark J. (2019). Videogames and Art. Intellect Books.
• Wolf, Mark J. P. (Ed.). (2001). The Medium of the Video Game. University of Texas Press.
• Zimmerman, Eric & Salen, Katie. (2004). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. The MIT Press​.