Best Art Direction of 2018 - Article
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 04 January 2019 / 3,720 Views
As the current generation begins to wind down, developers are flexing their creative muscles in both two and three dimensions. These nominees will be remembered for their gameplay as well as striking visuals, artistic cohesion, and originality. God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 pushed console hardware near to its technical limits and detailed their contrasting worlds for optimal player immersion; GRIS and Octopath Traveler are 2D beauties which are striking in motion as they are in screenshots; and Valkyria Chronicles 4 is like an anime painting brought to life.
The Shortlist:
God of War
GRIS
Octopath Traveler
Red Dead Redemption 2
Valkyria Chronicles 4
The Winner:
God of War
In relocating Kratos from Greece to Midgard, Sony Santa Monica crafted a visual and technical showcase. Its presentation excels, not only because of high pixel counts and stunning particle effects, but because of the fine detailing that brings each of its environments and characters to life. From realistic footprints in the snow, to environmental and character model degradation, every inch of the game speaks to Kratos’s long and arduous journey. Sony Santa Monica raised the bar for art direction in AAA gaming and will be a tough act to follow in the year to come.
More Articles
GRIS or Octopath would have gotten my vote.
That's some curious picks for the shortlist, but some really pretty games all in all.
God of War? Really? In a year that gave us GRIS, Octopath Traveler, Return of the Obra Dinn? Okay... Feels like the voters confused Best Art Direction for Best Graphics.
There's a lot more to art direction than just art style.
Having said that, I also think God of War doesn't have the most interesting art direction of the bunch.
Voted Octopathcand think either it or GRIS deserved this one, there were other categoreis where GoW shined more than in Art Direction
