Graphic Styles

Graphic styles are the visual desgin and look of the game. It gives the games characters and enviroment a certain feel. Below are three of the most common graphic styles used in video games.

Anime

Anime is a popular graphic style, which is not only used of video games, but its style is also used in many animated telvision and movies. Orginating in Japan, andextends from by Japanese comics, known as Manga. Anime exagerates human features such as eyes, hair and nose. Most anime designs also feature exaggerated colours and designs.

One of the most well-known products that uses the anime style is Pokemon, which has has released a number of video games using the anime graphic style in both 2D and 3D.

Another successful franchise that uses the anime graphic style is the Dragonball Z franchise. Which, again, has integrated both 2D and 3D anime graphic styles into its games.

Cel-Shaded

This form of graphic style is used to give the game a cartoon look. Shading and shadows are used in full clolur insted of gradual fading. Bright colours are used to give it a simplistic look, often using manga, anime and comic animation styles as an influnace. Animators tend to use this style when looking for a unique animation style, with a striking look.

The Legend Of Zelda series was re-invented using the cell-shaded graphic style when designing Wind Waker.

The Gamecube game, Viewtiful Joe, is another example of Cell-shaded animation used in video games.

Photo Realistic

This means a graphic style which is ment to represent the real world. For example, the characters are made to look like real humans, with textured clothes, hair and detailed face features. Enviroments and objects are also represent there counterparts in like real life. Buildings and walls are textured in detail, such as wood, brick and metal.

The graphics in the Assassins Creed series features the voice actors faces being scanned and turned into their charcter avatars. As seen above with actress, Kriten Bell.

Other examples of phot realistic graphic styles in video games are the Call Of Duty: Mordern Warfare series.