Prince of Persia is the redheaded step child of the PoP franchise, because nobody seems to want it and nobody seems to know what to make of it. It's painfully easy: you cannot die. I mean that literally. You fall down? Elika will save you. A boss takes you out? The battle restarts immediately. You don't even have to hit the ground. But what Ubisoft's line of thinking was with this new Prince of Persia actually becomes obvious as you play through the game more and more: it's all about flow. Moving quickly and expertly through the game's world. In order to make that a compelling prospect Ubisoft was left with an astronomical task: to create a gaming world so beautiful that gamers wouldn't be apprehensive about exploring it. They succeeded.
Prince of Persia takes the concepts of celshading from games like Okami and Jet Set Radio Future and perfects them. Prince of Persia is a smooth, HD piece of eye candy that is satisfying to look at, right down to the most minute detail. From character animations, to expansive, open, gorgeous level design, Prince of Persia feels like you are playing through a beautiful watercolor painting. It makes the list because it has, by far, the best celshading of any game before and (so far) after.
This one is a late addition to this entry. I had forgotten about it and facepalmed the moment I remembered it. I couldn't leave this list unedited and not include it. Paper Mario is one of the most aesthetically fascinating games. It's the idea of Mario and mixes it with a paper world where being flat matters to the gameplay. Best of all is how good everything looks, lending the game a gorgeous 2.5D style that looks good even today. The series only continues to improve the look with each passing game and both, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario are gorgeous sights to behold. I find it odd that no other developer has tried this paper theme for their games; I, for one, would welcome its use.
This one is notorious in the gaming industry for it came to be. Space World 2000: Nintendo is showing off tech demos of what the Nintendo Gamecube, their soon to be released console, is capable of rendering. It quickly proves to be a very powerful little machine, especially with the beautifully crafted technological demo of a 3D Zelda. The video shows an adult Link fighting against Ganon, Master Sword in hand. Breathtaking. Fast forward several months and Nintendo decides to show off the latest Legend of Zelda to eagerly awaiting fans. It was not what anyone expected: the new Zelda game, titled The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, would be fully celshaded in the vain of games before it like Jet Grind Radio.
For a long time there was a huge divide between Zelda fans, some who loved the idea, but most who hated what Nintendo had done to their beloved elf. The fascinating thing is, however, that after Wind Waker released and Twilight Princess was announced, the opposite effect occurred: fans became dismayed that Nintendo was back to using a mature, realistic style for the Zelda games. It was a complete turn around from the time Wind Waker released to the time the next Legend of Zelda came about. You might wonder how this happened, but the answer is pretty obvious: Wind Waker is one of the most graphically and artistically beautiful video games ever made.
Hyrule was no longer a realistic, and some would argue "gritty," world. It was now a world teeming with life, with a vast, blue ocean to explore. The graphical change gave Wind Waker certain things that no other Zelda game has to this day: the first is the ability to survive the passing of time. Most games of last generation are an eyesore at this point, but Wind Waker is still perfectly playable. In fact, I think Nintendo could release an HD version of it for their upcoming Wii U and it would look right at home with new generation titles. The second thing it gave the game was superb animations. You may not think this matters, but animation has been a big issue in video games for a long time. I can't count the number of times I have played a graphically gorgeous game only to shudder as I watch characters walk across the screen like they're sock puppets on display. It's kind of atrocious. Wind Waker is one of the very, very few games that nails the concept of good animation. Everything about Link's animations is flawless, from the way he moves, to the way his eyes dart to important puzzle clues.
This game makes the list for being aesthetically interesting due to the incredible shift it was for a series that, as perfect as it is, grows more and more stale with the passing of time. Secondly, it makes to the list because, regardless of its attachment to the Zelda license, it's just plain gorgeous.
I mentioned this one on my blog a few times already, but I couldn't make this list and not give it a spot. El Shaddai takes celshading and turns it completely upside down, giving the game a psychedelic, otherworldly quality that can't be found anywhere else in the gaming industry. I haven't had the chance to play the final product because it has yet to release in the States, but I have watched videos and played the demo enough to say that, without question, El Shaddai is one of the most aesthetically interesting video games of all time. The only reasons this game doesn't take the top spot are because the next game on the list is unbeatable when it comes to unique style, and because in the case of El Shaddai, the beauty sometimes hinders it. It may not seem like it, but the incredible environments can be deathtraps that have you second guessing what's a puddle of water and what's a pit of doom. But it's worth enduring those small, frustrating moment just to see what the game has to offer artistically.
Surprised? You might be, but really, there is no other game in the industry that does (or has ever done) what Kirby's Epic Yarn does. More or less, the developers of the Kirby series decided to try something new, something different for both the beloved pink fluff and for gaming in general. The result is a game that pulsates with personality and an astounding attention to artistic detail. Everything in Kirby's Epic Yarn is made of fabric, yarn, and buttons. Everything. Even the titular hero has undergone some alterations, turning him into a yarn outline that is two parts adorable and two parts fun. See, all of that might be enough to put Kirby's latest adventure at the top of the heap, yet, what really sets it apart is how it's all incorporated into the gameplay. Being made of yarn allows Kirby certain abilities he did not have before, from turning into a train to (my personal favorite) a dolphin. What's more is that the environments have been given the same treatment: some buttons are used for Kirby to swing from, others can be pulled to cause the fabric of the world to fold, and there are zippers...lots and lots of zippers that when pulled can reveal hidden areas and treasure. More fascinating than all of this, however, are the bosses and their respective battles. Each one is very unique, but each one keeps with the patchwork theme really well. It's amazing to deliver a final blow to each boss and then watch it break apart into several pieces of yarn.
This game is worth checking out for the aesthetics alone, and that's something I don't think I have ever said or felt about a video game before now. But the best part is that underneath the fantastic art design, Kirby's Epic Yarn is actually a very fun game. Sure, it's somewhat on the easy side, but not all games have to make you pull out your own hair in frustration. Go buy it! It's only $30 new at the moment and it's worth every penny.
The game that started it all, and thus fittingly finds a spot on this list, even as an honorable mention. Back when developers were focusing on creating hyper realistic looking games with tons of detail (like Shenmue), Smilebit was thinking of new ideas that would set their games apart. The end result was Jet Grind/Set Radio, the first ever celshaded game to be made and released in gaming history. At the time of release there was simply nothing like it, and it's beautiful design paved the way for other games to follow suit, not the least being The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The graphics and art were, of course, improved in the sequel: Jet Set Radio Future. But that doesn't detract from the achievements of the original game. This title makes it to the list for being a trendsetter and for, at the time of its release, being unique and different. It was a risk even for a company as audacious as SEGA, but it ultimately paid off.
- Kharlo -
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