In 2017, Cuphead won the award for “Animation, Artistic,” an award normally given to the title with the most striking visuals. However, another nominee for this award was Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which featured incredibly realistic visuals and animation. This begs the question: what makes a game visually striking? Are good visuals defined by the level of realism, or stylized expression? Moreover, why was Cuphead deemed the winner and not Uncharted: The Lost Legacy?
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy vs. Cuphead
The Uncharted franchise needs no introduction. The game series, which is heavily inspired by adventure games like Tomb Raider and the Indiana Jones film franchise, succeeds at emulating the media that inspired it by offering a highly cinematic and immersive gaming experience. Much of its appeal comes down to its excellent graphics and highly realistic motion capture. Many gamers would argue that realistic graphics are best; therefore, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is the most deserving title for this award.
On the other hand, Cuphead features a highly stylized cartoon aesthetic that emulates the golden age of animation (e.g. Disney films and shorts from the 1920’s to 1940’s). Like the animation that inspired it, Cuphead was initially hand-drawn. This close attention to detail allows Cuphead to feel as if the player is in an interactive animated cartoon, which both looks and plays excellently.
Which game looks best?
So, with this said, which game’s animation is best? One that goes for an ultra-realistic style? Or the other that features hand-drawn cartoon visuals?
Well, if we look at past games in this category, the latter may seem superior overall. In 2003, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was nominated for this category. The Wind Waker featured a “cartoony” cell-shaded art style, which was far less realistic than that year’s Game of the Year winner Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. But if you fast forward over twenty years, it is clear that Wind Waker is much better looking today compared to The Sands of Time. Less realistic art styles tend to fare much better over time versus hyper-realistic graphics.
While Uncharted: The Lost Legacy still looks quite good seven years after its release, it may not seem quite as graphically impressive in another seven years. Cuphead, which opts for a timeless art style, will continue to look just as visually striking as it did the day that it was released. This comparison illustrates the power of art styles; high-fidelity visuals aren’t always what makes a video game look “good.”
History of Realism vs. Stylized
While Cuphead may have won in 2017, you might wonder which art style has been preferred over the years: stylized or realistic? First, here’s a quick rundown of past winners in NAVGTR’s award category of “Animation, Artistic” since 2014, the first year of the category’s existence:
- 2014: South Park: The Stick of Truth
- 2015: Rise of the Tomb Raider
- 2016: The Last Guardian
- 2017: Cuphead
- 2018: God of War
- 2019: Untitled Goose Game
- 2020: Ghost of Tsushima
- 2021: Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- 2022: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
- 2023: Hi-Fi Rush
Rise of the Tomb Raider, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima fit comfortably into the class of “realistic” animation. The Last Guardian is somewhat close, with animations of the giant mythical beast modeled after a combination of real-life animals. Overall, it’s clear that games with a stylized approach have won this award by a landslide. The biggest takeaway from this is that games don’t have to look real to look great.
“Good graphics” are subjective at the end of the day
With this said, however, a video game’s visual quality is all subjective. Players who grew up during the third and fourth generation of consoles may prefer pixel graphics, while gamers who owned fifth-generation systems may prefer the blocky textures of N64 and PS1 titles. Younger gamers may only enjoy playing highly detailed video games, and that’s perfectly alright. Video games are subjective, and everyone has their tastes and preferences.
Submit your game to NAVGTR
Thankfully, the rise of indie video game studios has allowed game developers to form their game studios and create the games that appeal to them most. If you happen to be an indie game developer, check the deadline for submissions to the NAVGTR Awards. Consider entering your game today.