We’ve touched on some tips & tricks for 3D art in gaming recently, as well as some of the secrets behind creating great weapon and tool designs for games. We love breaking down and revealing secrets, tips, and tricks for anyone involved or interested in the games’ industry. And one key element behind great art design and game art production has been touched on in almost every article we’ve had on the process! Let’s fully dive into it now and look into storytelling in game art production.
Establishing Atmosphere and Setting
Game art, as a tool, is integral to storytelling in games. Just as much as the words spoken and the lore available to players, the art speaks for itself. Literally! The art of the characters, their equipment, the environments, the world itself, all speak and tell a story. It’s up to artists like those at Ringtail Studios to ensure that the art fulfils that purpose. Through careful use of colour, lighting, composition, and context, the art can help set the atmosphere and the tone of the story. When combined with quality sound and character interactions, you’ve got a combination there to ensnare players and immerse them in your game’s narrative.
Characters as Agents of Storytelling
It might sound redundant to say that characters are important for storytelling but it’s true! Characters and, in our case, their visual design are absolutely critical for storytelling. Game art production isn’t just technical, our artists are looking to create appealing and interesting characters. Afterall, characters are our links to the story and these allow players to connect with your narrative or the game’s experience. Quality characters developed throughout the game’s art production will lend themselves to a well-written protagonist or antagonist and ensure players remember your game’s experience.
Environmental Storytelling in Game Art Production
As much as characters are the carriers of player interaction and engagement, the environments are the backbone to the experience. How often have you felt thrown from a game’s world or narrative because the environment around you felt dull, uninspired, or simply unfinished? Storytelling in our line of game art production means immersing players and keeping them interested and engaged. Environmental design, consistent architecture, realistic landscapes or interesting unrealistic landscapes that prompt questions keep players involved. Keeping players awed and curious are two golden tickets to engagement and immersive experiences that aid the overall storytelling and narratives.
Cooperation in Development and Game Art Production
A good story feels consistent and alive. Solid and consistent communication and faith and holding true to the game’s design document are two fundamental principles that will assist in your game’s overall storytelling experience. With every element of your game’s team aligned, the story will be enhanced and compounded in quality. Artists and developers need to understand the purpose of mechanics together, collaborating to ensure they tell players the right information efficiently. And this aids in the quality delivery of the game’s narrative goals. Nothing will ruin the game’s storytelling more than inconsistency and incoherency between art and mechanics.
Get in touch today and benefit from our industry leading art production. As part of the Magic Media team, we can offer end-to-end scalable and high-quality game services from art to VFX to cybersecurity and full-cycle game development.
