My modern exhibit explores video games as art through their concept and original game art published by various gaming studios. Mental health is an emerging topic across myriad video games since 2010. I purposely chose the original gaming issues to discuss the original intent of the gaming companies’ involvement in exploring mental health through video game art. Individual’s perspectives of video games through their personal art may slightly alter the meaning the game is attempting to convey. I chose six different games in which I have also personally played including Horizon Forbidden West, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Limbo, Child of Light, Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds, and God of War Ragnarök. Let’s explore mental health discussions (and challenge mental health stigmas) through video games together!
Horizon Forbidden West utilizes a vibrant color palette, value, and 3D forms throughout the concept art and gameplay. In my chosen piece of concept art from the game you can get a visual of what it feels like for the main character, Aloy, to explore the Forbidden West universe. The vibrant color palette helps to reconstruct a universe in the post-Apocalyptic format in which Aloy is placed. The colors represent the flourishing flora and wildlife that began to emerge after the events that took place to construct this new normal in Aloy’s universe. The value helps to highlight where the sunlight would reflect over the ocean, the different elevations of the oceans, and the creatures we can see through the clearness of the still water. Finally, the 3D form helps to create a realistic effect that helps to immerse the player into the Forbidden West universe. Everything comes alive with multidimensional shapes to help create a more realistic landscape. A post-apocalyptic world where a character is expected to undergo growth through unique challenges and self discovery is brought to life by interactive art. The progression of the narrative can be curated by the player by going adrift from the main storyline to follow side quests and minor plot points. Solarski stipulates, “A narrative implies that a character has gone through an emotional change, which should be made visible for viewers to comprehend” (2013). The narrative is best expressed through the detail that only art can express through facial expressions, backgrounds, and color choices. The narrative is constructed with art while discussing the challenges of self-discovery and the mental challenges through a digital format. Horizon Forbidden West does a remarkable job of exploring a balance between art and self-discovery.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice utilizes negative space, color, and sharp lines to enter the psyche of a grieving widow. The negative space highlights the darkness of Senua’s psyche as the player explores the world through her eyes. The background is often murky to see while minimal color is illuminated by her face markings and fire. The fire illuminates the murkiness for a bleak moment as you explore through the rest of the environment. The environment matches the tone of the game as you explore Senua’s psychosis that was created from becoming a widow so suddenly. The zig-zag lines utilized for the dying tree branches and the fire symbolize the anxiety of Senua’s perspective. Takahashi records, “Fletcher said that when [Hellblade] was shown to some of the patients who helped create it, the patients felt like their experience had been validated. The team even changed the ending because the patients felt like it was lacking” (2019). The attention to the art detail to convey anxiety, restlessness, and a vast unknown was not a coincidence. The careful attention to detail helps to create the environment that someone may find themselves in when tackling psychosis. Much of the game’s progression we hear Senua’s thoughts as one progresses through the story. Some of the reality we are given through the art is understood to be through Senua’s perspective, which builds on the anxiety the art does encapsulate.
Some individuals may argue that excessive attention to the detail of art in video games can distract from the capabilities of game play. The simplicity of video games that we received from the game art in the 80’s-90’s has vastly changed as digital art has evolved. Bourgonjon states, “Instead of developing innovative games, more photorealistic versions of earlier games are being made. This has caused a number of counter reactions, an important one being a seemingly back-to-basics aesthetics movement in game culture” (2017). There are different approaches to video game art that can roll unto the game play and how it is perceived.
Limbo is a suitable example that creates a balance between simple art elements and narratives that describe mental health through gameplay. Limbo utilizes negative space, rigid lines, and contrast to create a gloomy atmosphere. The promotional photo that I have chosen is an example of much of the art throughout the game. The negative space is created by the background and enemies that you come across as one progresses through the story. The rigid lines typically represent environments that will harm the play and/or enemies (such as the spider we see the little boy encountering). The rigid lines did a great job in expressing a harmful environment with zero color throughout the game. The lack of color expresses the void and sadness the character is undergoing as they explore this new reality. Harris observes, “A sparse, quiet world with no music and no color. A lonely child who is too small and too fragile to thrive in this landscape” (2021). Harris understands that this environment was meant to destroy the nameless boy. The art elements curated in Limbo effectively express the anxiety of yearning for a lost loved one.
Grief and death are difficult subjects to tackle through myriad art mediums; however, making difficult subjects a successful playable medium is an ode to art expressions. Art has been a medium for centuries to tackle difficult subjects through timeless mediums. Child of Light’s bright and cheerful appearance may disguise itself as a cheerful game visually. However, as the art unfolds the view is given a walk-through grief while utilizing color, curvy and rigid lines, and contrast. The bright colors capture the essence of what it means to be a child and how they view the world despite grief. The usage of both curvy and rigid lines helps to define the differences between enemies and the innocence of the “child of light” throughout the story. It helps to illuminate the combat in a PG friendly manner. Finally, the contrast between the environment (dark earthy tones) and the character’s colorful and cheery demeanor highlight how children can tackle grief with resources. Martinyuk defines digital art such as, “Visual representation is the heart of the game. It is what the story aims to tell its players” (2018). The narrative will be elaborated through art elements and how the art elements are utilized to help progress a story. The story in Child of Light is unique in how it tackles discussing death through the main character (Aurora). Aurora’s mother passes in the beginning of the story. The journey Aurora undergoes is a family friendly journey to tackle a taboo discussion amongst children. Harris states, “The world is pastel bright and charming, and its animation is gorgeous, but its tone is dark and its metaphors convey deep adult themes” (2021). The art in Child of Light helped to illuminate the child friendly playthrough while tactfully using adult subject matter (death and grief). The cheery elements help pull the game together when highlight the importance of life and death through color and contrast.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is an updated version of the original game of a similar title (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past). This new version has created new life with elevated art. The focus of the game is utilizing art (paintings and murals) to travel between different realms and sticky situations. The promotional art of the two realities (Hyrule and Lorule) utilizes contrast, value, and texture. The contrast between the two realities is created through a reflection in the water that shows Lorule as a reversed Hyrule skyline. This is a game based on the theme of time travel used art to illustrate the parallel universes that mimicked one another with slight alterations. The intensity of color values used in Hyrule are bright and cheerful on an average sunny day. The reflection of Lorule in the water creates a brooding sky, sunset, a dead tree, and darker colors to illuminate a “big bad” that is looming under the surface. The lively texture of Hyrule makes you feel you can almost touch the soft and warm grass underneath the son whereas the grass in Lorule is barren with no texture. The distinct differences highlight the differences between a “light” and “dark’ world throughout the story. Often art will utilize bright intense values to highlight “light” or “good” realities whereas darker values will contrast the light to create “dark” or “evil” realities. Solarski remarks, “upon creating a video game, the game's designers give creative control to the player through interaction, allowing players to experience the very same sensations that a traditional artist would feel when painting” (2013). The art elements guide players to immerse themselves into other’s mental health journeys. Curating the artistic experience through games such as Zelda help to enhance the self-discovery journey. The battle between the light and dark can often be considered a metaphor for the consistent challenges individuals will face during their own paths of self-discovery with positive and negative experiences.
God
of War Ragnarök is the latest installment in the game series. The art development have vastly improved since the game’s first release in 2005. The advancements in
digital art have helped to create new depth to the main character Kratos. The
promotional art for the latest God of War utilizes negative space, texture, and
3D form to tell the latest Kratos story. The negative space is created by a
blizzard that introduces the story when you’re “surviving Fimblwinter”. The
texture is created by the broken branches and Freya assaulting Kratos as she
moved through the trees. The texture appears as a broken branch would feel, sharp
and harsh. The texture almost creates the sound you hear when a branch falls during
a blizzard (for all of us that live in cold climates). Although this scene toggles
between gameplay and cut-scenes the 3-dimensional figures create an immersive
effect to allow the player to feel involved in the fight (as Kratos). Another
art element that should be mentioned is the usage of color for light and fire
as we see Freya’s cape fiery with anger and the illuminating lantern as the only
source of light against the white blankness of snow. Joho reports, “Yet God of
War spares sympathy for that father, too -- a man who was once a child himself.
A man who knows nothing but the perpetual cycle of patricidal betrayal and
trauma” (2018). In this new path of storytelling in the God of War series that
began in 2018, we are given a perspective of a bold main character who now
raises a child. Kratos embodies traditional masculine ideals while navigating
parenthood. In Ragnarök the players can see the growth of Kratos’s son’s ideals
and self-journey as they use art elements to shape the effects of parenthood between
two characters.
Let's Conclude!
In
conclusion, digital art being transcribed to video games concept art and
gameplay has created new ways to enjoy interactive content. Players can curate
the art on command as they progress through stories and navigate different art
styles through different games. Gilyard states, “Through aesthetics, creativity
in video games takes both a broad and specific approach with its applicability
not just towards society in general, but also as an instrumental tool in art
education” (2017). Video game art can teach others how to navigate difficult discussions,
mental health challenges, mental health stigma, and unique storytelling through
the simplicity of art elements. Solarski (2013) does a fantastic
job translating the art elements into the utilization of game play and aesthetics
for video games (if you are interested in an elaborate discussion). Video games are a very specific digital art medium that deserves
more attention throughout the modern art era. If I had the space, I would have
loved to explore how music and sound also adds to the art elements (beyond the
visual gaze).
All six art pieces are from games that I particularly enjoyed due to the art style and story progression. I chose the theme of mental health as many of these games tackle difficult subjects such as death, murder, and difficult self-discovery journeys. I do own art pieces from each of these games that I personally display in my home. For many of these games such as Horizon and God of War I own collectible statues, key rings, cloth maps, and leather pieces. I have made cosplays and collectible pieces throughout my home that represents my favorite games in addition to the digital art collections I display around my home. One of my favorite aspects of games such as Horizon Forbidden West is using the in game “photo mode” to create screenshots of photos of different aspects of the story and acquired gear. Every mental health journey exploration in a video game will be a unique experience. If this is your first-time diving into any of these games, I hope that you enjoy your journey with this insight in mind.
Bourgonjon, Jeroen, et al. “Perspectives on Video Games as Art.” CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture, vol. 19, no. 4, Dec. 2017. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost- com.uaf.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsglr.A529046139&site=eds-live.
Gilyard, Anthony. “A Dissection of Video Games as a
Medium of Art: The Utilization of Aesthetics and the Effectiveness of Video
Games as a Tool in Curriculum.” Lucerna, vol. 11, Jan. 2017, pp. 110–20.
EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.uaf.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=aph&AN=124104065&site=eds-live.
Joho, Jess. “'God of War' Depicts the Disease and Destruction of Toxic Masculinity.” Mashable, Mashable, 29 Oct. 2021, https://mashable.com/article/god-of-war-fatherhood-patriarchy-destruction-male-power-fantasy.
Martyniuk, Stephanie Veronica. “Game On! Teaching
Video Game Studies in the Arts Classroom.” Art Education, vol. 71, no. 3, May
2018, pp. 14–19. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.uaf.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00043125.2018.1436325.
Ninja Theory. “Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.” Hellblade, 2017, https://hellblade.com/gallery.
Nintendo. “The Official Home for the Legend of Zelda.” The Offical Home of the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, 2022, https://www.zelda.com/.
Playdead Studios. “Limbo - Gameplay.” Playdead, Xbox Studios, 2010, https://playdead.com/games/limbo/
Playstation. “God of War Community.” PlayStation, SONY PLAYSTATION, 2022, https://www.playstation.com/en-us/god-of-war/community/.
Plunkett, Luke. “The Art of Horizon Forbidden West.” Kotaku, Kotaku, 27 May 2022, https://kotaku.com/horizon-forbidden-west-concept-art-character-environmen-1848984780.
Solarski, Chris, 2013. “The Aesthetics of Game Art and Game Design.” Game Developer, 30 Jan. 2013, https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-aesthetics-of-game-art-and-game-design.
Takahashi, Dean. “How Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice Changed Lives with Its Thoughtful Portrayal of Mental Illness.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 26 Oct. 2019, https://venturebeat.com/business/how-hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-changed-lives-with-its-thoughtful-portrayal-of-mental-illness/.
Harris, Will. “15 Video Games That Deal with Mental Illness.” TheGamer, 28 May 2021, https://www.thegamer.com/mental-illness-health-video-games/.
Ubisoft Montreal. “Child of Light: Ubisoft.” Ubisoft, 2014, https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/child-of-light.
Hello, Mariah! I love that you picked mental health explored in video games for this blog. Of all the games you examined, I’ve only personally played Child of Light; however, I think you have a really intriguing concept on display. I think there are so many games with gorgeous elements and similar themes, but I'm trying to think of only a few to list. The color palette and post-apocalyptic feel of Horizon Forbidden West makes me want to relate Subnautica to your exhibit as well. I think there is something to be said about the vast loneliness on display in so many video games. Is it because of the Western emphasis on individualism or the growing sense of isolation people feel? I like that you discuss the way Child of Light approaches topics like grief and death while seeming like a bright and cheerful game. I think it’s a very powerful combination. Topics like grief and mental health in video games makes me think of the Little Nightmares games. Both Little Nightmares games have the player as small and vulnerable in a large and scary environment filled with monsters. I love the art and tension in those games. I wonder what you think of the games I’ve brought up.
ReplyDeleteI have never played subnautica, however, what I have read about it and heard from friends it would certainly fit under this discussion. I wish I had more space to discuss other games. Little Nightmares is another great example (I have yet to play the second game admittingly) with a unique color palette. I like your commentary about the relationship between being a small vulnerable character compared to the rest of the little nightmare world.
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