Con-Z-epT
Member
Hey GAF,
as much as i love cutting edge graphics and the strive for photorealistic depictions in the current gaming era i also have a heart for pixel-art games. I grew up in the 16 bit era and played anything i could get or my parents would buy me. Over the years i welcomed the technological progress in the gaming scene and the improvement it brought in terms of graphical advancements. But as i grew older i found myself going back to the pixelated goodness more frequently. I'm not even sure what draws me into this regularly. Maybe it reminds me of the simpler times when i was younger. Maybe it provides a good contrast to all the other games i play. I know that it just needs a cool screenshot or a good trailer for me, to dive into these games.
I want to use this thread to share my enthusiasm for video games that inherent pixel-art. To talk about old, new and upcoming games. To find hidden gems i have never seen before. Of course let's also dive into the gameplay aspect of these games than in the end, that is what keeps me playing. Maybe you are a pixel artist and want to tell us what goes into the making of the art style. I'm aware that some of these games might not be fully pixelated art in itself and that some of them, use different techniques which have nothing to do with pixel-art, to accomplish the look and feel of one. Feel free to point out where the difference lie and shed a light on the development processes if you'd like to share your knowledge. I'm sure not an expert when it comes to this.
Where do all these pixels come from and where will they lead us?
Here are some of my favorites from past years that look cool and are a blast to play.
Dead Cells
Developer Motion Twin is doing an outstanding job with Dead Cells. High octane gameplay with flashy visuals and the constant dread to die from one or two hits just to start all over again.
It is one of many games i bought just for the art style and kept playing for countless hours afterwards, because it is a blast to play, through its incredible responsiveness.
The animations in this game are so smooth that i always wonder how much time they put into it. The amount of free content that was added after launch is staggering and needs to be praised!
A brutally tough game and a wonderful visual accomplishment.
CrossCode
This one comes from Deck13 and Radical Fish Games. "Another one" that i bought immediately after i watched the trailer.
Awesome action RPG with deep and layered gameplay mechanics, mind bending puzzles and a carefully crafted art style that warped me back to forgotten times all while putting a fresh spin on everything.
As well as the main character of the game, Lea, i couldn't stop to play this game.
Valfaris
Stage Clear Studios and Steel Mantis brought me some of my best time with this piece of art. Incredible varied environments and weaponry.
A joy to look at through its excellent visuals from start to finish with super satisfying gameplay all around. A game that i play at least once a year.
It has a really cool risk and reward mechanic that makes you stronger when you leave checkpoints untouched. Totally metal!
Metal Slug Saga
An obvious choice. I haven't played all of them and i think there are 7 or 8 games as of now. These are a feast for the senses with so much going on on the screen that it feels overwhelming at times. There are also some cool twists in terms of gameplay here to find. Like the fact that you could get zombified in Metal Slug 3 for example. I wish that there would be an iteration that would be playable in full screen on a 4K TV with the art style. Without any borders i mean. Too many developers to count here so, shout out to everyone involved.
There are many more games i played over the years and i could go on forever but i want to give you pixel junkies some room to express.
I will leave some trailers for upcoming games that peaked my interest.
So GAF, what are your thoughts?
as much as i love cutting edge graphics and the strive for photorealistic depictions in the current gaming era i also have a heart for pixel-art games. I grew up in the 16 bit era and played anything i could get or my parents would buy me. Over the years i welcomed the technological progress in the gaming scene and the improvement it brought in terms of graphical advancements. But as i grew older i found myself going back to the pixelated goodness more frequently. I'm not even sure what draws me into this regularly. Maybe it reminds me of the simpler times when i was younger. Maybe it provides a good contrast to all the other games i play. I know that it just needs a cool screenshot or a good trailer for me, to dive into these games.
I want to use this thread to share my enthusiasm for video games that inherent pixel-art. To talk about old, new and upcoming games. To find hidden gems i have never seen before. Of course let's also dive into the gameplay aspect of these games than in the end, that is what keeps me playing. Maybe you are a pixel artist and want to tell us what goes into the making of the art style. I'm aware that some of these games might not be fully pixelated art in itself and that some of them, use different techniques which have nothing to do with pixel-art, to accomplish the look and feel of one. Feel free to point out where the difference lie and shed a light on the development processes if you'd like to share your knowledge. I'm sure not an expert when it comes to this.
Where do all these pixels come from and where will they lead us?
Here are some of my favorites from past years that look cool and are a blast to play.
Dead Cells
Developer Motion Twin is doing an outstanding job with Dead Cells. High octane gameplay with flashy visuals and the constant dread to die from one or two hits just to start all over again.
It is one of many games i bought just for the art style and kept playing for countless hours afterwards, because it is a blast to play, through its incredible responsiveness.
The animations in this game are so smooth that i always wonder how much time they put into it. The amount of free content that was added after launch is staggering and needs to be praised!
A brutally tough game and a wonderful visual accomplishment.
CrossCode
This one comes from Deck13 and Radical Fish Games. "Another one" that i bought immediately after i watched the trailer.
Awesome action RPG with deep and layered gameplay mechanics, mind bending puzzles and a carefully crafted art style that warped me back to forgotten times all while putting a fresh spin on everything.
As well as the main character of the game, Lea, i couldn't stop to play this game.
Valfaris
Stage Clear Studios and Steel Mantis brought me some of my best time with this piece of art. Incredible varied environments and weaponry.
A joy to look at through its excellent visuals from start to finish with super satisfying gameplay all around. A game that i play at least once a year.
It has a really cool risk and reward mechanic that makes you stronger when you leave checkpoints untouched. Totally metal!
Metal Slug Saga
An obvious choice. I haven't played all of them and i think there are 7 or 8 games as of now. These are a feast for the senses with so much going on on the screen that it feels overwhelming at times. There are also some cool twists in terms of gameplay here to find. Like the fact that you could get zombified in Metal Slug 3 for example. I wish that there would be an iteration that would be playable in full screen on a 4K TV with the art style. Without any borders i mean. Too many developers to count here so, shout out to everyone involved.
There are many more games i played over the years and i could go on forever but i want to give you pixel junkies some room to express.
I will leave some trailers for upcoming games that peaked my interest.
So GAF, what are your thoughts?
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