Instead of focusing on realistic graphics, some designers and visual artists choose to defy the norm. The result? Out-of-the-box game design that’s often paired with gameplay that’s just as unique.

Simply put, we’re talking about the types of games that will make designers want to play a game and inspire players to want to become designers and artists in the future. 

With that said, you’ll find such games that are sure to spark inspiration and get those creative juices of yours running in our round-up below. 

1. Mirror’s Edge

A true cult classic, Mirror’s Edge was released by EA Digital Illusions CE back in 2008. Unfortunately, it didn’t sell quite well. Why? We don’t know. But we’re willing to bet it’s because of how much different its art style is compared to what was popular at the time.

Featuring nineties aesthetics at a time where realistic graphics were everything, Mirror’s Edge stood out like a sore thumb, and we mean that in as bad of a way as possible. However, years later, the first-person action-adventure game has since received the credit that it deserves, even receiving a soft reboot in 2016, albeit one that wasn’t as well-received.

In any case, despite being released more than a decade ago, Mirror’s Edge’s visuals stand up quite well.

Jumping off of rooftops remains as amazing of an experience as ever. This is especially true because of how doing so constantly exposes you to the game’s beautiful utopian cityscape that perfectly blends panes of reflective glasses with vivid blues and blinding whites. 

2. Okami

Okami is so popular due to its unique visuals that including the game in our list feels like a cop-out answer. But at the same time, it also felt like we would be omitting a title just because it’s a no-brainer if we didn’t include Okami, which felt even more wrong, so here we are.

For those that don’t know, Okami was released way back in 2006 as a PlayStation 2 title. It has since been re-released for various platforms, including the Nintendo Switch just as recently as two years ago in 2018.

The main draw of Okami is its visual design. You can’t just help but praise it. The action-adventure game uses cel-shaded visual style graphics, along with a gesture-system called the “Celestial Brush”, which work hand-in-hand to conjure a smorgasbord of beautiful visuals en route to creating a special atmosphere that just constantly sucks you in from the first minute up until the game ends dozens of hours later.

A game that’s literally painted in front of you as you play it, there’s a reason why Okami is a game that’s still being talked about among gamer and game design circles alike today.

 3. Shadow of the Colossus

Another game that was released more than a decade ago, Shadow of the Colossus pushed the PlayStation 2 to its absolute limit when it first released in 2005. Featuring the kind of realistic graphics that were thought to have been impossible at its time, Shadow of then Colossus featured colossi that sometimes spanned the entire screen, and then some.

The attention to detail that Japan’s Team ICO put to bring the beasts to life in Shadow of the Colossus is evident right from the very moment you play it. You could argue that the designers approached each colossus as if they were a separate video game. This is because of how unique and well designed each one is. This results in a visually captivating experience that remains just as good today as it did nearly two decades ago.

Regardless of whether you play the original Shadow of the Colossus release or the high-definition remake released in 2018, you’re sure to find yourself captivated by the entire journey all the same.

4. Cuphead

Cuphead is a run-and-gun shooter that pays homage to the early days of animation with its art style. The 2016 title takes a lot of liberty in incorporating art styles similar to what Walt Disney and Max Fleischer used all those years ago. This results in easily distinguishable features in both the game’s character design and background design.

From the big and bulging eyes to the exaggerated features, and so much more, Cuphead took something so familiar in the eyes of the older games and turned it into something that even modern players can relate to.

Just be careful not to expect an easy time playing Cuphead. It’s definitely not the type of game that will help you relax, by any means.

5. MirrorMoon EP

The final entry in our list is a game that you probably have not even heard of, but will definitely give a trip after this.

A game whose visual design takes inspiration from the album covers of 80s pop music, MirrorMoon EP makes you question, well, reality itself. Although it is a first-person shooter and players do receive a gun, MirrorMoon EP always finds ways to constantly remind players to find a non-confrontational approach to solving their problems. 

As the only human left alive, MirrorMoon EP will have you asking a lot of questions while satisfying your eyes with its unique visual art and style. 

Take Inspiration from These Visually Stunning Titles

As you now know, a game doesn’t have to have realistic graphics to spark inspiration. Far from it actually, as it’s usually the games that try new things that deviate from the established norm that are the most visually unique. 

Having said that, these 5 video games and their unique designs will surely inspire you to come up with creative and unique ideas.

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DON’T FEEL BAD

While the whole thing might seem stupid to some people, fans of certain series or gamers interested in previously undiscovered franchises can feel like a series of games can be overwhelming. Certain games can feel like they have too much going on already. Other games can feel less attractive to you once you find out about the other 23 games in the series. I’m here to tell you that you should stop feeling that way. Play the games you want to play, guilt-free and effortlessly. 

HOW TO OVERCOME IT

Streamers and retrospective videos on YouTube. There’s always someone fun playing a game you’re interested in and streaming it online. That’s one of the rules of the Internet (probably). Watching ‘Let’s Play’ videos can streamline the process of introducing yourself to a new game and you can do it at your own pace. There’s no shortage of cutscene collections and even silent walkthroughs of games on YouTube. A series that would take you around 200 hours to complete can now be consumed in the form of a movie or a short video covering the main story points. You won’t be getting the gameplay experience but you will have a chance to skip the unnecessary padding that seems to dominate today’s games. 

REFRESHING YOUR MEMORY

The same ways described above can be a great way to refresh your memory on some games you feel nostalgic about. I’ve wanted to replay The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for 7 years now. After being too busy and with my list of unfinished games growing endlessly, I gave up and watched story breakdowns. It satisfied my nostalgia and saved me a lot of time. Of course, there’s always the ‘previously on’ introduction video that games like Syberia 3 and Gears 5 utilise in order  to make it easy for fans to remember the main story beats before starting a new game or bring new players in and make sure they have something to help them figure out what’s going on.

GOOD FOR DEVS, GOOD FOR YOU

So don’t feel bad about DOOM Eternal or The Last Of Us 2. If you can’t or don’t want to spend money or time on the previous games, just look around for something free to get you in those games. Sure, you won’t be giving any money to developers at the time but you will gauge your interest in the games and possibly become a long-term, paying fan. That’s the best a developer can ask for and the beauty of gaming in this day and age.

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