2006 Game of the Year: Graphics

Graphics aren't just about having art that looks realistic, though that may be a means towards having good graphics.

Good graphics create a feel about a game that transports the player into the game's world, making the gamer feel as though they have entered a visually distinctive and complete picture. Game Tunnel salutes the best graphics in 2006 with 5 unique and memorable games.

5th Place - Eets: Hunger. It's Emotional

Developer: Klei Entertainment		Players: 1
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Windows 98/2000/XP, 500MHz processor, 128 MB RAM

Like the gameplay, the art in Eets has a distinctive style that feels original and gives the game a life of its own.

The game feels akin to a hand-drawn comic book, giving a tremendous amount of personality to each of the characters.

Eets himself is the masterpiece of the game. His every move and expression convey his emotions so well that you'll never wonder just how he is feeling, and you may smile to yourself with just how entertaining the whole scene is.

The whimsically drawn characters come together fabulously well creating a world that is both unique and inviting for players to come and hang out in.

4th Place - Titan Attacks

Developer: Puppy Games		Players: 1
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, Mac, Linux

Looking at the screenshot to the right, many people will ask how this game could be considered one of the best looking games of the year.

It comes from our belief here at Game Tunnel that graphics have evolved to a place where just being pretty isn't enough. As mainstream games get closer and closer to photo-realism they look less and less distinct.

Titan Attacks looks distinct. It has been carefully considered and created to portray a mix of retro and modern with a forced look of pixilation mixed with state of the art particle effects.

The end result is a game that is visually unique and quite appealing. It is the type of game that you want to play to see what the next planet's background will look like, and that is why we put it among the best games for graphics this year. The modern-retro fusion art style is original and...groovy.

3rd Place - Dawnspire: Prelude

Developer: Silent Grove Studios		Players: 16
Website
System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP, 2 GHz CPU, 512MB RAM, DirectX 9.0c+, 128MB Video Card with Pixel Shader 2.0

If we were to award the best graphics award to the game that just looked the prettiest we would be hard pressed not to give the award to Dawnspire: Prelude.

Dawnspire isn't pretty for just an indie game, it is beautiful for any game period. The fact that it is an online game only makes one marvel further as online games are commonly the realm of fun gameplay and sub-par graphics.

Certainly sub-par could never be used as a term to describe either Dawnspire or its graphics. The texturing is well done and mixes with the shadows to make the world feel alive. The particle effects are also first-rate. Players who wield the glowing sword of the Templar will feel the sword's power jumping off their screens and illuminating their work places. Dawnspire is a visually stunning piece of visual work that any game studio, indie or otherwise, would be proud to claim as their own.

2nd Place - Gumboy Crazy Adventures

Developer: Cinemax		Players: 1
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP, DirectX 8.0+, 1 GHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 32 MB Video Card

When a group of artists get together to make a game there is good reason to believe that the game will look fantastic. Gumboy is certainly proof that such expectations would not be too high.

Playing Gumboy is like playing through a work of beautiful fantasy art. All of the levels have a wonderfully intricate look that feels hand-drawn. Leaves are drawn with detailing that includes their creases and cracks. Each level is simply a joy to behold and must have taken an artist a very long time to render into the game. The graphics are a huge highlight of Gumboy Crazy Adventures.

The art is intricate and vibrant. The lighting and particle effects in the game are top notch as well. All the graphical effects are a joy to look at. Pushing fairy dust around in the early levels is an especially fun effect, taking good advantage of both the game's physics and its lighting to create a visual masterpiece. Gumboy proves that artists working together to create a game can create some of the most imaginative and beautiful game worlds ever conceived.

2006 Game of the Year: Graphics - Steam Brigade

Developer: Pedestrian Entertainment		Players: 1-2
Website	Download		Purchase
System Requirements: Win 2000/XP, 1Ghz CPU, 32 MB Video Card

It's really unfortunate that Steam Brigade is such a difficult game to play. Most people will stop less than halfway through, even on the easiest setting, due to the continued frustration of losing.

All those people who are ending early are missing out on a visual treat. Steam Brigade is full of carefully crafted hand illustrations, and from the levels to the storyboards the game shines with a distinct visual style that is a wonder to behold.

The game has beautiful levels that feature layer upon layer of artistry. Each layer builds on the last, creating a game that looks like a painting in motion as players move back and forth across the screen. Trees with wispy leaves sit in the foreground as mountains and hills move in the background peeking through the trees. It is the type of stuff that you would watch a 'making of' documentary of, if one were available, and enjoy every minute of it.

While the levels stand out as being high quality, they are only a piece of the artistry in the game. In-between several of the levels are drawings and illustrations that carry the story along and create depth in the titles that only strong visuals can do. Each carries the same strong stylistic interpretation of the Steam Brigade world and brings the story to life before your eyes. Steam Brigade is the type of game where you check every screen from the options to the credits just to see if there was a drawing that you might have missed and the search is always worth the effort. With a distinctive and bold visual style, Steam Brigade floated away with our award for best graphics this year.

Graphics Game of the Year Award History

History:
2006 - Steam Brigade
2005 - Mythic Blades
2004 - Wik & the Fable of Souls
2003 - 3D Airstrike: Operation W.A.T.

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By: Russell Carroll
Posted: Thursday December 21, 2006