From Leonardo Da Vinci to Salvador Dali, the realm of video games has long been inspired by some of the most renowned artists from both the past and present. And, when you think about it, video games are, in a way, a major part of the art scene, especially since they are created from a wide range of pictures and drawings.
If you are a big fan of both art and video games, you might find this article to be quite interesting. The text below will feature some of the best video games that were inspired and influenced by famous artists from all over the world – and keep in mind, you will definitely want to try some of them after you finish this article. Let’s take a closer look:
1. “Transistor” (2014) – Influenced By Gustav Klimt
This large, Sci-fi RPG is, perhaps, the best one to kick off this list of how art influenced the gaming world. If you open pictures of Gustav Klimt’s paintings and if you open the pictures from this amazing pastime, you can easily see how much impact this artist had on the aesthetics of the entire series.
If you are familiar with Klimt’s work, you might probably notice that the developers borrowed some aspects of his most famous paintings – the “Portrait of Adele Bloch” and “The Kiss”. Both paintings have interesting patterns and vibrant colors, hence, it fits perfectly with the ambiance and theme.
2. “Ico” (2001) – Influenced By Giorgio De Chirico
Although this puzzler was released almost 19 years ago, it is still regarded as the best brain-teasers ever! Of course, the most notable highlight of this brain teaser is the mesmerizing illustration technique, which has impacted and influenced two major creators in the gaming industry – Eiji Aonuma (The Legend of Zelda Franchise) and Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid).
The renowned artist inspired Ueda throughout the evolution of this mesmerizing franchise and his art can be noticed in various parts of the storyline, especially a composition called “The Nostalgia of the Infinite”. The man behind this incredible story stated several times that the metaphorical realm he created has a lot of things similar things with the surreal world that was made by Gustav.
3. “Okami” (2006) – Influenced By Katsushika Hokusai
When this breathtaking work of art was first revealed to the public, critics worldwide applauded it for its surprising optical aspects that borrowed a lot of characteristics from the Ukiyo-e genre. The most famous theme of this gaming type is the representation of national folk stories.
This is what made it excellent for this game, especially since it focuses on legends and otherworldly creatures. The illustrator that has inspired the developers of “Okami” is Katsushika, and you can notice his influences in various parts, especially if you take a closer look at the backgrounds of the scenes. If you are interested in learning more about these artists, check this out.
4.“Dishonored” (2012) – Influenced By Giovanni Canaletto
While they were creating “Dishonored”, Bethesda’s art team did not hide where their inspiration came from. One of the painters that worked on the development of this game often stated that it was Giovanni who inspired him with his compositions of London and Venice during the 18th century.
Giovanni’s art helped shape the architecture and feel, and it specifically influenced the in-game, fictional town of Dunwall. The result? Well, it offered people all over the world an authentic feeling while they were mingling in the action-packed storyline that the developers came up with.
5. “Ori And The Blind Faith” (2015) – Influenced By Hayao Miyazaki
Now, it should not be difficult to notice the influence of Miyazaki on the gaming world. Without his work, a lot of our all-time favorite pastimes would not be created or they would seem completely different. And, artists all over the world are still being motivated by Hayao.
This 2015 masterpiece takes some major aspects of Hayao’s highlight movie from almost 30 years ago, and the developers wanted to give it the impression of being entirely drawn by hand. They decided to use light as Hayao did in his movies. Another interesting thing is that it features a level that is titled after the movie studio Hayao worked at – the “Valley of the Wind”.
6. “The Bridge” (2013) – Influenced By M.C. Escher
There is no denying that Escher had an important role in the development of this 2013 puzzler. You’ll be able to see these influences as soon as you open it, especially since the developers used his influence to create levels and constructions during the gameplay.
The main character in the game is even a representation of the artists himself – which is just additional evidence of how much he inspired the game developers. Naturally, they took inspiration from several paintings, however, the most popular ones are “Relativity”, and, of course, “The Bridge”.
7. “Thomas Was Alone” (2012) – Influenced By Piet Mondrian
If you think simple, rectangular shapes are boring – you probably did not play this incredible game! Although the plot and the mesmerizing puzzles earned the game the title of an indie classic, the simple design was something that mesmerized people from all over the world.
The artist Piet was a major inspiration on the game creators while they were figuring out and then implementing this specific art style. Piet’s minimalistic yet impactful paintings from 1921 allowed the creators to add some incredible aspects to the game, while it remained simple in design.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, these were some of the best games inspired by some of the most amazing artists this world had and still has. And, when you think about it, it would be crazy if the developers behind these works of art did not find inspiration from the most renowned painters to date. Hence, now that you know who inspired the creation of some of these franchises, do not waste any more time, choose one from this list, and enjoy the incredible art featured in it!
