Veknoid_Outcast on 16 January 2022
Art direction is a tricky one. I think there are a few competing definitions out there.
If art direction is judged mostly by aesthetic design and execution, then I think Dread is overshadowed by a lot of 2021 games.
Lately, however, I tend to treat art direction more as the overall visual experience, including prop and set design, the sense of time and place, and how the art informs the player. It’s a holistic thing that captures theme and emotion as well as individual artistic assets.
Using that definition, I think Metroid Dread deserves a place on the shortlist. Winner, though? That’s a stretch for me. I voted It Takes Two, for so convincingly transporting me to a miniature world.
