Though the technical elements of a game's graphics are extremely important, the artistic quality of the game's visual design is what finally leaves a lasting impression on the player. Game graphics technology continues to improve drastically every year, thus lending artists an increasingly effective medium for realizing their artistic concepts in their games. The following five nominees featured the most striking visual design this year.
Clive Barker's Undying
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: EALA
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Clive Barker's Undying was one of the first action games of 2001, but it remained one of the best. This first-person shooter's unique occult theme and its spectacular sound were fleshed out because of the game's truly inspired visual appearance. As Patrick Galloway--a sort of Irish Indiana Jones with a bit of warlock in him--you are able to brandish such impressive armaments as a snarling, semisentient Tibetan war cannon and use such spells as the skull storm, which lets you hurl cackling, extremely agitated little skulls that explode on contact. Undying makes good use of the Unreal Engine for its characters and environments, but the actual visual design of these things is especially memorable.
Other Nominees:
Battle Realms
Black & White
Max Payne
Myst III: Exile
