25 Years of Best Styyyyyyyyle (1993 - 2017)

Styyyyyyyyle! It's not just a game's look; it's also the music, the setting, the voice acting, the character designs, the pacing, the smell! Definitely the smell.

Ultimately, this is a list that is filtered through my brain; it's not meant as an 'objective' best of list.

I've tried to only list the first game of a franchise that includes a particular art style. Also, the listed year is the game's first release date in any region.

Also, um, sorry about the weird layout, blame Giant Bomb!

List items

• 

  Psychonauts

  2005: Yet another Peter Chan joint. Kind of like Warioware, there's multiple styles, but those multiple styles gel together in a cohesive way.

  In terms of individual stages - the Milkman Conspiracy and Black Velvetopia stand out as being extraordinary.

• 

  Cuphead

  2017: Not only would I consider this the best style of 2017, but just generally, one of the most stunning-looking games I've ever seen. It pulls of its style flawlessly. You can really tell how much time and effort was put into every aspect of the game.

• 

  Superhot

  2016: The original game jam version looked great, but the full version looks fantastic. I absolutely love its bold, minimalist style. Guys smashing into pieces when you shoot them was a real inspired choice.

• 

  Snakebird

  2015: Look at those colourful creatures with their adorable, expressive faces!

• 

  Lovely Planet

  2014: It was a tossup between this and Heavy Bullets, both feel like unique takes on first-person shooters, but Lovely Planet really felt like something else. Never before have I seen such a cute and charming first-person shooter.

• 

  Proteus

  2013: There's something really entrancing about existing in Proteus' HD Atari 2600-esque world.

• 

  Hotline Miami

  2012: Hotline Miami's grimy pseudo-80s style felt revolutionary to me. I think this might be the one game on this list where the music is actually the main component of its style. Sure, the neon-drenched visuals are a key factor, but the music really sells it - particularly the tracks from M.O.O.N.

• 

  Alice: Madness Returns

  2011: I'm just going to say it - the original American McGee's Alice looked straight-up bad. Thankfully, things changed over the previous decade and Madness Returns really delivers on the first game's promise.

  Madness Returns not only has stunning environments and set-pieces, but also Alice herself is stylish, with numerous thematic outfits.

• 

  Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

  2010: I feel like every part of this game's style fits together perfectly - The smooth animation, the colour palette, the jaunty music, the character designs. If I were to actually rank my favourite styles in video games, this would probably be in the top two or three.

• 

  Zeno Clash

  2009: The wild cast of characters, the bizarre locations, the weird weaponry, Father-Mother; it all adds up to being, what I consider to be, a video game surrealist masterpiece.

• 

  Braid

  2008: David Hellman's beautiful painterly artwork provides Braid with a dreamlike and almost magical feel. Not to mention the game's enchanting soundtrack.

• 

  BioShock

  2007: I feel like BioShock is one of those games where its shortcomings are so much easier to put up with simply because of how incredible its setting and world-building are.

• 

  Ōkami

  2006: Just look at that sumi-e!

• 

  Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle

  1993: At the time, I remember this looking like no other game I had seen. Everything about Day of the Tentacle is so damn stylish! The first of several Peter Chan games on this list.

• 

  Feel the Magic XY/XX

  2004: I think this is the first game I played on the DS. Not exactly a good game, but it sure has one helluva distinct look.

• 

  WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!

  2003: In some way, it feels disingenuous to mention Warioware, given that each microgame essentially has its own style. Despite that though, I think the game as a whole still has a cohesive feel. There's always a feeling of frantic zaniness - a 'Warioness', if you will.

• 

  The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

  2002: ...and now we're back to cel-shading! While I'm not the biggest fan of the look, Wind Waker undeniably has styyyyyyyyle.

• 

  Advance Wars

  2001: Back to pixel art. It bums me out that I never played this; I absolutely love the vibrant aesthetic, especially the chunky vehicle sprites.

• 

  Jet Grind Radio

  2000: I believe this was actually the very first game to have a cel-shaded style.

• 

  Outcast

  1999: Surreal voxel environments!

• 

  Grim Fandango

  1998: This era of polygonal games was real rough. Thankfully, Peter Chan and the rest of the LucasArts team decided to embrace the lowpoly limitations of the time and produce an amazing Día de Muertos-styled game.

• 

  Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

  1997: It's not called Oddworld for nothing; Oddworld is really odd. It's the kind game that makes you realise just how bland the settings of most other games are.

• 

  The Neverhood

  1996: Sure, there were a handful of other claymation games before The Neverhood, but this game really nailed it.

• 

  Comix Zone

  1995: For better or worse, Comix Zone is among the first games I can think of where its aesthetics clearly informed all other aspects of its game design.

• 

  BlackThorne

  1994: I love the commitment to the bleak heavy metal style; hair cuts are forbidden in the world of BlackThorne!