Style Case Study #4: Ninja Theory

Style Case Study #4: Ninja Theory
Originally known as Just Add Monsters
Founded: March 2000
Key People: Mike Ball (chief technology), Nina Kristensen (chief development), Tameemi Antoniades (chief design), Jez San
Titles: Kung Fu Chaos (2003), Heavenly Sword (2007), Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2010), DMC: Devil May Cry (2013)

Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Nintheo.png

There were so many examples I could use for Ninja Theory games, that it seemed best to just throw them all together in one case study. Anyway, let's crack on....

Ninja Theory are a Game Developer studio that specialise in storytelling, level design and visual design. Though they have only developed a few games, each one is visually stunning, with vibrant, breathtaking environments that capture the imagination, be they ancient Eastern battlegrounds, post-apocalyptic cities or even paranormal dimensions.

Image Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/3207130262_c0a322b372.jpg

The same can also be said of their characters. Each one, from Heavenly Sword's Nariko to the various mechs in Enslaved, is easily identifiable at a glance and as vibrantly coloured as the environments. It's fair to say that whoever does their character designs knows what he's doing (though some would violently disagree in regards to DMC, but that's another matter altogether...)

Image Source: http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lig8wkwskD1qhel5yo1_500.jpg

However, while the concept art does have a certain style to it, the company has rendered each of their games realistically, and has used motion-capture for the majority of their cutscenes. As such, no particular visual or artistic style has been used in their games to date (though a graphic-novel style is used in some extra material for Heavenly Sword).

Image Source: http://24.media.tumblr.com/02e50648e43c4925659ff6d14214a028/tumblr_mgozang7O51rblqwco4_1280.png

So now for the Verdict; does the art style in Ninja Theory's games result in better character design?
No