sleazefrenzy
Member
Dark Souls I + II Design Works are stunning. I don't think any game has as good an art style as that series, so not surprising the art books are fantastic. Cannot wait for the Bloodborne one to be localised.
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Artbooks - The Best And The Worst
- Thread starter hampig
- Start date
tassletine
Member
You should probably just pick it up. There's very little text, and it's in both Japanese and English.
tassletine
Member
You need the official artbook. It's got everything you want.
Maybe someone here can answer me this: why is it that Capcom published quite a few art books over the years, like the excellent and rightfully mentioned Design Works or the various series specific ones as often translated by Udon, but that publishers like Sega and Konami (or Hudson, Irem, Sunsoft, Taito, etc etc.) never have seemed to follow suit, especially back in the day?
I only know of one official (old) Sega art book, the cool, bi-lingual (English/Japanese) Video Game Illustration: Sega, apart from more recent stuff like their Valkyria books, but that's pretty much it as far as Sega art books go that cover their 8/16-bit and arcade era. Have I missed a few perhaps?
As for Konami art books, old or new, there seem to be very few at all and none that I have found about their earlier years that would cover art from old Castlevania games, Goemon, Sparktster, Contra etc. A Konami Design Works if you will.
Feel free to correct me if I missed any, by Sega, Konami or other Japanese publishers. Weird that only Capcom (and perhaps Square and SNK to a lesser degree?) seemed to have ever been interested to release their art with any sort of frequency but most other Japanese publishers did not.
I only know of one official (old) Sega art book, the cool, bi-lingual (English/Japanese) Video Game Illustration: Sega, apart from more recent stuff like their Valkyria books, but that's pretty much it as far as Sega art books go that cover their 8/16-bit and arcade era. Have I missed a few perhaps?
As for Konami art books, old or new, there seem to be very few at all and none that I have found about their earlier years that would cover art from old Castlevania games, Goemon, Sparktster, Contra etc. A Konami Design Works if you will.
Feel free to correct me if I missed any, by Sega, Konami or other Japanese publishers. Weird that only Capcom (and perhaps Square and SNK to a lesser degree?) seemed to have ever been interested to release their art with any sort of frequency but most other Japanese publishers did not.
UnluckyKate
Member
Journey Artbook is amazing. One gaffer got me this for Secret Santa last year I think. It's my favorite because it goes in amazing depth to explain the entire creative process, all the hit and misses, all the idea scrapped or explored to get to the game. I never though such a visually simple game could have taken so much research and time to nail... Its a must have for any artist or game enthusiast curious to dig into the creative process.
My most disapointing artbook in the other hand, is, sadly Brutal Legend. There is not enough world concept and that was, to me, the best point in the game. There are enough very rough sketches of landmarks and that's it... There's tons of characters concepts and work studies and these are great but not nearly enough about the incredible world they designed in 3D but that is simply not in the book for some reasons... But the book holds the amazing art for the ENTIRE Brutal Legend in black ink, the most metal legend of fire and metal and flesh
Upstanding mentions :
Remember Me : Aleksi Briclot is a god. The visual the concepts and the works are stunning. A must have for any cyber punk or neon enthusiast, regardless if you enjoyed the game or not.
Okami : the book itself is beautiful, the illustrations are gorgeous and it goes in great lenght to give production design insight with hilarious commentaries
Dishonored : the artbook is written as a lore book. It's swell to read. It's very deep and full of character it suits the game very well can't wait for the sequel's artbook.
Rant :
Dear Sony, when will you publish Bloodborne's visual work in the west ? THANK YOU
Dear Cook & Becker, when will you stop selling exclusively the Killzone visual work ? I won't pay 40 of shipping and taxes for a 40 book to go from Amsterdam to Paris thanks.
Side note :
Naughty Dogs (Uncharted and TLOUT) Artbooks... I can't find much interess in them. Appart from the character research and design (mains, because enemies kinda look all the same) I find the lack of work in the environement (in the sens that it doesn't show the evolution, nor the studies of level designs, of space, of contraptions) and only shows more or less finished artworkd that are pretty much the exact same colors, lighting, and framing that we end up having in a nice cinematic frame int the game. I just find it lacking and less interesting but its just me
Dark Souls Design Works is a disappointment, fortunately the DS II and Bloodborne artbooks are on a whole another level. Can't wait for the DS III one.
I was also a bit let down by The Art of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, way too little environmental art, which is those games' strong point.
I was also a bit let down by The Art of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, way too little environmental art, which is those games' strong point.
EVA UNIT 01
Member
This came out recently. Best art.
I need this
FataIChoice
Member
Monster Hunter Illustrations (1 & 2) (That Equal Dragon Weapon... Holy shit)
Dark Souls (1 & 2) Design Works
Soejima Art Works
Skyrim CE art book
Very special mention to the following that are not specifically art books:
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Collected Works
Fangamer's Mother 3 Handbook:
I really want to get the Bloodborne artworks!
Dark Souls (1 & 2) Design Works
Soejima Art Works
Skyrim CE art book
Very special mention to the following that are not specifically art books:
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Collected Works
Fangamer's Mother 3 Handbook:
I really want to get the Bloodborne artworks!
tamaster92
Member
Fallout 4 art book was fantastic. Big thick hardback with very well printed images
UnluckyKate
Member
Really wish there would be a MASSIVE Wticher 3 artbook. There's an illustrated lore book and the collector prima guide but no real artbook. I really want one that cover the main game plus the extensions. I want details all all armors and sword as well as design iterations for characters and armors
Yes A5 artbooks are shit and I can't understand why people keep asking for these in their special editions.
But my favorites games / most recent purchases are not the best artbooks
Yes A5 artbooks are shit and I can't understand why people keep asking for these in their special editions.
But my favorites games / most recent purchases are not the best artbooks
Spacecowboy77
Member
The Fallout 4 art book is amazing, well printed and top quality artists
Well, there is a real artbook, the one that came with the CE, and it's not half bad. But obviously it doesn't cover the DLCs, unfortunately. I'd love to see some Toussaint concepts.
You're really underselling Awakening's art book here and I don't know why. The supports are catalogued in full, but it's not like they did that at the cost of art. All of that is there (characters/backgrounds/clothing/weapon art) in addition to commentary from the art team, results from JP fan polls/surveys, a few fan comics, and yes, the supports.
It's a good book because it actually goes above and beyond being just an art book to be a celebration of the game itself.
Von Krukru
Banned
My top 3 :
Now I'm waiting for the Bloodborne artbook to get an english release!
Now I'm waiting for the Bloodborne artbook to get an english release!
Journey Artbook is amazing. One gaffer got me this for Secret Santa last year I think.
Wow, lucky!
That artbook is incredibly rare and expensive to get hold of.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
The atelier artbooks are amazing.
Solemn_In_Berlin
Member
I mean, come on. It beats everything else with its presentation alone.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Hyrule Historia is not an artbook, and it would be categorized more as an encyclopaedia. Thats why the text is important. And thats why they are releasing an artbook now.
Fangamer's Mother 3 Handbook:
Thats not an artbook either, but an excepetional guide done with much care and love.
UnluckyKate
Member
I mean, come on. It beats everything else with its presentation alone.
A friend of mine found Shinkawa art book or MGS1 artbook can't remember, it's purple Snake from MGS1 on the cover in Mr Potato in Akiba... We were digging through books and holy shit look at that
While I'd have loved to see some more environment art, I still can't help but love the Brutal Legend artbook. I bought the edition with the black-and-silver case, and it's a thing of majestic beauty.
One book that doesn't skimp on the environment art however is The Art of Oddworld Inhabitants.
I'd have half the stuff in this book framed on my wall if I could.
Spudnik Sweetheart
Member
Of the ones I own, 'The Eyes of Bayonetta', 'DmC: Visual Art' & 'The Art of Grasshopper Manufacture' are all pretty great for the art alongside their commentary. If you want to see creative processes discussed as they go, these are nice
I also have 'La Vie En Rose - Freedom Wars', which is incredibly high quality and lovely to look through even if I don't understand it. The same goes for 'Makoto Tschuchibayashi - Design Works' - he's the artist behind a lot of Capcom games (his book focuses on DMC & Sengoku Basara) and his style is lovely. Picked up Dynasty Warrirors 5 artbook for like £5 years and years ago and that one is surprisingly gorgeous too.
Mimicking what others have said here - FE:A's book and the Amano collection are really nice. Persona 3 & 4 are decent. I should note there's apparently a Kaneko artbook being released soon? That one seems like it should be well worth the pick up.
I'm a huuuge artbook fan and love pretty much all the ones I've collected over the years - even the little pamphlet ones. I think the only one I found a little disappointing was Tekken 6 (although for under £10 I really can't complain).
Edit: For people interested in this sort of stuff, I really recommend ParkaBlogs. He isn't just gaming based so there's a lot of discussions of other artbooks, but he's good at going through and explaining the quality of a book and if it's worth picking up.
I also have 'La Vie En Rose - Freedom Wars', which is incredibly high quality and lovely to look through even if I don't understand it. The same goes for 'Makoto Tschuchibayashi - Design Works' - he's the artist behind a lot of Capcom games (his book focuses on DMC & Sengoku Basara) and his style is lovely. Picked up Dynasty Warrirors 5 artbook for like £5 years and years ago and that one is surprisingly gorgeous too.
Mimicking what others have said here - FE:A's book and the Amano collection are really nice. Persona 3 & 4 are decent. I should note there's apparently a Kaneko artbook being released soon? That one seems like it should be well worth the pick up.
I'm a huuuge artbook fan and love pretty much all the ones I've collected over the years - even the little pamphlet ones. I think the only one I found a little disappointing was Tekken 6 (although for under £10 I really can't complain).
Edit: For people interested in this sort of stuff, I really recommend ParkaBlogs. He isn't just gaming based so there's a lot of discussions of other artbooks, but he's good at going through and explaining the quality of a book and if it's worth picking up.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Indeed it is. Love my signed copy. Still miffed I didn't get the artbook for Alice: Otherlands
cj_iwakura
Member
Another great one, and very rare: Beatmania IIDX - Golializze.
Very comprehensive of all the character arts and a lot of cut-ins. Not bad for a rhythm game.
Very comprehensive of all the character arts and a lot of cut-ins. Not bad for a rhythm game.
UnluckyKate
Member
This looks amazing. I don't know this. It's a mobile game ? It looks like Vanillaware backdrops... and chara design reminds me of Grand Kingdom, is it related ?
3 books .. it is huge ... but since pretty much every art is full page, lots of art were left out, specialy from the later FF that had fewer amano art
Well, I need this. I've heard of it, but this is the first time I've seen how gorgeous the set is. Seems incredibly reasonable on Amazon atm, too. Thanks for the recommendation!
Not as comprehensive, but the book that came with the special edition was good for pack-in standards.
Fattony12000
Member
Not necessarily all art books, but I thought I'd get out my stack of game-related books and photograph them all in one go.
Not necessarily all art books, but I thought I'd get out my stack of game-related books and photograph them all in one go.
I really dig the look of the Super Famicon book. Thought about getting that one long and hard.
respawnIN10
Banned
ThisRaising the Bar
Only art book I've ever purchased and I adore it
Im so fucking mad at myself for losing my copy....this is excellentRaising the Bar
Fun fact: Resistance 3 borrows HEAVILY from the HL2 beta storyline and sequences described in Raising the Bar
Patrick S.
Banned
I love the artbooks that came with my Demon's Souls Black Phantom and Dark Souls Prepare To Die Edition.
BigWeather
Member
I really love my Art of Atari book. Now just wish I had one for SSI, Origin, Psygnosis, Odyssey 2, etc.
Mr. Poolman
Member
The best:
Alice Madness Returns artbook
Mass Effect Universe artbook
Dark Souls Design Works (both DS1 and DS2)
The not so good.
Bioshock Infinite artbook
Alice Madness Returns artbook
Mass Effect Universe artbook
Dark Souls Design Works (both DS1 and DS2)
The not so good.
Bioshock Infinite artbook
Holy hell, I had no idea the Journey art book was worth that much. Need to make sure mine is in a nice safe spot at home.
I've got some of the other lovely ones in this thread... HL2 Raising the Bar, The Art of Alice. One other particularly nice one I haven't seen mentioned is The Art of Destiny - lots of great sci-fi inspiration in that one.
I've got some of the other lovely ones in this thread... HL2 Raising the Bar, The Art of Alice. One other particularly nice one I haven't seen mentioned is The Art of Destiny - lots of great sci-fi inspiration in that one.
Not yet.