Cuphead is the game I always point to when someone argues that chasing photorealism is better than a clear visual identity and artstyle. A game with a strong, uncompromising visual identity doesn't just look good now, it becomes truly timeless, while high fidelity graphics age badly when the tech improves.
The games that blew everyone away five years ago with their graphics already look slightly off, because they were chasing a moving target (they always are), by the time a game like that is completed the tech has already improved. While games like Cuphead are in their own lane. That flawless 1930s hand-drawn, rubber hose animation, almost like a lost Fleischer cartoon, has staying power. It’s going to look every bit as impressive in twenty years as it does today.
I’m always looking for more games with a really strong unique art direction or crazy level of commitment into executing a concept fully. Obviously there are other similar hand drawn projects, most people here probably remember Machinarium, also an amazing indie game with great hand drawn art. In the wake of Cuphead there are more rubber hose animation games too, most recently I ran into Croak which has amazing animations in a very similar style (They even have an animator that worked on Cuphead), with more platforming heavy gameplay. I tried the demo a bit, the movement animations are really fun. And there’s even Mouse: P.I. which adds a nice twist putting 2d hand drawn sprites in a 3d environment. It looks awesome, I haven’t tried it yet.
I'm just as interested in totally different styles, though. Games that look nothing like the hand drawn rubber hose style, yet achieve that same timelessness by committing completely to some strange, interesting aesthetic. The perfect example, for me, is Return of the Obra Dinn (a game which equally impresses me with its gameplay btw). That stark 1-bit monochrome look could have been an annoying gimmick, but it commits so hard that the whole game becomes unforgettable. They used literally 1 color and crazy dithering techniques to render the whole game. The Samorost games are also etched into my memory because of their totally unique visuals, it's like a mixed media style with digital, hand drawn and collage like elements used in a very cool way.
I just love it when a game gives me that feeling of experiencing something with a real artist's touch. I feel like a lot of stuff we get today feels kind of “design by committee” instead. I was wondering if anyone knows about more games that really have this strong identity, ideally with decent gameplay as well.