Video games as art: Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077

Video games as art — why this topic comes back so often

Video games as art are no longer just a provocative slogan, but a genuine debate about a medium that combines image, sound, narrative, and interaction. No other popular medium gives you so much control over the pace of perception, the direction of view, and the emotions that arise from contact with the depicted world.

A film guides the viewer from scene to scene. A game goes a step further: it lets you step right into the middle of the composition. That's precisely why modern productions are increasingly being compared to cinema, painting, architecture, or music.

The artistic merit of a game isn't simply determined by the number of pixels or the degree of realism. Far more important are art direction, camera work, color palette, level design, soundtrack, and how all of these elements interact with the game mechanics. When this interplay works, the  graphical presentation of a game no longer merely decorative.

This topic is resurfacing particularly often today because the industry has reached a point where photorealistic graphics alone no longer automatically impress. Gamers no longer expect just a technical showcase, but also a clear vision. In 2026, it's easier than ever to distinguish between a "pretty" game and a truly artistically conceived one.

Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 — two different but equally powerful examples

Elden Ring and  Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrate that vastly different aesthetics can work with similar impact. The first game creates a monumental, dark fantasy world based on ruins, silence, and a sense of decay. The second focuses on the dense, neon-drenched Night City, a city brimming with light, advertising, and urban detail.

FromSoftware didn't need photorealism in Elden Ring to create images that will stay with you for years. The golden Earthtree, visible from almost every point on the map, castles rising from the mist, subterranean cities bathed in cold light—these are examples of world design that feels like a gallery of moving landscapes.

CD Projekt RED took the opposite approach. In Cyberpunk 2077, the world's identity isn't forged through emptiness and melancholy, but through abundance. Night City thrives on advertising displays, reflections on wet asphalt, and the contrast between its luxurious center and the grime of Pacifica or Santo Domingo. This city has its own rhythm and its own visual temperature.

Both games evoke emotions even before the story truly gets going. In Elden Ring , you feel unease and your own insignificance in the face of the world's vastness. In Cyberpunk 2077, you experience sensory overload, tension, and the feeling of being part of an aggressive, futuristic metropolis. This is precisely why both titles are being discussed far beyond the gaming community.

The world as a work of art, not just as a backdrop for gameplay

The best  artistic video games don't treat their world like a puzzle board. The level design guides you through spaces that feel like deliberately staged scenes. Viewpoints, light filtering through arcades, the sudden opening of a panoramic view after a narrow corridor—these are techniques borrowed from cinema and exhibition design.

In Elden Ring , contrasts in scale play a huge role. The small player character compared to a gigantic tree, a fortress, or a statue immediately evokes very specific emotions. In Cyberpunk 2077, colors and spatial composition function similarly: the cold blue of technology, the aggressive pink of neon lights, the orange of industrial districts.

These aren't just random decorations. It's a visual language that guides you through the world and dictates how you should perceive it. That's why these productions so often appear in discussions about whether  games can be considered a fully-fledged art form.

More visual masterpieces that demonstrate the power of the medium

with Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. The list of games that demonstrate the medium's potential is significantly longer today. And that's a good thing, because not all of them rely on the same kind of beauty.

Baldur's Gate 3 is an example of a fantasy presentation that is both spectacular and easy to follow. Larian Studios has ensured that each location has its own distinct character without descending into visual chaos. As a result, exploration, combat, and dialogue create a cohesive overall experience, and the world doesn't become overwhelming with excessive visuals.

Hogwarts Legacy works differently. Its strength lies in the recognizability of the depicted world and the attention to detail that makes the setting believable. The corridors of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, forbidden areas, and the castle grounds aren't just fan service. It's a meticulously crafted space that evokes emotions, even if you're simply walking through it.

Starfield, as a whole, has elicited mixed reactions, but remains an intriguing case in terms of its visual ambitions. Bethesda didn't want to capture cosmic scale with a single dominant aesthetic, but rather with the monumentality of emptiness, industrial ship interiors, and the raw beauty of distant planets. Not everyone will appreciate this approach, but it certainly doesn't lack grandeur.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has once again demonstrated that an existing world can be expanded without losing its identity. The expansion doesn't simply copy previous themes; it develops them further—with new landscapes, even more unsettling architectural forms, and an even more powerful use of light and shadow. This is a rare case of DLC that actually broadens the discussion about  visual masterpieces in games .

What makes video games art?

The first requirement is the studio's artistic vision . If graphics, music, animation, interface, narrative, and gameplay pace all run in different directions, even an expensive project quickly loses its character. Art in games begins where all elements contribute to a common idea.

The second pillar is sound . In Elden Ring , the music often falls silent to intensify the loneliness of exploration. Cyberpunk 2077 does the opposite, using radio, ambient music, and the city's club energy to build tension. Sound effects, the echo of footsteps, street noise, or the distant roar of a monster are just as powerful as the visuals.

The third point is interaction . A film can move you with editing and acting, but it doesn't let you step into the frame and stay there for ten minutes. A game can do exactly that. The emotions arise not only from watching, but also from your presence in the world and from your decision about how long you want to stay in it.

The strongest examples arise when art style and narrative reinforce each other. Night City wouldn't be so compelling if V's story weren't about identity, the body, and technology. Similarly, Elden Ring wouldn't work as well if its narrative of the world's decay weren't embedded in ruins, emptiness, and monumental landscapes.

Therefore,  "gaming art" n't simply a trendy term for pretty screenshots. It refers to a situation where a game uses all its resources to create an aesthetic experience that cannot be copied from film or book.

Where you can find such games and what you should pay attention to before buying them

If you're interested in games as an artistic experience, you shouldn't just focus on the average rating. Reviews are helpful, but they often concentrate heavily on combat systems, campaign length, or performance. For many, atmosphere, visual style, and how a game guides you through its world are more important.

Before buying, it's worth comparing a few things:

• The platform — not every version looks and runs the same on PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X/S,
• the key region — especially in digital versions,
• the edition's contents — standard version, deluxe edition, DLC, soundtrack, bonuses,
• the final price — the differences between shops can range from a few to several dozen euros.

When making digital purchases, it's also worth comparing offers from key shops. If you're looking for a cheaper version of a critically acclaimed title or a complete edition with expansions,  Kinguin one place to check for deals. This is especially useful for games like Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty or Elden Ring with the Shadow of the Earthtree expansion, where the complete editions are often significantly more expensive than the base game alone.

Also, consider whether you're buying a game for its mechanics or its atmosphere. If you value a  game's visual presentation , art direction, and a world you simply want to inhabit, screenshots and gameplay footage will often tell you more than a mere 9/10 rating. That's where you'll quickly see if a title has its own unique visual language.

The most exciting games aren't always the ones with the biggest budgets or the loudest releases. Sometimes it's precisely the cohesive aesthetic, bold colors, and well-designed environments that ensure you don't remember a specific mission years later, but rather an image, a light, and a feeling associated with a particular place. And that perhaps demonstrates most clearly that video games can truly be art.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.

www.kunstplaza.de