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| Still from Bioshock Infinite (2013) |
I always liked video games. And at the same time, I'm not an expert at all. I don't even know a lot of them and I don't play that often.
I remember when I was 9 or 10, standing in front game arcades back in the 80ies or early 90ies, being absorbed by those simple but entertaining game graphics. Somehow i already realized that they were quiet primitive, but I liked them. I grew older and the world of games grew extensively as well. The digital revolution rose up, the two tech-giants Apple and Microsoft became more and more powerful, and I always kept my interest in video games. My girlfriend brought them closer to me again, when we bought our XBox set, and soon after that, "Child of Eden" and "Assassin's Creed" landed beneath our tv screen. I love both of them. And I rediscovered an old love. Worlds where you can move within easily and spot fantastic creations at every corner.
But actually I don't want to write about a gamer's passion at all. It's the spatial design and utopian environments, created by phenomenal designers like Daniel Dociu (as you know, one of my greatest idols and subject of several Moodscanner posts)
I remember when I was 9 or 10, standing in front game arcades back in the 80ies or early 90ies, being absorbed by those simple but entertaining game graphics. Somehow i already realized that they were quiet primitive, but I liked them. I grew older and the world of games grew extensively as well. The digital revolution rose up, the two tech-giants Apple and Microsoft became more and more powerful, and I always kept my interest in video games. My girlfriend brought them closer to me again, when we bought our XBox set, and soon after that, "Child of Eden" and "Assassin's Creed" landed beneath our tv screen. I love both of them. And I rediscovered an old love. Worlds where you can move within easily and spot fantastic creations at every corner.
But actually I don't want to write about a gamer's passion at all. It's the spatial design and utopian environments, created by phenomenal designers like Daniel Dociu (as you know, one of my greatest idols and subject of several Moodscanner posts)
As I said, I'm not a real avid video game fan. But by incidence, I spotted the front cover of the upcoming "The Bureau". At the same time, I was doing some research for my Steampunk posts here. And there was it: Bang! My curiosity about the Steampunk / Games connection was aroused and soon after that, I got completely blown away by stills over stills from the world of "Bioshock".
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| Still from Bioshock (2013) |
Surely, the various creature design of the "Bioshock" (respectively "Bioshock Infinite") games is more present than the spatial background. But fortunately, if you look closer, it's the smart and highly innovative unity of both aspects which defines the world of this fantastic universe. And it shapes the vision of a Steampunk-inspired atmosphere even more convincing.
Well, maybe it's even better that I don't know anything about the story or the characters of Bioshock-universe (Ok, not yet). So I can keep my own interpretations of the images and moods that catched me right away.
What does Steampunk mean to me? Darkness, basically. A dark atmosphere of uncertain origins and mstery. Gigantic moving, living machines. Immensely noisy and silent at the same time. Threatening and dark. And there's this other kind of machine creatures and sculptures - more fragile, thin, less menacing. A robot, slightly steaming, with an old top hat, meeting me on a bright, sunny day in an elegant, victorian-stylish park. Rolling or walking over short trimmed grass. Steaming and working, in the dark or the light, but both mystic and unnatural.
What does Steampunk mean to me? Darkness, basically. A dark atmosphere of uncertain origins and mstery. Gigantic moving, living machines. Immensely noisy and silent at the same time. Threatening and dark. And there's this other kind of machine creatures and sculptures - more fragile, thin, less menacing. A robot, slightly steaming, with an old top hat, meeting me on a bright, sunny day in an elegant, victorian-stylish park. Rolling or walking over short trimmed grass. Steaming and working, in the dark or the light, but both mystic and unnatural.
So far, I already picked some examples of the darker part of Steampunk art in my previous posts..
http://moodscanner.blogspot.ch/2013/06/the-steampunk-universe-part-one.html
Regarding "Bioshock Infinite", I discovered some shots which I like especially: Daylighted, wide open views of utopian worlds and skies full of flying architecture. At the same time, people laying on the beach, next to colorful sunshades. It looks stunning, joyful and very original at the same time.
Loneliness, abandoned dark street corners, the mystery of uncertain, undefined places - these elements can also be the corner stones of Steampunk scenes. Including their possible inhabitants: mutants, rogue characters or animal-like creatures who also have mechanical body parts and human expressions. Being aware of the existence of all these things and knowing that they could have already existed in the past, is the reason for the fascination for Steampunk. At least for me, it is.
http://moodscanner.blogspot.ch/2013/06/the-steampunk-universe-part-one.html
Regarding "Bioshock Infinite", I discovered some shots which I like especially: Daylighted, wide open views of utopian worlds and skies full of flying architecture. At the same time, people laying on the beach, next to colorful sunshades. It looks stunning, joyful and very original at the same time.
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| Still from Bioshock Infinite (2013) - Beaches and flying buildings |
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| Still from Bioshock Infinite (2013) - Floating buildings and ships |
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| Still from Bioshock Infinite (2013) - Airy constructions and retro-tech officers |
Loneliness, abandoned dark street corners, the mystery of uncertain, undefined places - these elements can also be the corner stones of Steampunk scenes. Including their possible inhabitants: mutants, rogue characters or animal-like creatures who also have mechanical body parts and human expressions. Being aware of the existence of all these things and knowing that they could have already existed in the past, is the reason for the fascination for Steampunk. At least for me, it is.
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| Still from Bioshock (2007) |
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| Still from Bioshock (2007) |
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| Still from Bioshock Infinite (2013) - Bizarre and fascinating |
Steampunk is mostly referred to the period of the 19th century or Victorian-Style era. Seemingly sophisticated, modern technology, combined with steam-driven devices, set in the past.
I think other periods from the 20th century can also be used as a background for this amazing art, for example the 1960ies. And if an alien invasion would take place at the same time, and secret agents would try to fight them ?
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| Title banner from The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) |
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| Still from The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) |
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| Still from The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) |
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| Still from The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) |
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| Still from The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (2013) |
If you browse through the internet, you can discover thousands of very well made Steampunk-inspired illustrations or sculptures. I found so many of them, but, concluding this part of the game section, there's one which hit quiet hard. A beautiful still from the "Dishonored: The knife of Dunwall". It contains a lot of the elements and hidden (or barely sensable) moods which I love so much about Steampunk. I can see myself standing on a high platform of warm, mighty machines, working and working. Hammering under the setting sun, created by people who may be human or mechanical as well. It's some kind of an anti-paradise, whithout being hell, another dimension or timeline.
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| Still from "Dishonored: The knife of Dunwall" |
I hope you will also read my next post about amazing Steampunk.
Thanks a lot anyway for joining me here.
To be continued ...
All copyright for the stills I used:
@Irrational Games
http://irrationalgames.com/tag/bioshock-infinite/
@2kMarin
http://www.2kmarin.com/
@Arkane Studios
http://www.arkane-studios.com/uk/index.php
