#blurstudio

Video game cinematics are often seen as the bane of advertising. It promotes a game in a way that is quite misleading. The product will in no way look as sharp and it rarely touches on the gameplay. However, their beauty are without question. Their are many studios that make them but one of the standouts is Blur Studio. They work on movies, cartoons and, obviously, video games. You have probably seen their work without even knowing it.

For movie buffs, Blur Studio has worked on Avatar, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Thor: The Dark World. As with any film, many companies are involved in making each shot picture perfect. It makes it difficult to recognize which worked where without getting into the details.

Blur Studio’s game cinematics, on the other hand, is undeniably their work of art. They have most recently been responsible for Dishonored 2, Halo Wars 2 and the Elder Scrolls Online. Looking further back, they released trailers for Assassins Creed, League of Legends and the Division. Their brilliance comes from their ability to make each a spectacle. Blur Studio is able to incorporate different art styles to create a solid five minute teaser (sometimes more, sometimes less). What separates them from the rest is the little things. It is always the little things. It may be showmanship but the result is nothing short of spectacular.

Some of Blur's work is just meant to awe. Their Elder Scrolls Online cinematic was released in intervals, creating a (over) twenty minute overarching narrative. It followed three protagonists and their armies battling amongst themselves and an ancient evil in a war akin to Lord of the Rings. The detail in the character models and setting create a photorealistic world that set the scene. Blur Studios continued this approach with their Halo 2 (The Master Chief Collection) cinematics. The game allows the player to switch between what the cinematics looked like at initial release (2004) and now. While it was never going to be a contest, it is a possible re-imagining of Halo's world and vision. It is the lighting, the character's movements and the way the environment reacts that gives life to each scene.

Then there are Blur Studio’s cinematic trailers for games like Dishonored 2 and League of Legends. These two in particular standout for a few reasons. They demonstrate what the game is about both in narrative and gameplay. Dishonored 2 focuses on stealth and traversing the land with ease. We see the protagonist move from building to building using a magical hand before meeting her prey. For long time fans, we also see how the world has changed along with some recognizable faces. While I believe it is a disservice to show the first half in first person, the art style and scenes perfectly meld to create excitement for the future instalment. League of Legends is one of the studios less technically astounding trailers, but like the Dishonored 2 trailer, it tells a convincing story. The cinematic takes things a step further by showcasing League's popular roster in action. As a MOBA, we witness five on five combat along with the team's final objective. Fans rejoiced as they saw their favourite champions use their flashy abilities to rid each other of one another. A clear victor concludes the story signalling a match of LoL.