A work Of Box-Art

Way more important than you think…

It’s one of the longest running traditions in gaming and one everyone will immediately recognise, but box art can range from truly stunning to down right awful and it often has nothing to do with the game itself. Apart from the ever decreasing need for game’s manuals (which is a real crime) the box art found on shop shelves is often the first point of contact many will have with a game and as such it really has to make an impact. It makes it all the more curious why developers allow publishers to get away with such rubbish and misrepresentative art work.

Here’s a run down of 360 boxess that caught our eye for one reason or another recently…

The verdict may be out on The Saboteur but there’s no denying this box art is among the most stylish and well realised of late. It may not reflect the game particularly well, but this looks great next to some of the competition.

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What were they thinking with this colourful and garish cover. It looks like an insect or something and while that may have been the intention, the games called H.A.W.X, not Bugz.

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We actually quite like the understated violence of Dead Space’s cover, though it must be said, it doesn’t do the best job of selling the game.

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Sometimes less is more and that’s perfectly illustrated here with Bethesda’s masterpiece. You don’t need a guy with a sword taking out a troll to sell a game. Just a cool, old worn looking cover and it nails the feel of the game.

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Want to know how they did it in the old days? Check out this cover from LucasArt’s Full Throttle! How great is that! Do you have any covers that you think strike the right balance between sell-able and stylish? Let us know below…