Video game box art doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Sure, its main purpose is to attract the eyes of potential buyers as a game sits on a store shelf, but when it’s done right, box art can perfectly encapsulate the feel of a game. At its peak, box art can be just as memorable as the game itself.
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Unfortunately, so many modern games follow strict formulas that result in only a handful of box art archetypes. There are a few games out there, however, that actually put the art in box art, deviating from the norm by putting a striking image on the front cover. These are some of the best video game box arts of all time.
10Resistance 3
One of the most criminally underrated shooters on the PlayStation 3 also has some of the best cover art of any game on the system. The first twoResistancegames had pretty typical first-person shooter artwork on their boxes, but Insomniac Games spiced things up with the third entry, bringing on famous British artist Olly Moss to design the game’s box art.
The striking artwork features the skull of a chimera, the game’s primary enemy, but it also works in a silhouette of the New York City skyline at the bottom. The cover of the game itself may be tainted with tons of logos boasting 3D compatibility and PlayStation Move support, but the art itself is solid.
9Doom
Doomis one of the most iconic video games ever created, and its cover art has gone down in history as one of the most recognizable pieces of artwork tied to any video game. The artwork perfectly conveys the feeling ofDoom, pitting one man against neverending hordes of demonic creatures.
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This artwork has gone on to reappear several times in theDoomfranchise, paying homage to where it all began. 1995’sThe Ultimate Doomkept the same cover art, which is appropriate given the name, and 2016’sDoomfeatured a version of the artwork as its reversible cover art, which is significantly better than the normal box art.
8Dark Souls
When it comes to video game box art, the west tends to get the short end of the stick, and this is the first example of this phenomenon on this list. This likely isn’t theDark Soulsbox art you’ve grown accustomed to, and that’s because this is the box art for the Japanese version of the game.
In the west, the game received box art featuring a silhouette of an armored warrior with ghostly blue figures behind him. While that may sort of capture the mood ofDark Souls, the Japanese box art is much more representative of the game’s somber and lonely tone.
7Ico
Just like withDark Souls, Team Ico’sIcoalso received vastly different cover art here in the west, although history was not as kind toIco. While the westernDark Soulsbox art stands on its own,Ico’s western box art has aged terribly. It features a CG model of the game’s protagonist on the front with an incredibly awkward expression on his face.
The rest of the world got this beautiful artwork on the box, and anyone who has playedIcowill agree that it captures the mood of the game much more effectively.
6Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasygames all have gorgeous box art, particularly in Japan, butFinal Fantasy VI’s cover artwork stands out as the best the series has ever seen. Unlike the otherFinal Fantasygames to release on Super Famicom in Japan,Final Fantasy VI’s artwork ditches the cartoon style ofFinal Fantasy IVandFinal Fantasy Vin favor of something more realistic.
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Yoshitaka Amano does a lot of the artwork forFinal Fantasytitles, and theFinal Fantasy VIJapanese box art is arguably his best work. It’s incredibly intricate and detailed, and because it released on the Super Famicom, there weren’t logos plastered all over the front of the box, letting the art speak for itself.
5Grand Theft Auto Vice City
While you could put anyGrand Theft Autogame on this list,Vice City’s mixture of stylized art and vibrant colors made it the obvious choice to represent the series. EachGrand Theft Autogame features similar box art, divided into panes with smaller drawings inside, butVice City’s tone fits perfectly with the style.
LaterGrand Theft Autogames would keep the same box art style but use more realistic depictions of their characters and locations, butVice Cityfully embraced the stylized and cartoony look that the PlayStation 2Grand Theft Autogames had, and that choice makes its box art absolutely pop next to other, blander games on the shelf.
4Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solidis a series that has seen some genuinely fantastic box art, mostly due to Yoji Shinkawa’s unique art style, butMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertytakes the cake. It’s just flashy and stylized enough while still maintaining some semblance of being grounded, just like theMetal Gear Solidgames themselves.
It also prominently features Solid Snake, who actually isn’t the primary protagonist ofMetal Gear Solid 2. Hideo Kojima did his best to hide the game’s true protagonist, Raiden, from the public leading up to the game’s launch, and even the game’s box art contributes to the illusion. Raiden would go on to appear on the cover of the expanded edition of the game,Metal Gear Solid2: Substance, but by then, everyone already knew the secret.
3Halo 2
The box art for the sequel to Bungie’s seminal first-person shooter is one of the most iconic video game box arts of all time.Halo 2’s cover art features the legendaryMaster Chieffront and center, holding two submachine guns to advertise the game’s awesome new dual-wielding mechanic.
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OtherHalobox arts have attempted similar things, but nothing has come close to capturing the same mood thatHalo 2’s cover art does. It absolutely screams 2004, and it emanates the edgy cool kid attitude that the original Xbox was going for in spades.Halo 2is a cool video game, and the box art is just as cool, if not more.
2Heavy Rain
Heavy Rainhad different box arts for each region it released in, and it’s the European version of the cover that makes this list. North America got the short end of the stick yet again, getting a cover that had CG models of the game’s four protagonists plastered on the front.
Japan got a different cover that’s still somewhat interesting, with a person nearly drowning in rainfall, but the understated and mysterious origami swan on the front of the European version ofHeavy Rainis undoubtedly the coolest box art for the game.
1Resident Evil 4
While it may be an all-time classic survival horror game,Resident Evil 4has some pretty disappointing box art. No matter which port of the game you look it, the cover art tends to just be Leon standing in front of a generic spooky location from the game. Even the Japanese box art follows the same trend, which is strange considering how great Japanese box art tends to be.
Much likeHeavy Rain, though, the European version of Resident Evil 4 is unique. It’s nearly all pitch black, with the only lighting being red. There’s a creepy silhouette exposed in the center, and the artwork as a whole gives off incredibly ominous vibes, perfect for aResident Evilgame.
