Atmospheric Perspective in Games

The use of atmospheric perspective is absolutely vital in games. Since our eyes are naturally drawn to high-contrast objects with bright colors, game developers can use the desaturating effects of atmospheric perspective to draw the player’s attention to vital onscreen elements.

Atmospheric perspective is especially important in 2D games. 2D games can’t make use of geometric perspective, and so they rely heavily on the use of color choice to help players interpret the contents of the screen.

This screenshot of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is a perfect example. Notice how objects in the foreground have bright colors and black outlines. The hills and clouds in the background are rendered in subdued pastel tones. The falling Chomp in the foreground is made of pure black and pure white, while the Chomps waiting in the background are made of grayed, cool, tones. All these elements help the player quickly assess what’s happening in the game.

Conclusion

Atmospheric perspective is an important but often overlooked method of creating depth in images. Virtually any time that objects are placed more than a few meters apart, atmospheric perspective comes into play. Luckily, unlike geometric perspective, atmospheric perspective is relatively easy to implement, especially with digital tools like Photoshop.

So next time you're making a picture, don't forget the air!