Cover art was once a key element in enticing gamers to explore the virtual worlds beyond them. Doubling as a visual piece of art and advertisement, this cover art served to convey the game's motifs and style, while also gripping potential consumers. Though prominent in the era of cartridges, shifts to disc and (especially) digital media have diminished the value and impact of this art somewhat.
Still, there remains an impressively vast catalog of modern games with truly gorgeous and visually interesting box art. This is certainly true for the Xbox 360, whose box art quality varies as much as the games in question. There is no shortage of great examples when it comes to Xbox 360 cover art — some of which manages to eclipse the very games they represent.
8 Rage
Coming from id Software, pioneers behind the iconic Doom and Duke Nukem franchises, it's not surprising that this amped-up FPS failed to measure up to those explosive hits. Still, there's much to enjoy about 2011's Rage when it comes to intense, chaotic gameplay. This game blends arcade-style action with nuance via weapons, upgrades, side missions, and vehicular events.
On an artistic level, the cover more than lives up to the game's larger-than-life style and presentation. The visuals and atmosphere emphatically displays the game's post-apocalyptic feel, and cleverly integrate the ravaged title itself into the art. While fairly monochromatic and bare, the design does a lot with a little. The scorched desert backdrop and intense lighting invoke the imagination and entice gamers to explore this hostile land.
7 Blood Stone 007
Since the breakout hit Goldeneye 007 on the N64, the famed British agent's gaming efforts have been a bit of a mixed bag. This spectrum of quality is encapsulated in this third-person shooter, which brought mixed reviews at best. Bizarre Creations captures much of that Bond feel, with ample action, sleek visuals, and impressive production value (for 2010, at least). Yet, the bare-bones content and stock plotline didn't do much to win over players, leading to the game being quickly forgotten.
When it comes to the game's box art, the cover's title text takes center stage with its sleekness and iconic 007 logo, resembling a compelling movie poster. But it also succeeds in gripping movie fans by featuring Bond actor Daniel Craig, who's locked, loaded, and ready for action here.
6 Crackdown 2
Hyped as a chaotic sci-fi take on Grand Theft Auto, Ruffian Game's Crackdown series managed to draw some Xbox players in, though fell a bit short of Rockstar's hits. Judging it on its own merits, however, Crackdown and its sequel hold their share of fun and amusing bouts, as players run, gun, and leap through an open-world city as a supercop.
While viewed by many as a marginal step up from its predecessor, Crackdown 2's fiery box art goes above and beyond. The cover is simply brimming with vibrant detail and ample action. It's quite a marvel stylistically too, presenting a vibe akin to a science fiction comic. It draws attention while also showcasing the game's frenzied pace and sci-fi themes—which game artists Christ Gottgetreu, Stuart Campbell, and Paul Simms really do bring to the forefront.
5 Dark
Running with a fun and inventive premise, Realmforge Studios' Dark has players take the role of a newly-turned vampire as they sneak and bite their way through various dark locales. While this vampiric take on the Assassin's Creed formula was rife with potential, it was bogged down by spotty mechanics, dull AI, and a lack of intrigue story-wise.
Still, Dark proves alluring when it comes to motifs and artistic sensibilities; traits that the game's box art nicely captures. Cinematic, atmospheric, and eerie, the artwork invites players to delve into this suspenseful Gothic tale. Like the game's cell-shaded visuals—the detailed, stylistic box art has aged better than the gameplay it represents.
4 Armored Core V
This epic box art takes the core traits of artist Greg Harsh's visuals from earlier games and amps them up to eleven. Fittingly, the box highlights a monstrous mecha, which so much of FromSoftware's romp revolves around. Being the fourteenth installment in this long-running franchise, it's a tall order for 2012's Armored Core V to really stand out. It didn't help that the game's nuanced, tactical bouts are tough to get into; yielding a rather "sterile, cold experience," as The Digital Fix put it.
On the presentation front, however, Armored Core V leaves a far greater impression, with its explosive effects and epic scope. The cinematic artwork puts viewers right in the heart of the action. It conveys the game's appetite for destruction and combat, with its focus of online skirmishes and potent Ultimate Weapons. The visuals of the cover resemble a larger-than-life war movie rife with heart-pumping action.
3 The Saboteur
This action-shooter from 2010 has players take on the role of Sean Devlin as he fights his way through Nazi-occupied France. The Saboteur is stylistically rich and, in some ways, well ahead of its time, via open-world maps and dynamic, diverse gameplay elements. As fans and critics point out, though, this is largely tempered by sloppy controls and uninspired level design.
With that being said, the game's cover art superbly illustrates the game's quasi-noir aesthetic. The silhouetted graphics, which are juxtaposed with the bold, highlighted text of the title, allow the box to be both stylish and simple.
2 Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two
One would perhaps think that the iconic Mickey Mouse would be a natural fit for an imaginative, colorful platformer. But, much like its predecessor, this 2013 sequel didn't quite live up to the huge hype of the storied franchise. Flawed gameplay and repetitive bouts plague a campaign that feels like it held more potential. Not even added co-op, or the Disney relic Oswald the Rabbit—who can use his ears to fly—did much to draw players in.
Epic Mickey 2, does, however, excel with regard to its fantastical presentation and its warm-and-fuzzy Disney themes. This is reflected by the box art (PAL version), which really does stand out, particularly for its vibrant detail. The dense, colorful graphic captivates viewers and invokes feelings of imagination and wonder. It's really Disney in a nutshell.
1 Dead Island
There's no shortage of thrilling undead-slaying romps in entertainment, and particularly gaming. This doesn't do Techland's ARPG any favors, as the game does little to stand out amongst the zombie-plagued crowd. Dead Island's rewarding blend of action and role-playing elements did help give it something of a cult following. However, an unpolished campaign and technical issues bog things down for many. Some weren't too keen on the gratuitous violence, which can be over the top even for the standards of zombie games.
As it happens, the game's cover art has its own share of controversy. It conveys the game's healthy dose of carnage and gore, with graphic drawings that are dynamic and detailed. But, on top of this, the initial PAL logo—which featured a man hanging from a palm tree—was actually banned in North America. This slightly more tame version, however, still proves sufficiently creepy and grotesque.