Daniel Vávra argues that many studios hide behind budget limitations to avoid realistic visuals, even though he himself started the first Kingdom Come with no money at all – and still wasn’t afraid of pursuing realism.
While today’s biggest gaming giants rely on massive budgets and large teams, many of them began their journey far more humbly. A perfect example is Warhorse Studios and Kingdom Come: Deliverance, now a contender for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, yet originally a mid-budget title that needed Kickstarter to even get off the ground. That’s why Daniel Vávra, co-creator of the series and director of the sequel, made headlines when he sharply criticized the widespread belief that realistic visuals inherently require more people and more money.
According to Vávra, this is nothing more than an excuse. As he explained, when development on Kingdom Come began, the studio literally had zero resources and he himself had run out of money. Koch Media didn’t join as a publisher until two years after the crowdfunding campaign.
He Says the “Cartoon” Trend Is Just a Passing Phase
The discussion erupted on X, where Vávra reacted to a claim that developers who pursue realistic visuals simply have larger budgets, while smaller studios must opt for “simpler art styles.” He rejected this outright, writing: “It’s a cliché. You might like it, but I think we can do better.”
In his view, a large portion of stylized games are created because it is fashionable, not because developers are incapable of achieving more technically demanding visuals.
The comments quickly filled with debate. Many indie developers agreed that stylized visuals often come from conscious artistic decisions, not financial limitations. Others countered with the idea that “good 2D art often ages better than realism.”
Some users questioned why making a cartoon-like game should be a problem at all, with comments like “I don’t understand why it’s an issue if someone prefers a cartoon style over realism.”
Others reminded Vávra that the cartoon aesthetic can be extremely expensive, citing huge productions such as Fortnite that prove stylized visuals can be just as ambitious and technically demanding as hyperrealistic ones. Many concluded that the strength of the gaming medium lies in its visual diversity.
Forrás: GryOnline
