Journals / LOKUM Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 4 Sayı: 2

An Analysis of Character Designs in Video Games within the Context of Gestalt Theory: The Example of Kratos’s Armor Designs in God of War

VİDEO OYUNLARDAKİ KARAKTER TASARIMLARININ GESTALT BAĞLAMINDA İNCELENMESİ: GOD OF WAR’DA KRATOS’UN ZIRH TASARIMLARI ÖRNEĞİ

Mervenur Akbayır(YILDIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-7868-8277
Ertan Toy(YILDIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-7959-7967
Pages
164–192
Publication Date
2026-08-25
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Based on these findings, God of War can be considered a useful model for mythological armour design, and future studies may extend this analytical approach to characters in other major games.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Character design is a core component of game development and a key artistic element shaping the visual and emotional dimensions of digital games.
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Key Findings & Data:Among the theoretical frameworks informing design processes, Gestalt theory is particularly important for its emphasis on perception, wholeness, and visual harmony.
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Conclusion & Impact:Based on these findings, God of War can be considered a useful model for mythological armour design, and future studies may extend this analytical approach to characters in other major games.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:3D modelleme · Gestalt teorisi · God of War

Abstract

Character design is a core component of game development and a key artistic element shaping the visual and emotional dimensions of digital games. Among the theoretical frameworks informing design processes, Gestalt theory is particularly important for its emphasis on perception, wholeness, and visual harmony. Although widely recognized internationally, Gestalt-based studies remain limited in Türkiye, despite the theory’s potential to enhance the aesthetic and experiential quality of video games. This study examines the armour designs of Kratos, the protagonist of God of War, through thematic analysis grounded in Gestalt principles. The findings show that Kratos’s armour design effectively reflects the principles of figure-ground distinction, closure, proximity, similarity, continuity, and simplicity. The study also presents an example method demonstrating how Gestalt analysis can be applied to character designs in video games. Through this method, new research can be conducted in Türkiye based on the interdisciplinary relationships among psychology, art, and design. In addition, Kratos’s design will provide useful reference data for character design within Turkish culture, which possesses a rich tradition of epics and mythology. Based on these findings, God of War can be considered a useful model for mythological armour design, and future studies may extend this analytical approach to characters in other major games.

Özet

Oyun geliştirmenin temel bileşenlerinden biri olan karakter tasarımı dijital oyunların görüntü ve duygu boyutlarını biçimlendiren bir sanat unsurudur. Tasarım süreçleri farklı teorik çerçevelerin etkisiyle biçimlenmekte olup bunlar arasında Gestalt teorisi algı, bütünlük ve görüntü uyumu ilkelerine yaptığı vurgu sayesinde kritik bir konuma sahiptir. Gestalt teorisi uluslararası ölçekte tanınmasına rağmen Türkiye’de bu teoriye dayalı çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Söz konusu yaklaşım video oyunlarının estetik ve tecrübe niteliğini önemli ölçüde geliştirme potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu çalışma global oyun endüstrisinin en büyük yapımlarından biri olan God of War oyunundaki başkahraman Kratos’un zırh tasarımlarını incelemektedir. Gestalt ilkeleriyle uyumlu olarak tematik analiz yürütülmüş ve karakter tasarımının algı bütünlüğüne katkı sağlayan unsurlarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bulgular Kratos’un zırh tasarımının şekil–zemin ayrımı, tamamlama, yakınlık, benzerlik, süreklilik ve yalınlık ilkelerini örnek bir biçimde karşıladığını göstermektedir. Çalışma ayrıca Gestalt analizinin video oyunlarındaki karakter tasarımlarına nasıl uygulanabileceğine dair örnek bir metot sunmaktadır. İlgili metotla Türkiye’de psikoloji, sanat ve tasarım arasındaki disiplinler arası ilişkilerden hareketle yeni araştırmalar yapılabilir. Ayrıca Kratos’un tasarımı zengin destan ve mitoloji geleneğine sahip Türk kültüründe karakter tasarlarken veri katkısı sağlayacaktır. Sonuçlardan hareketle karakter tasarımcılarının God of War’u rol-model alabileceği söylenebilir. Gelecek çalışmalarda ise ilgili inceleme süreci taklit edilerek önde gelen oyunlardaki karakterlerin zırh tasarımlarının incelenmesi faydalıdır.

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Cite This Article

Akbayır, M., Toy, E. (2026). An Analysis of Character Designs in Video Games within the Context of Gestalt Theory: The Example of Kratos’s Armor Designs in God of War. LOKUM Sanat ve Tasarım Dergisi, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 2, 164–192. https://ajindex.com/articles/1630177

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