Hey guys,

I am quite a noob when it comes to this stuff, but I am trying to understand the visual effect of the game Feist for PC.

Here is the link for the video:

The way the silhouettes move (turning heads etc.) tell me that there is no way this is a 2D sprite. I think these are full 3d animated models simply without any light on them? Same goes with the actual ground, trees and obstacles on the main plane?

Is this how they achieve this effect? Also, if anyone knows what game engine was this built in, that would be nice to know!

Any other analysis of the art style and design of this type of visuals are appreciated!

The way the silhouettes move (turning heads etc.) tell me that there is no way this is a 2D sprite.

Why not? It could be. If you ever watch cartoons (whether Western cartoons or Japanese anime), or any of Disney's older non-3D movies like Snow White or Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King, that's all 2D. Why can't it be 2D?

(yes, they intermix 3D in some cartoons and anime, but it's predominately 2D)

I think these are full 3d animated models simply without any light on them?

Quite possibly. That's a good guess that may prove correct.

If it was 3D, it'd likely be 3D prerendered into 2D sprites.

Same goes with the actual ground, trees and obstacles on the main plane?

No, that's all almost certainly 2D. Ofcourse it uses parallax scrolling, which is ridiculously easy to implement, even for beginners.

Try not to make the mistake that fancy term = complex. Many things are given fancy names, but can be as easy to implement as eupnea.

Also, if anyone knows what game engine was this built in, that would be nice to know!

Why? Game engines don't dictate visual style. The art decides the art style. Some engines influence it slightly, but art style is 99% from the art and how it is used in-game.

They could've used any of a hundred different engines and came out with the exact same game.
For starters, you'll want to read the article: The Art Of Braid: Creating A Visual Identity For An Unusual Game - it'll get you 90% of the way there, visually.

Also, many many many many 2D games don't use an "engine" in the way you are thinking of engine. What even is an engine? Is it a magical word you once heard somewhere that you've decided you desperately need? It sounds impressive, everyone talks about it, but it's as vague as vapor. Do you know how to program? Then program a game! What's the difference between programming a game and using an engine? What's the difference between an engine and a map editor?

These are rhetorical questions, to get you to think about what engines are and are not; I'm not actually needing the answers.

The trees and all are definitely 2D. The only things that look 3D are the critters and things that can be thrown, like rocks.

Since everything is flat-shaded black, they can have an animated 3D model as a base and then use tricks like "cards" (quadrilateral meshes with a semi-transparent texture applied to them) to add details like fur.

The smoothness of the animation and the fidelity of how everything transforms suggest to me that it's 3D indeed.
"Vector, the game" used 3D animation of flat shaded models:


The in-game result is this.

Also, check UbiArt just for inspiration.