Arty Games
Five games to use in your next discussion about whether or not games are art.
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Five games to use in your next discussion about whether or not games are art.
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Arty Games
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
I agree about World of Goo. I didn't like Braid too much.
Also. I think Muramasa counts as an arty game
Well... Shadow of the Colossus, Ico and Okami... What else? (someone had to say it)
(Oh, and one of the Katamaris or Locoroco would do too.)
Great article! Agree with your choices as well.
(Oh, and one of the Katamaris or Locoroco would do too.)
Great article! Agree with your choices as well.
THANK YOU for not mentioning Shadow of the Colossus. Nothing against the game, but I'm just sick of hearing that one over and over. What does it say about our arguments in support of games as art when the same few titles keep cropping up? (Actually, I DON'T like SotC, but that's irrelevant.)
You picked a few really terrific examples here. Which isn't to say Ebert would be moved by them, but I approve nonetheless. Still, I'm waiting for this debate to wrap itself up so we can all get on with our lives.
You picked a few really terrific examples here. Which isn't to say Ebert would be moved by them, but I approve nonetheless. Still, I'm waiting for this debate to wrap itself up so we can all get on with our lives.
I thought that's where its artistic value lay.Shamus Young said:
Also, you forgot Immortall.
http://armorgames.com/play/5355/immortall
Planescape:Torment
Emotional Range - Check
The story elements are all crafted in such a way that they actually provoke thought, not competition. You and the game are working together rather than simply trying to beat the stuffing out of it.
The characters are rich, well acted, and by the end of the game you honestly care about both what you did to them and how they reacted.
The narrative turned the RPG genre on it's side by being introspectively epic. I've never played a game that did that before or since.
Emotional Range - Check
The story elements are all crafted in such a way that they actually provoke thought, not competition. You and the game are working together rather than simply trying to beat the stuffing out of it.
The characters are rich, well acted, and by the end of the game you honestly care about both what you did to them and how they reacted.
The narrative turned the RPG genre on it's side by being introspectively epic. I've never played a game that did that before or since.
i'll second torment over jade empire, while JE is a fantastic game, its combat system is VERY twitchy and if you don't have a decent amount of patience and/or familiarity with gaming your likely to be turned off before the story can really get to you.
torment is perfect since its the only game that did "you can't remember anything" right. granted 2nd edition D&D is kinda of arcane in and of itself, but the game makes it work. and yeah, if you don't feel some sort of emotions for the plot important characters, you have no soul whatsoever.
torment is perfect since its the only game that did "you can't remember anything" right. granted 2nd edition D&D is kinda of arcane in and of itself, but the game makes it work. and yeah, if you don't feel some sort of emotions for the plot important characters, you have no soul whatsoever.
Rez should be mentioned for obvious reasons.
More importantly, have someone just watch you play "Shadow of the Colossus". Its too tough to control, but its gorgeous all the same.
Oh, and I cannot stress this enough: Novelizing games usually doesn't work and I don't need to tell anyone that movies based on games usually suck. However, turning games into SERIALS works amazingly well. Charles Dickens wrote most of his work in that format, so don't tell me its not justifiable as art, and games with a decent narrative: Mass Effect, a few of the Final Fantasys, Silent Hill, they all work wonderfully with the format.
More importantly, have someone just watch you play "Shadow of the Colossus". Its too tough to control, but its gorgeous all the same.
Oh, and I cannot stress this enough: Novelizing games usually doesn't work and I don't need to tell anyone that movies based on games usually suck. However, turning games into SERIALS works amazingly well. Charles Dickens wrote most of his work in that format, so don't tell me its not justifiable as art, and games with a decent narrative: Mass Effect, a few of the Final Fantasys, Silent Hill, they all work wonderfully with the format.
Not really art, nor the best introduction to gaming, but for me no story has gripped me more than The Darkness. Fun too.
Let's see... Shadow of The Colossus springs to mind. Kingdom Hearts could possibly be considered some form of art. SoTC, were it a picture, would paint an empty idyllic field with beautiful calming colors. It doesn't imply or say anything, but it still gets to you. KH would be a colorful mosaic painting, containing wide range of pieces to form a happy and childish painting.
I think the problem with the list, is not that it's bad, but that many people would not consider any of those art for no other reason that they're not really that "artsy".
The list is great if you want to show videogames can be a respectable form of media, but if you want to show videogames as art I would be more inclined to stuff like "today I die": http://www.ludomancy.com/games/today.php
The list is great if you want to show videogames can be a respectable form of media, but if you want to show videogames as art I would be more inclined to stuff like "today I die": http://www.ludomancy.com/games/today.php
Myst: I know there are lot of self-proclaimed gamers who don't like it -- it isn't a game, blah, blah, blah. Before Myst, though, I not only had never owned a computer game, I'd never even played one. They simply didn't interest me at all. Myst not only reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let go, it launched me into the hobby. And I think the "games as art" argument can be applied equally well to pretty much any game in the series.
Grim Fandango: Please tell me a story centered around a society of animate Día de los Muertos dolls combined with film noir is somehow not art. I dare you.
L.
Grim Fandango: Please tell me a story centered around a society of animate Día de los Muertos dolls combined with film noir is somehow not art. I dare you.
L.
I don't believe there are any other PC games set in the Planescape universe. I may be wrong, but I think it's based on an offset of the D&D table-top game, which I would love to get into. The PC game is wonderful - my favourite game of all time by far. Incredible characters, very philosophical, fantastic setting...holy shit, it's good...scifidownbeat said:
Great article, though! Glad 'artsy' games are finally getting some mention - I find more and more these days I'm far more interested in oddball indie games than I am in mainstream smash hits. World of Goo was orgasmic
I love that you gave "The Longest Journey" as an example, it's completely justified. I do have a question, however: you'll mention Sam & Max and Monkey Island, but not Grim Fandango??? Tsk, tsk, tsk!
Planescape: Torment probably deserved a nod as well for it's gripping storytelling and brilliant score (oh, and it's a great RPG, too).
Planescape: Torment probably deserved a nod as well for it's gripping storytelling and brilliant score (oh, and it's a great RPG, too).