Arty Games
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
As soon as I saw TLJ, I nodded.
The art in that game was about more than good looks - it was about detailed creativity and hints of another life in every scene. The art, music, characters and story all together made it 'arty'. Or so I think.
It's a great example to show in comparison to, say, Big Fish games like Curse of Briar Rose - visually gorgeous but emotionally and creatively empty.
Of course, to be clichéd, Art is in the eye etc.
I've pointed at The Path as an 'arty' game before. In fact, I think it really IS more "interactive art" than game, what with the low playability and convoluted (perhaps even.. unfinished?) inventory/ending system. The Endless Forest is another example of art over gameplay. There are no goals, the world is small and you can only communicate using rudimentary deer-like body language.
The art in that game was about more than good looks - it was about detailed creativity and hints of another life in every scene. The art, music, characters and story all together made it 'arty'. Or so I think.
It's a great example to show in comparison to, say, Big Fish games like Curse of Briar Rose - visually gorgeous but emotionally and creatively empty. Of course, to be clichéd, Art is in the eye etc.
I've pointed at The Path as an 'arty' game before. In fact, I think it really IS more "interactive art" than game, what with the low playability and convoluted (perhaps even.. unfinished?) inventory/ending system. The Endless Forest is another example of art over gameplay. There are no goals, the world is small and you can only communicate using rudimentary deer-like body language.
Can i put one thought out about Okami. There are 2 ideas we think of when using the word art. The first is that of visual elements that make up something, the art of a game. The second is, well, I can't say. Noone can, but we all have our ideas. My point is that Okami is misassosiated with art because it is ascetically beautiful. It's fun no doubt, and this is just MY OPINION which i am in no way trying to constitute as fact BUT I wouldn't consider Okami art because there is no intent for personal self expression within the interactions of the game. It just looks pretty. OPINION. Please disagree.
I do agree on "The Longest Journey". I hadn't played it before a two months or so ago, and even though it is a bit old, I found it to be beautiful. The story is quite captivating. *considers* I think I will check out Jade Empire in a while too, if at all possible. It did sound quite nice. My suggestion for "a game that is art" would be Golden Sun. I do not know if it is or not, but I certainly thought the soundtrack and scenery quite "artsy".
I like these weekly columns. They always give me good inspiration, sort of, to go check out a game I have not played or heard of.
I like these weekly columns. They always give me good inspiration, sort of, to go check out a game I have not played or heard of.
I liked your comment about those who don't like portal probably don't like Braveheart because Mel Gibson died at the end.
I disliked Braveheart because it was sold as a historical movie but had very little to do with actual events. Mel Gibson must have failed History in high school.
I'd pick the darkness for art in gaming. It was highly stylised, had a great story (as games go at least) and made you emotionally invested in the charecter in a way that few games do.
I's also forward Shenmue, a fantastic experience. It created a world to inhabit. If possible I'd demo it with English subtitles as the voice acting was legendarily bad.
I disliked Braveheart because it was sold as a historical movie but had very little to do with actual events. Mel Gibson must have failed History in high school.
I'd pick the darkness for art in gaming. It was highly stylised, had a great story (as games go at least) and made you emotionally invested in the charecter in a way that few games do.
I's also forward Shenmue, a fantastic experience. It created a world to inhabit. If possible I'd demo it with English subtitles as the voice acting was legendarily bad.
I have a newfound respect for Shamus for mentioning Jade Empire in this article. While definitely lacking in some areas (the morality system was a good idea, since it played off the awful truth that "doing the right thing" isn't always the best course of action, but in the end it still played like a "good vs evil" morality system), the game had a lovely story and characters, and a beautiful atmosphere, even in the old flooded town with all the ghosts.
Oh, and Jeet Kune Do-inspired fighting style for the win.
Oh, and Jeet Kune Do-inspired fighting style for the win.
The first game I played that made me think of games as art was probably Bioshock, just the whole feel of Rapture, the architecture, the backstory and the characters. In my eyes the control scheme, at least on the 360, was far clunkier than other shooters released at the same time (ie. Halo 3), but the haunting imagery of a once great city and the stories of some of it's citizens (especially Diane Mcclintlock) dragged me into its beautiful, if dilapidated, world. After finishing it I tried to play it through again but got annoyed at the splicers attacking me when all I wanted to do was look at the world it was in in more detail, its one of the few game-worlds I've played in that didn't require gameplay necessarily and would have been utterly amazing to be given free reign to explore.
I enjoyed Fallout 3 for similar reasons, I found the beginning extremely sad when you're thrown out of the vault and I felt so guilty for killing the overseer (I thought he was going to kill his daughter). Exploring the game world (especially at lower levels) I found did make me feel extremely vulnerable. It was extremely well constructed I felt.Krelias said:
Games as Art (capitalized)...
Sometimes it's more the fault of the one behind the controller/keyboard when a game experience falls below the point that a game could be considered 'Art' rather than just a game. If a bystander can sit and have an emotional connection to the game being played, then I certainly consider that game to have faded the line between the two (Note: In this case I'm referring to more 'Cinematic Art', like a good film... There is also 'Audio/Visual' art, the kind you can just sit/stand there and take in.) However, if the one playing can't keep progressing forward without having to repeat some arbitrary segment, then the bystander's experience will most often be lessened for it. (I'm looking at you, Uncharted2, and your end boss fight and bridge race... You're only forgiven because it was LITERALLY the end.)
My list, for what it's worth...
MYST Series - from the first game on the PC, then Riven on the PSX, and finally tracking down the whole series for one giant binge session over a month, this series always gripped with an acceptable storyline, unique puzzles and absolutely amazing environments.
7th Guest / Eleventh Hour - arguably a MYST clone, but the storyline, creepy environment, and sinister tauntings of Faust made this another gripping puzzle game for me and the whole family.
Today, I think that the only element to the detriment of the above games is technology in general... Computers have to be wrestled with to get these old classics to run, and the production quality, though cutting edge for the time, can be seen as seriously substandard.
Uncharted Series (both Drake's Fortune & Among Thieves) - In simplest terms, the weeks of playing these two games was one of the best movie experiences my children and I (and wife, here and there) have had together. The pacing was outstanding, the tension palpable at times, and the camera and gameplay melded perfectly. With only a few exceptions, noted in the intro, this was one of the best games for both the player and the observer.
Rez - This techno/rave shooter is both visually and auditorily stimulating, but also, with an imported accessory, tactile as well (we'll get to this later, since it's not really a basis for my opinion of Rez being Art). The visuals are vibrant, the environmental sounds (enemies, shooting, powerups, etc.) almost musical in quality, all with thumping bass and rave dj mixes setting the tone of the frenetic gameplay.
Now, as to the rumblepack accessory, I'd suggest tracking down the Game Girl Advance article on the subject. I'm sure it has to be archived somewhere... For me, the exchange went pretty much like this: (playing Rez in livingroom when wife comes in) "Whatcha playing?" "New game... Here. Hold this a sec." ::toss her the rumble pack:: "What? Oh, woah..."
Sometimes it's more the fault of the one behind the controller/keyboard when a game experience falls below the point that a game could be considered 'Art' rather than just a game. If a bystander can sit and have an emotional connection to the game being played, then I certainly consider that game to have faded the line between the two (Note: In this case I'm referring to more 'Cinematic Art', like a good film... There is also 'Audio/Visual' art, the kind you can just sit/stand there and take in.) However, if the one playing can't keep progressing forward without having to repeat some arbitrary segment, then the bystander's experience will most often be lessened for it. (I'm looking at you, Uncharted2, and your end boss fight and bridge race... You're only forgiven because it was LITERALLY the end.)
My list, for what it's worth...
MYST Series - from the first game on the PC, then Riven on the PSX, and finally tracking down the whole series for one giant binge session over a month, this series always gripped with an acceptable storyline, unique puzzles and absolutely amazing environments.
7th Guest / Eleventh Hour - arguably a MYST clone, but the storyline, creepy environment, and sinister tauntings of Faust made this another gripping puzzle game for me and the whole family.
Today, I think that the only element to the detriment of the above games is technology in general... Computers have to be wrestled with to get these old classics to run, and the production quality, though cutting edge for the time, can be seen as seriously substandard.
Uncharted Series (both Drake's Fortune & Among Thieves) - In simplest terms, the weeks of playing these two games was one of the best movie experiences my children and I (and wife, here and there) have had together. The pacing was outstanding, the tension palpable at times, and the camera and gameplay melded perfectly. With only a few exceptions, noted in the intro, this was one of the best games for both the player and the observer.
Rez - This techno/rave shooter is both visually and auditorily stimulating, but also, with an imported accessory, tactile as well (we'll get to this later, since it's not really a basis for my opinion of Rez being Art). The visuals are vibrant, the environmental sounds (enemies, shooting, powerups, etc.) almost musical in quality, all with thumping bass and rave dj mixes setting the tone of the frenetic gameplay.
Now, as to the rumblepack accessory, I'd suggest tracking down the Game Girl Advance article on the subject. I'm sure it has to be archived somewhere... For me, the exchange went pretty much like this: (playing Rez in livingroom when wife comes in) "Whatcha playing?" "New game... Here. Hold this a sec." ::toss her the rumble pack:: "What? Oh, woah..."
No love for Ico? That game is an experience.
And so is Planescape Torment. There was such a richness to the world. The very premise of the main character was arty, along with the fact that a long of content was there to be found if you were curious. It was because everything had an awesome description, that I bought everything in the magic shop. You could miss a big chunk of gaming and Nordom, my favourite character, if you didn't pick up the modron action figure and work out how to activate the portal.
And so is Planescape Torment. There was such a richness to the world. The very premise of the main character was arty, along with the fact that a long of content was there to be found if you were curious. It was because everything had an awesome description, that I bought everything in the magic shop. You could miss a big chunk of gaming and Nordom, my favourite character, if you didn't pick up the modron action figure and work out how to activate the portal.
Eternal Darkness might be a good one. The Combat and gameplay mechanics are easy enough for someone to pick up and learn and the story is interesting. And of course the way that the game messes with your mind is just simply amazing.
Mother 3 would be a good choice as well. The combat is quite literally simple enough for a monkey (Anything that might not be simple is fully explained in detail on the way through the game). The story is in my opinion one of the best RPG stories ever (Way better then 99% of Final Fantasy and other crappy JRPG's) And the way the combat interacts with the story at the ending is just heartbreaking.
Mother 3 would be a good choice as well. The combat is quite literally simple enough for a monkey (Anything that might not be simple is fully explained in detail on the way through the game). The story is in my opinion one of the best RPG stories ever (Way better then 99% of Final Fantasy and other crappy JRPG's) And the way the combat interacts with the story at the ending is just heartbreaking.
While i was reading the article i was brainstorming of games myself, and as Shamus already beat me to the punch by mentioning portal in his article i'll mention my 2nd favorite, Golden Sun (and i mean both, assuming they enjoyed the first). Honestly while i was playing the game i felt like i was reading a story rather than playing a game, not saying that's bad. It also has a relatively simple combat system being an RPG and has slightly more depth if you want to go looking for it. Also being on a handheld system it's easy to pick up and put down whenever and wherever you feel like. Oh another good note is that the game is largely linear as long as they pay attention.
*EDIT*
You know what? i'm gonna have to add Prince of Persia Sands of Time to my post, purely because of the ending. Up until that point it was just fun to play, maybe a little too difficult for a complete newb however the end, the way i saw it, shed doubt over everything i had just accomplished, was it even real? (in the context of the game world) or was it just a grand story cooked up by the prince? even though i thought of myself as the prince i still doubted my role in the game.
*EDIT*
You know what? i'm gonna have to add Prince of Persia Sands of Time to my post, purely because of the ending. Up until that point it was just fun to play, maybe a little too difficult for a complete newb however the end, the way i saw it, shed doubt over everything i had just accomplished, was it even real? (in the context of the game world) or was it just a grand story cooked up by the prince? even though i thought of myself as the prince i still doubted my role in the game.
For anyone really interested in this topic I recommend reading the article below. It's a bit long, but it gives some pretty good points on how to define art citing people who actually work on philosphy of art and not just the "well, I think art is...." or "art is subjective" escape arguments (no intention of criticizing anyone in particular, it's just how this debate always seems to end up). It also argues about the continuum that exists in human cultural expressions, and that something can be craft and art, sport and hobby, art and sport (as video games). There are overlaps, it's not tidy enough to be able to draw a clear line where one ends and the other begins.
http://kotaku.com/5527281/video-games-and-the-philosophy-of-art
I agree with what was said about games containing art or themselves being art. I believe that intention is something very important for something to achieve the rank of Art. Movies, music, writings, buildings, etc are made all the time without any intention of them actually achieving artistic merit. They use a medium that can achieve art, but that's not the objective. If a game has brilliant writing, or wonderful art style, or some other thing, it's not art if there is no intention of it having artistic merit as a whole. That's why games that get to artistic intention through the gameplay and not in spite of the gameplay should be the ones used as examples. If the same games keep getting used as examples it's because those are the ones that are outstanding in their achievements. It's like when people call upon Citizen Kane or Hitchcock (or Shakespeare for theatre, Le Corbusier for Architecture) as the poster boys of their art.
With that, I agree about The Longest Journey, or World of Goo and Portal. They work throught the mechanics of their respective genre to generate the artistic intention (discovery, insight, empathy, or some other emotion). That's why I think Okami, Ico, SoTC and PoP:SoT leave you with the sense of having experienced something artistic. I too add Myst and Grim Fandango to the list. Also, I'd add Rez and Flower to the mix. And just because I love those games, The Last Express and Beyond Good and Evil (just for the photojournalist angle and the use of the camera to drawn you into the story and the world you inhabit).
Why the lack of love for shooters? So far they are fun, but I feel they still struggle in using the mechanics of the game to get to the emotion. Instead they rely on cutscenes, conversations, vistas and tons of stuff that are not the core of the gameplay style. In that sense, God of War could be seen as art, brutal art, but a ballet of the grotesque. Art doesn't always have to be happy, airy or inspiring stuff. It should also seek to be confrontative, jarring and unsettling.
I'll stop here, because I could just go on and on and on and on.....
http://kotaku.com/5527281/video-games-and-the-philosophy-of-art
I agree with what was said about games containing art or themselves being art. I believe that intention is something very important for something to achieve the rank of Art. Movies, music, writings, buildings, etc are made all the time without any intention of them actually achieving artistic merit. They use a medium that can achieve art, but that's not the objective. If a game has brilliant writing, or wonderful art style, or some other thing, it's not art if there is no intention of it having artistic merit as a whole. That's why games that get to artistic intention through the gameplay and not in spite of the gameplay should be the ones used as examples. If the same games keep getting used as examples it's because those are the ones that are outstanding in their achievements. It's like when people call upon Citizen Kane or Hitchcock (or Shakespeare for theatre, Le Corbusier for Architecture) as the poster boys of their art.
With that, I agree about The Longest Journey, or World of Goo and Portal. They work throught the mechanics of their respective genre to generate the artistic intention (discovery, insight, empathy, or some other emotion). That's why I think Okami, Ico, SoTC and PoP:SoT leave you with the sense of having experienced something artistic. I too add Myst and Grim Fandango to the list. Also, I'd add Rez and Flower to the mix. And just because I love those games, The Last Express and Beyond Good and Evil (just for the photojournalist angle and the use of the camera to drawn you into the story and the world you inhabit).
Why the lack of love for shooters? So far they are fun, but I feel they still struggle in using the mechanics of the game to get to the emotion. Instead they rely on cutscenes, conversations, vistas and tons of stuff that are not the core of the gameplay style. In that sense, God of War could be seen as art, brutal art, but a ballet of the grotesque. Art doesn't always have to be happy, airy or inspiring stuff. It should also seek to be confrontative, jarring and unsettling.
I'll stop here, because I could just go on and on and on and on.....
After a lot of thought, I've finally thought of a game that hasn't been mentioned that should be: Dead Rising. Before you start flaming me, just hear me out. I don't think anyone will deny that Dead Rising drew a lot of inspiration from George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead", a film widely acknowledged as being a "masterpiece". Even Ebert himself gave it praises. It wasn't just a zombie horror film, it was a critique of Western consumerism. Dead Rising takes that and makes it interactive, and therefore allows the player to become a part of the art. It's not just a rip-off of a classic, it's a re-imagining and interactive retelling of it. If that's not art, then I don't know what is.
There are lots of arty things, I don't consider to be art either, but attract attention in the elitist world where everyone wants to be avant-garde. I like Roger Ebert and enjoy reading his reviews of MOVIES. I would never care what some old guy cared about a computer game.
I too love Jade Empire, it is more cinematic than any other Bioware game, and I love them all. Another game I think deserves the art label is Planescape: Torment, it is a fantastic story presented with humour, pathos and a bit of classic horror. I remember the first time I played it and was unspoiled. Wow, it is an experience I put up there with discovering George RR Martin, or reading Lord of the Rings the first time, or seeing Star Wars. That's art isn't it?
I too love Jade Empire, it is more cinematic than any other Bioware game, and I love them all. Another game I think deserves the art label is Planescape: Torment, it is a fantastic story presented with humour, pathos and a bit of classic horror. I remember the first time I played it and was unspoiled. Wow, it is an experience I put up there with discovering George RR Martin, or reading Lord of the Rings the first time, or seeing Star Wars. That's art isn't it?
For me, it has to be Myst, Riven, Bioshock...hmm. I have to confess I'm stuck after that. Portal was interesting.
But now, take a step back and imagine ANY mainstream game was presented as a movie, and that the gaming industry as a whole had not existed prior to them.
The critics are ushered into small booths, disoriented and distanced from their usual haunts - instantly, they assume this is to be some gimmick, surely - but no, each of them has their own independent screens. The film starts, and they are handed a device through which they can control the very success or failure of the main character himself! At this point, it doesn't matter whether it's a dumb-as-all-getout shooter like Halo or the ghost of Samuel Beckett's re-interpretation of Braid (in which nothing happens, on infinite repeat) - the concept is so entirely radical that the work is seen as a SATIRE on the movie if it's stupid, and an ENHANCEMENT if it's not. A lot of 'art' is based on surrounding, novelty and spin - essentially, the modern consensus is "It's art if it's in an art gallery/is endorsed by an artist/appears to be novel." I disagree with this, but my interpretation of art is wider than even these people would allow - art is applied skill, of any form.
But now, take a step back and imagine ANY mainstream game was presented as a movie, and that the gaming industry as a whole had not existed prior to them.
The critics are ushered into small booths, disoriented and distanced from their usual haunts - instantly, they assume this is to be some gimmick, surely - but no, each of them has their own independent screens. The film starts, and they are handed a device through which they can control the very success or failure of the main character himself! At this point, it doesn't matter whether it's a dumb-as-all-getout shooter like Halo or the ghost of Samuel Beckett's re-interpretation of Braid (in which nothing happens, on infinite repeat) - the concept is so entirely radical that the work is seen as a SATIRE on the movie if it's stupid, and an ENHANCEMENT if it's not. A lot of 'art' is based on surrounding, novelty and spin - essentially, the modern consensus is "It's art if it's in an art gallery/is endorsed by an artist/appears to be novel." I disagree with this, but my interpretation of art is wider than even these people would allow - art is applied skill, of any form.