Arty Games
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True but not as artistic as a Treasure game. I'm a Treasure fan. So you can guess what I think of those bullet hell games.Gigaguy64 said:
EDIT:Don't I always make you cry...in a good way?
Developed by Black Isle, which is basically the people who formed Obsidian when the studio closed. I'm picking knits there, but hey. BIS deserves to be remembered fondly.scifidownbeat said:
As far as the story. . . at least understanding what Planescape is makes the process easier. It's very strange and downright illogical. Kinda why it's so brilliant. This gives you most of what you need to know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape
Good luck finding it. Last I heard it was only really available on Gametap or illegal download. Wizards killed any licensing for the 2nd ed campaign settings after they went to third ed, so the chance of this getting released on something like GOG is slim and none.
I'm going to pick Braid, not because of all the platform homages (Donkey Kong bit cracked me up), but for the Last level. That level alone convinced me I was participating in high art. Great art can cause you to skew your perceptions, defer your usual thoughts and experience a new feeling.
I got that from Braid. Those who played the game know exactly what i'm talking about. A simple change in the flow of time changes my entire perception of what was going on. Suddenly i'm questioning everything i witnessed up to that point.
That is the essence of art.
I got that from Braid. Those who played the game know exactly what i'm talking about. A simple change in the flow of time changes my entire perception of what was going on. Suddenly i'm questioning everything i witnessed up to that point.
That is the essence of art.
Good list but personally I'd put Passage on the top of that list (you can download it at http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/ ). It's short and easy to understand so the argument is carried out effectively and the "artsyness" of the game lies in the gameplay so it is impossible to duplicate in any other medium.
Also I love the void and it is truly a great and very interesting game. It is not however something you use to convince someone with. It demands a lot from the player that people new to the medium have problem with. Controlling a 3d environment is very hard if you're not used to it and the resource management that game requires is really hard for most avid gamers.
Also I love the void and it is truly a great and very interesting game. It is not however something you use to convince someone with. It demands a lot from the player that people new to the medium have problem with. Controlling a 3d environment is very hard if you're not used to it and the resource management that game requires is really hard for most avid gamers.
Funny, I only just picked up Portal last week and am partway through.
(What? Don't look at me like that... I haven't had a game budget again until very, very recently.)
I'm not sure it's art, really. It's different, it's clever, it's brilliant, but I don't know for certain if it's what anyone besides a (semi-)dedicated gamer would call "art."
Interesting shout-out to Homeworld up there; I think I'd back that over Portal, to be honest. Nice pick.
(What? Don't look at me like that... I haven't had a game budget again until very, very recently.)
I'm not sure it's art, really. It's different, it's clever, it's brilliant, but I don't know for certain if it's what anyone besides a (semi-)dedicated gamer would call "art."
Interesting shout-out to Homeworld up there; I think I'd back that over Portal, to be honest. Nice pick.
It may be too intense for most people but I said The Suffering in an earlier discussion.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.190169-Games-that-are-art-Whats-your-candidate?page=4#5920086
Not only is it very scary and disturbing on several levels, it also explores the American prison system and the whole prisoner/corrections officer dynamic.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.190169-Games-that-are-art-Whats-your-candidate?page=4#5920086
Not only is it very scary and disturbing on several levels, it also explores the American prison system and the whole prisoner/corrections officer dynamic.
if there was one game i would call art it would be okami. it's not hard to see the art in it, even for a non-gamer. it's also not art only because of it's gfx, the whole game is. ico is also a god choise. not a big fan of sotc myself, but i can see why you picked that one.zala-taichou said:
katamari and locoroco are just beyond art
flow and flower looks pretty artistic too. never 'played' them though
also, i'd call bayonetta art, haven't played that one as well
i'd also consider prince of persia: the sands of time as art. the flow of the game and the environments are wonderful. the combat was pretty easy but so satisfying and awesome it's somethign you just play and enjoy. (except for the 2 or 3 harder puzzles were you need to start thinking and make sure you don't overlook anything...)
thanks for sharing that video about The Void. didn't know about this game. it looks relaly interesting. reminds me of The Path (should play that one)
damn this video alone already got me so immersed.
i see that many of the smaller games (like flashgames on sites like kongregate) tend to be more artistic than the big production games.
What about "The Path"?
After all, it breaks Ebert's strongest criterion, in that it doesn't have anything resembling a "win". Not the best thing for a child, but the interface is staggeringly simple, so it's not so bad for an artistically inclined adult.
Also:
Why are we still debating whether or not games can be art? Games are clearly a sport.
After all, it breaks Ebert's strongest criterion, in that it doesn't have anything resembling a "win". Not the best thing for a child, but the interface is staggeringly simple, so it's not so bad for an artistically inclined adult.
Also:
Why are we still debating whether or not games can be art? Games are clearly a sport.
I found the Shivering Isles DLC for Oblivion to be pretty artsy, though I'm sure many will disagree. The setting was great, and the way it was done really set it apart from the main game.
Flower, a beautiful game about a flowing breeze of wind. If the Scenic Vistas don't qualify this as a work of art, then the emotional depth and changes caused by the changes of the world around you and the relaxing musioc does.
Okami, Again one of those kind of weirdly ispired titles. You a dog that defeats enemies by painting on them. the story is lacking but it was easy for me to pick up and art style was awesome.
Mad Mad Maestro, Old favorite title of mine. it's a simple rhythm game that has lots of laughs to be had and a stories to tell (even if it doesn't tell them well).
Harvest Moon 64 or back to nature, easily (IMO) the best harvest moon games. the depth some of the characters exibit and the scenes done in such a excellent way show some of minimalist game design at it's best.
Elder scrolls III: Morrowind better than it's successor, can be played in 1st or 3nd person, deep and interesting main characters, excellent side quests and artfully mastered storyline that will take you from cities of magic and gods to the inside of a volcano adn the very depths of hell itself (sorta...*). The only problem is it's long.
Those are my five, i'm not the greatest fan of art though. i hardly consider some of the most famous modern art lumps of bullshit passed off as abstract art by talentless pricks. And most forms of entertainment i don't always consider art. but for what it's worth these are what i would suggest.
*note - there is a cave in Morrowind that goes really really deep down and is full of lava pits and daedra. In the ruins above it something says that the caves goes all the way down to oblivion i think.
Okami, Again one of those kind of weirdly ispired titles. You a dog that defeats enemies by painting on them. the story is lacking but it was easy for me to pick up and art style was awesome.
Mad Mad Maestro, Old favorite title of mine. it's a simple rhythm game that has lots of laughs to be had and a stories to tell (even if it doesn't tell them well).
Harvest Moon 64 or back to nature, easily (IMO) the best harvest moon games. the depth some of the characters exibit and the scenes done in such a excellent way show some of minimalist game design at it's best.
Elder scrolls III: Morrowind better than it's successor, can be played in 1st or 3nd person, deep and interesting main characters, excellent side quests and artfully mastered storyline that will take you from cities of magic and gods to the inside of a volcano adn the very depths of hell itself (sorta...*). The only problem is it's long.
Those are my five, i'm not the greatest fan of art though. i hardly consider some of the most famous modern art lumps of bullshit passed off as abstract art by talentless pricks. And most forms of entertainment i don't always consider art. but for what it's worth these are what i would suggest.
*note - there is a cave in Morrowind that goes really really deep down and is full of lava pits and daedra. In the ruins above it something says that the caves goes all the way down to oblivion i think.
games are a medium, they can't be sport (a tennisracket isn't a sport). some games are art.lupis42 said:What about "The Path"?
After all, it breaks Ebert's strongest criterion, in that it doesn't have anything resembling a "win". Not the best thing for a child, but the interface is staggeringly simple, so it's not so bad for an artistically inclined adult.
Also:
Why are we still debating whether or not games can be art? Games are clearly a sport.
gaming is an action and can eb a sport
and i just mentioned the path, probably while you were typing it
First off, Art is essentially all the stuff that humans do when they arn't trying to not be killed, or directly propagate there genes. And even those 2 things have some gray areas. Personally, I prefer to use the subjective label of, "High Art", to apply to those things which a person resonates with on an emotional level. Games can certainly be this, and often are. Adding a subjective word like, "High" emphasizes that it is a personal list, not a label you can throw around, like Ebert does.
I think its important to differentiate between games which are high art, and games which CONTAIN high art. Muramasa, for example, is filed with beautiful art. But in the same way a climactic moment in a trashy teen-sploitation flick might contain "Ode To Joy", Muramasa's art doesn't reach quite so high when you start getting down to the constant string of slashing up Ninjas. I love Muramasa, and perhaps could argue that it does reach certain levels of High Art if I wanted to, but I think that most of the High Art argument stems from the packaging, not the gameplay core. Of course, when it comes to legitimate experience, the point is academic.
Personally, I think that if you want to convert someone to believing in Video Games as high art, you need to find those games where pure gameplay is what evokes an affective response. The Marriage. Passage. Graviton. September 12th. Lose/Lose. A critic can accuse most games of simply being other forms of high art with an interactive toy attached, something adult tacked on to a childish activity. These games, there is no denying that the plays the thing.
God I feel witty for that line.
Also, I must agree with, "The Void". It is one of the rare games with truly obvious artistic depth with beautiful trappings. Once you start pluming the depths of the metaphors involved in the interaction of game play mechanics, you start putting paintings to shame.
I think its important to differentiate between games which are high art, and games which CONTAIN high art. Muramasa, for example, is filed with beautiful art. But in the same way a climactic moment in a trashy teen-sploitation flick might contain "Ode To Joy", Muramasa's art doesn't reach quite so high when you start getting down to the constant string of slashing up Ninjas. I love Muramasa, and perhaps could argue that it does reach certain levels of High Art if I wanted to, but I think that most of the High Art argument stems from the packaging, not the gameplay core. Of course, when it comes to legitimate experience, the point is academic.
Personally, I think that if you want to convert someone to believing in Video Games as high art, you need to find those games where pure gameplay is what evokes an affective response. The Marriage. Passage. Graviton. September 12th. Lose/Lose. A critic can accuse most games of simply being other forms of high art with an interactive toy attached, something adult tacked on to a childish activity. These games, there is no denying that the plays the thing.
God I feel witty for that line.
Also, I must agree with, "The Void". It is one of the rare games with truly obvious artistic depth with beautiful trappings. Once you start pluming the depths of the metaphors involved in the interaction of game play mechanics, you start putting paintings to shame.
