Games that are art: What's your candidate?

[chstens]

Baldurs Gate. Most certainly.

 

[oktalist]

Deus Ex
Dreamfall
The Path
Psychonauts
Beyond Good and Evil - I've started having dreams about this one and it was a couple of weeks ago that I last played it.

 

[Jodan]

agreed freelancer also had an amazing npc system. and a functional universe that existed for its own sake alone

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

Ocarina of Time.

I see why people would use their favorite games -- TF2, Starcraft, Shadow of the Collosus -- but the argument that must be put forth must be emmersive, well executed, and have a compelling story. We need to argue that games are a story telling medium. I put forth Portal, Half-Life 2, Natural Selection, and as a last resort: Psychonauts.

Hold on... are you saying that Shadow of the Colossus is not immersive or well executed? I mean, everyone's entitles to their opinions, but I think that that game is fantastically executed and its vast empty world is far more immersive than Half-Life and Portal's world.

 

[brodie21]

kotor, and that is all that i can think of

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

Okami. Duh.

Yeah, this. Okami looks awesome. Especially the scenes where you make the withered trees bloom.

 

[solidstatemind]

Silent Hill series. Particularly SH2. To me, art evokes emotion and makes you think. There are several games that have done that for me, but SH seems to stand out.

And 'Art' is and always will be a subjective measure. I respect the creative process that goes into making a game, regardless of whether or not plebs like myself (and you all) choose to apply a specific honorific title to the work.

 

[mkg]

Starcraft, Guilty Gear. Storys are alright but the desighn the balance and just everything. makes them a work of art and its just amazing.

What themes do you see reflected in the gameplay that make them art? Starcraft is indeed brilliant, but has always seemed more like a fantastically updated version of Chess to me. I'm not saying all games are art, just that some are, or are in certain moments. Some games are just great games.

Well mabey am wrong then mabey i should go look up the definition of art lol. Just there so beutifuly desighned and balanced its just like pinniacle of game desighn right there.

Guilty Gears a fighting game and when its played at high levels its mind boggiling and just how creative people are at playing the game. Mabey thats not art mabey am talking about somthing else. I dunno. My applogies.

Ha, no I wasn't saying you were wrong. The definition of art is really nebulous and personal. My particular definition might not be yours, but I really do think that great art direction in a game does not automatically make a game art. It has to have some sort of theme or examination of the human condition that creates a reaction in us through the things that make games distinct, namely the confluence of visuals, sound, and ability to control the outcomes of the game. I'm not a huge Starcraft fan and I've never played Guilty Gear so what do I know.

I think the question you'd have to ask yourself in that debate is what defines art? Can engineering genious be a form of art? Because I think everyone is just thinking of cultural art which would of course include visual and audio prsentation or storytelling. It voils down to whether you define an interactive experience as artistic expression, or just fine craftmanship

 

[Blizzarded Soul]

Okami. Duh.

You could not be more right.
I will also say Condemned and Lost Odyssey.

 

[mkg]

I see why people would use their favorite games -- TF2, Starcraft, Shadow of the Collosus -- but the argument that must be put forth must be emmersive, well executed, and have a compelling story. We need to argue that games are a story telling medium. I put forth Portal, Half-Life 2, Natural Selection, and as a last resort: Psychonauts.

I disagree, games are not strictly a storytelling experience. You can lose yourself in a song, listening to the intricate structure of the song, or even a painting, analyzing every brush stroke for some insight into the artist's motivations. In the same way, you can lose yourself simply in the tight gameplay of a title with little to no stroy other than to provide motivation. Just as when you watch a ballet, you start to see the dancers as a single organic movement rather than partners following a series of steps, you can watch someone play a well made game; geometry wars, street fighter, and start to get the feeling that the player isn't just reacting to whats happening anymore, that they've lost themselves in the subtlest of movements neccesary to stay in the game.

 

[Jericho_Reivaj]

The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
The legend of Zelda Majora's Mask
Bioshock
Lost Odyssey (seems very artsy to me, good story, art, and soundtrack)
skate. (not so much campaign wise but the art style is appealing)
Castlevania: Symphony of The Night, Circle of The Moon, Harmony of Dissonance (basically because i like the art style by Ayami Kojima on these games, seems very appropriate)
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (scared the crap out of me but it was a brilliant story, beautiful graphics, and compelling soundtrack)

 

[Bilbo536]

Ebert just got pwned.

 

[Criquefreak]

I know plenty would probably consider the artistic style as the criteria, but I prefer the implementation of design. How it flows, how easy it is to pick up and play, how well it flows from event to event, and how good it is at staying consitently fun.

And the nominees are:

Prince of Persia (original) with such exquisite timing in the platforming elements
Portal short and challenging enough to remain fun throughout
Chrono Trigger for ability to present the player with a save the world quest and get them to care about it
Earthbound (Mother 2) having the ability to laugh at the turn-based combat system and miscellaneous absurdities in the genre's mechanics

I'd could nominate a ton for great story, excellence in mechanics, etc so I'll just leave those unmentioned.

But really, art is in the interpretation, the experience, and its ability to survive in notability with the passage of time. Making a good game may have tried and true processes, however its reception and success are determined by its audience rather than its utility, just like any other art form.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Shadow of the Colossus, Portal, Silent Hill 2, Pyschonauts... my list keeps going.

 

[Tele-screen]

I think it's completly hilarious how butthurt everyone's acting.
"Art" is something completly subjective. This means you can say "Hey! This looks like "art" to me!" and you are right. But if someone says "No, it isn't" he is also right. People like paintings by Pollock. For others it is just a huge load of paint, so it isn't art. Both are equally right. It depends on you.
So why is everyone acting so damn butthurt about somehting someone said?
Is there any good explanation?

Well, on topic. There isn't much to say here. For me games are games and they keep being games even if you put something artsy in it. The very fact that you interact with it can't make it art.

The debate about what exactly is art is a classic one. Just because we will never arrive at an answer doesn't mean that the debate itself has no value. All lovers of a particular medium have the responsibility to debate its merits and definitions. Open your mind a bit more and try to see how even a game can express an observation about the human condition.

 

[ysurin91]

vast empty world

A vast empty world does not make a game immersive thats like saying farcry2 is but it isn't if it's empty then whats there to emerse you into the story.

 

[Tele-screen]

Starcraft, Guilty Gear. Storys are alright but the desighn the balance and just everything. makes them a work of art and its just amazing.

What themes do you see reflected in the gameplay that make them art? Starcraft is indeed brilliant, but has always seemed more like a fantastically updated version of Chess to me. I'm not saying all games are art, just that some are, or are in certain moments. Some games are just great games.

Well mabey am wrong then mabey i should go look up the definition of art lol. Just there so beutifuly desighned and balanced its just like pinniacle of game desighn right there.

Guilty Gears a fighting game and when its played at high levels its mind boggiling and just how creative people are at playing the game. Mabey thats not art mabey am talking about somthing else. I dunno. My applogies.

Ha, no I wasn't saying you were wrong. The definition of art is really nebulous and personal. My particular definition might not be yours, but I really do think that great art direction in a game does not automatically make a game art. It has to have some sort of theme or examination of the human condition that creates a reaction in us through the things that make games distinct, namely the confluence of visuals, sound, and ability to control the outcomes of the game. I'm not a huge Starcraft fan and I've never played Guilty Gear so what do I know.

I think the question you'd have to ask yourself in that debate is what defines art? Can engineering genious be a form of art? Because I think everyone is just thinking of cultural art which would of course include visual and audio prsentation or storytelling. It voils down to whether you define an interactive experience as artistic expression, or just fine craftmanship

If interactivity makes something cease to be art, then is a play or work of performance art that includes audience participation not art? Interactivity has been a part of some works since long before video games.