Games that are art: What's your candidate?

[thublihnk]

Dear Esther. If you don't know what it is, look it up. If you don't have HL2 on your computer, you're going to have to get it first, as it's a HL2 mod but it is one of the most dark and ominous gaming experiences I've ever felt.

Echoing earlier posters, but SOTC, definitely.

EDIT: I feel like adding on to this, because this is a subject that's been plaguing me for ages. Roger Ebert is a man I look up to. His writings introduced me to one of my favorite filmmakers, and he's my first and favorite voice on movies. However, I'm an AVID gamer, the only thing that could come close to my love of movies is my love of games and I truly do believe that at the heart of this isn't some sort of mean-spirited old fart hating a truly great artform, but it is, as most have pointed out, just a misunderstanding. Roger doesn't understand games because he's never played them. He's rather stubborn on this, and while that's pretty terrible, his reasons for it are understandable--Just look at how the gaming community as a whole reacts to motion controls. I really do think they're comparable. Most of us barely play anything with motion controls in them, and dismiss anything with motion controls as gimmickey and stupid, but I know like I'm sure most of you do that motion controls will someday have their own place in gaming.

 

[oppp7]

Bioshock. Going by what English peoples use to judge literary stuff I'd say Bioshock beats all of them. Good story, good characters, good setting, and good atmosphere. The gameplay itself is even pretty good.

 

[FirstOne617]

Bioshock is definitely one of them. I'd say the Mass Effect series qualifies as art, too. For the same reason any really good book can be art, Mass Effect can be art. The characters and setting are so fully realized. Assassin's Creed 2 is a good one too. It really showcases what people can accomplish, visually, in the medium of games. Renaissance Italy was beautiful to experience and look at.

 

[ButanicXpandA]

Primal on the PS2, i have finished that game well over 30 times.
It had nice looking maps and the four realms you visit are all distinctly different.
characters all have their own backstories and the bond between the two main characters slowly solidifies through the games progression, the puzzles were also very challenging.

the only thing i didnt overly like was the combat controls (shoulder buttons L1, R1 etc)however the fight moves looked pretty cool and combat was fast and fluent if you knew what you were doing

edit: The music kicked arse aswell, the music was by 16 volt, i have them on my itunes library =P

 

[Tele-screen]

Dear Esther. If you don't know what it is, look it up. If you don't have HL2 on your computer, you're going to have to get it first, as it's a HL2 mod but it is one of the most dark and ominous gaming experiences I've ever felt.

Echoing earlier posters, but SOTC, definitely.

EDIT: I feel like adding on to this, because this is a subject that's been plaguing me for ages. Roger Ebert is a man I look up to. His writings introduced me to one of my favorite filmmakers, and he's my first and favorite voice on movies. However, I'm an AVID gamer, the only thing that could come close to my love of movies is my love of games and I truly do believe that at the heart of this isn't some sort of mean-spirited old fart hating a truly great artform, but it is, as most have pointed out, just a misunderstanding. Roger doesn't understand games because he's never played them. He's rather stubborn on this, and while that's pretty terrible, his reasons for it are understandable--Just look at how the gaming community as a whole reacts to motion controls. I really do think they're comparable. Most of us barely play anything with motion controls in them, and dismiss anything with motion controls as gimmickey and stupid, but I know like I'm sure most of you do that motion controls will someday have their own place in gaming.

I respect Ebert as well. He's not always right about films, but he is a true lover of the art. You hit the nail on the head: he doesn't understand because he's never played. He just hears crap about games and thinks he can judge whether it has merits or not. He is not afraid of developments in film and frequently demonstrates that he doesn't live in the past in his reviews so he really just must not understand the interactive medium.

Though I really don't respect that he thinks he can make sweeping judgments about a medium he doesn't understand. I've never seen an opera, so I don't think I can make any judgments at all about it as an art. I hold him to the same standard.

 

[JoshGod]

bioshock
ME

 

[AlphaOmega]

The Path.

Agreed.

 

[Gincairn]

I'm surprised nobody has said Machinarium yet.

Fantastic art-style and good gameplay.

 

[Sebenko]

Dear Esther. If you don't know what it is, look it up. If you don't have HL2 on your computer, you're going to have to get it first, as it's a HL2 mod but it is one of the most dark and ominous gaming experiences I've ever felt.

Agreed.

Have you seen the remake that's coming soon, with better level design?
Robert Briscoe is doing it- he was an environment artist for Mirror's edge.

 

[Ldude893]

Everything that doesn't involve the survival and human reproduction is art.

I got that from Scott McCloud, a comic artist who also wrote this in response to Roger Ebert's quotations:

http://scottmccloud.com/2010/04/20/wrong-question/

 

[kordan11]

Some while ago I read an interesting analysis [http://www.deltaheadtranslation.com/MGS2/DOTM_TOC.htm] stating that, of all games, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a brilliant deconstruction of its predecessor and gaming in general. I also read an article [http://www.insertcredit.com/features/dreaming2/] by some blogger stating why MGS2 is one of the few examples of postmodernism in gaming (and that Hideo Kojima was severely addicted to Pokémon during development). Both articles shed a new light on a game that has been intensily criticised for its pretty ridiculous storyline and I agree with a lot of points they make.

If you've ever played the game, wheter you loved or hated it, I really recommend reading these.

Wow... that first essay is brilliant!!

I always liked MGS2 for what it was (not a Raiden hater or anything), but this made me appreciate it much much more.

 

[thublihnk]

Dear Esther. If you don't know what it is, look it up. If you don't have HL2 on your computer, you're going to have to get it first, as it's a HL2 mod but it is one of the most dark and ominous gaming experiences I've ever felt.

Agreed.

Have you seen the remake that's coming soon, with better level design?
Robert Briscoe is doing it- he was an environment artist for Mirror's edge.

Yes. It looks amazing.

 

[robert022614]

Flower. That game is pure RELAXATION!, and it's atmosphere is wonderful.

i totally agree and think it should be used in anger management classes lol

 

[Hristo Petrov]

Well the first 3 that came to mind were Okami, Planescape Torment and The Void and I saw them mentioned in the 1st page of this tread. So what can I add?
Odin Sphere
Godhand
Persona 3&4
Silent Hill 3

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

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.

Have you played Shadow of the Colossus? Because trust me, that empty world is incredibly immersive.

 

[Dilapsor]

The Legacy of Kain series.

 

[UPRC]

Flower, easily. That game is simply gorgeous.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Time Fcuk

Such a strange, fun, and mind fcuking game that it can't help to be loved. It held a special place on Newground's front page that was only replaced for the Newgrounds awards.