For me it would be The Last of Us. It shows how humanity reacts to an apocalyptic situation like almost every zombie apocalypse story, but it goes in-depth about it. to me, Ellie represents hope for humanity, and Joel represents using that hope.
What would you say is the most artistic game you've ever played? Please explain.
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This.dyre said:
It's hard enough trying to explain whether something is or isn't art or artistic. Trying to quantify it into less artistic and more artistic is just nuts.
If you were to hold a gun to my head and demand an answer, I'd probably say Journey. Because it was damn pretty and it managed to incorporate multiplayer without turning into an immersion breaking bunny-hopping session. And then I'd call the police once you were gone.
Mine vote is definitely Thomas Was Alone. Instead if being like every other indie platformer, it incorporated some nice puzzles, simplistic visuals, an excellent soundtrack, and an even better narration. The game wasn't too hard, but difficulty wasn't the point of it. It somehow achieved me having feels for the characters, and they were all shapes! The game is fun and short, and the Vita version has DLC. (I played it on a PC) If you have 4000 games from the Humble Bundles, and this game is one of them, give it a shot if you haven't already.
Artistic is a vague word, but that's why we have an explanation. You don't need to worry about making sure you've never ever played a game which is, to you more artistic. Pick a game which is one that is amongst the best at exemplifying the qualities you think of as artistic and we can have an interesting discussion.
I haven't played games like The Path which I feel have the best claims to being artistic, and I haven't played Journey or Papers Please either.
I have played Little Inferno and to me that is an incredible artistic game. Everything about that game has a reason and a message, it's gameplay it's visuals, the events within the game. It doesn't want to be 'fun' or 'entertaining', it wants to be something and say something. It's a discourse on the absolute beauty of life and the way we spend our time in it. It could have been a mean and bad-spirited snipe at free-to-play games but it's more than that because it doesn't just want to criticise the free-to-play games that take away our time, it wants to replace it with something better. There's a world outside our fireplace and so many horizons to discover, having fun is great but not when you allow it to dominate your life to exclusion of all else.
And the music that backs up the whole experience is completely haunting and perfect for it's message. Little Inferno is one of my favourite games ever and belongs to that small collection of games that I choose to never uninstall because they've earned the right to stay in my attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5PYeMpSzvQ
And then there's Actual Sunlight which is the outpourings of a depressed man and his way of trying to explain the thoughts inside his head. It's absolutely bleak but it's utterly honest
I haven't played games like The Path which I feel have the best claims to being artistic, and I haven't played Journey or Papers Please either.
I have played Little Inferno and to me that is an incredible artistic game. Everything about that game has a reason and a message, it's gameplay it's visuals, the events within the game. It doesn't want to be 'fun' or 'entertaining', it wants to be something and say something. It's a discourse on the absolute beauty of life and the way we spend our time in it. It could have been a mean and bad-spirited snipe at free-to-play games but it's more than that because it doesn't just want to criticise the free-to-play games that take away our time, it wants to replace it with something better. There's a world outside our fireplace and so many horizons to discover, having fun is great but not when you allow it to dominate your life to exclusion of all else.
And the music that backs up the whole experience is completely haunting and perfect for it's message. Little Inferno is one of my favourite games ever and belongs to that small collection of games that I choose to never uninstall because they've earned the right to stay in my attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5PYeMpSzvQ
And then there's Actual Sunlight which is the outpourings of a depressed man and his way of trying to explain the thoughts inside his head. It's absolutely bleak but it's utterly honest
I'd have to go with Shadows of the Colossus. It looked so good, and was a real lesson in how to tell a story without words. But that's an easy answer.
For an out of the way answer I'd have to say Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. At a time when the Brown/ Gun Metal Greyshooters were just getting to the peak of their prominence (and maximum annoyance,) Baten Kaitos bounded onto my television screen in a rainbow hued technicolor Cosby Sweater. It's unusual yet familiar turn based rpg gameplay and odd visual images made it really stand out. Now if it had been better voice acted... it could have been a real classic.
For an out of the way answer I'd have to say Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. At a time when the Brown/ Gun Metal Greyshooters were just getting to the peak of their prominence (and maximum annoyance,) Baten Kaitos bounded onto my television screen in a rainbow hued technicolor Cosby Sweater. It's unusual yet familiar turn based rpg gameplay and odd visual images made it really stand out. Now if it had been better voice acted... it could have been a real classic.
Shadow of the Colossus. Even though I couldn't care less about the dead girl(I refuse to call her anything else sometimes adding a stupid in front of it) it told a great story and for when it was released was a more advanced graffic type of game (words are slightly failing me so pardon if that makes no sense). I should mention that I was more attached to the horse and some of the colossi than I really was the main character and that was the first game to make me cry whilst playing it.
Flower. Play it. Seriously. The amount of detail in it is wonderful. And how well the music goes with the visuals and the fact of you really not having to push any buttons it's a wonderfully relaxing game as well.
Both games actually have great soundtracks to them.
From what little I've played of it, ICO is also a visually beautiful game but I've barely played any of it so I can't really give discussion to it's artistic merit yet.
Flower. Play it. Seriously. The amount of detail in it is wonderful. And how well the music goes with the visuals and the fact of you really not having to push any buttons it's a wonderfully relaxing game as well.
Both games actually have great soundtracks to them.
From what little I've played of it, ICO is also a visually beautiful game but I've barely played any of it so I can't really give discussion to it's artistic merit yet.
SimCity 4.
You need to the see the variety of cities that people have built in SimCity 4: everything from endless American styled 'urbs to the tight integration of Europe, even a mix of both. It is less a game than a canvas for other people to work their magic on it.
You need to the see the variety of cities that people have built in SimCity 4: everything from endless American styled 'urbs to the tight integration of Europe, even a mix of both. It is less a game than a canvas for other people to work their magic on it.
Well, artistic can probably be broken down into two categories, I think. There's the Visually artistic, which looks pretty, and I would probably list games like Trine 2, Rayman Origins/Legends, and Dust: an Elysian Tale for that category, and then there's emotionally artistic, which touches deep in your heart or whatever. Common games to be included here are your Limbos and your Braids, games that don't need much, just a unique concept and visual aesthetic, and then they try to tell a deep emotional story. My recommendation here is probably Hatoful Boyfriend (yes, it is a visual novel, and yes, I do consider them games.). Despite how completely ludicrous the premise is, the game gets very deep and emotional, with a surprisingly dark backstory. What I'm saying is, if a game can make me emotionally invested in a bunch of giant talking birds, I think that is a true work of art.
Maybe I'm only saying this because I don't play many artsy games, or because I just really like it, but, The Swapper.
It's not going to make you cry, or hurt you in the feels at all. It won't make your eyes pop out of your head at its gorgeous art. It did leave an impact on me however, and it made me think. It could have easily been ruined by a more detailed plot, in depth character development or exposition but it had just the right amount. It left out was unnecessary and retained only what it needed to set the mood.
I also felt rather odd playing it too. The music is quiet and calm, the atmosphere is usually dark. You are basically the only source of sound save for a few story moments and you don't even interact with anyone much. It's not exciting, it's not suspenseful, but it's not calming either. The story is also kind of dark and fits perfectly with the incredibly melancholy atmosphere. It also gets you to think about something. The idea is never discussed much within the game, it's simply introduced and lets you form your own thoughts about it outside of the game if you so choose. I happen to like the topic that it gets you to think about, so to me the game is artsy. It's a shame it's only a few hours long.
It's not going to make you cry, or hurt you in the feels at all. It won't make your eyes pop out of your head at its gorgeous art. It did leave an impact on me however, and it made me think. It could have easily been ruined by a more detailed plot, in depth character development or exposition but it had just the right amount. It left out was unnecessary and retained only what it needed to set the mood.
I also felt rather odd playing it too. The music is quiet and calm, the atmosphere is usually dark. You are basically the only source of sound save for a few story moments and you don't even interact with anyone much. It's not exciting, it's not suspenseful, but it's not calming either. The story is also kind of dark and fits perfectly with the incredibly melancholy atmosphere. It also gets you to think about something. The idea is never discussed much within the game, it's simply introduced and lets you form your own thoughts about it outside of the game if you so choose. I happen to like the topic that it gets you to think about, so to me the game is artsy. It's a shame it's only a few hours long.
All video games are art so trying to say which one has better artistic merits than one is a bit tought.
Sure games like buggy unfished, incomplete or simply broken games are far worse objectively than finished ones but to judge, for example, artistic aesthetic presentation or just artistic in whatever other aspect you find important..hmm
Im thinking something with a good artstyle, broken age for example, most telltale games in general and maybe Journey?
Simply saying something is artistic is very pretentious
Sure games like buggy unfished, incomplete or simply broken games are far worse objectively than finished ones but to judge, for example, artistic aesthetic presentation or just artistic in whatever other aspect you find important..hmm
Im thinking something with a good artstyle, broken age for example, most telltale games in general and maybe Journey?
Simply saying something is artistic is very pretentious
I suppose if we were to use the word "artistic" in both the literal and the figurative sense, the most artistic game I've played is definitely Okami. A world you can quite literally change with a brushstroke...godly soundtrack...impressive visuals to the point there are almost photorealistic animals...ALL OF MY YES!
Let's just say anyone who hasn't played this game has missed out on something spectacular. Heck, I'm kind of surprised I didn't see this game mentioned at MoMA's Art of Video Games exhibit.
Let's just say anyone who hasn't played this game has missed out on something spectacular. Heck, I'm kind of surprised I didn't see this game mentioned at MoMA's Art of Video Games exhibit.
Artistic means emotional and deep to so many people, but what the hell does that even mean? That it touched you on a personal level? Well, shit. You might as well just say your favourite game. Sorry, but this is required for my explanation.
I believe artistic power can come in any form. While many people say it needs to make you think or whatever, I tend to focus on what makes me come back to certain games. Whether it's the atmosphere or level design or just how eventful the game is altogether.
My choices are either Super Metroid or Half Life 2. I come back to them every year and it's because of the challenges you need to over come and how well they function. I find them more exciting than any thing else so far.
Super Metroids intro, trial and awakening still absorbs me like no other. The boss fights are still fast paced fun. The puzzles still tests your skills, and there are hidden moves to muck around with. The Draygon and Mother Brain fight is epic, and there are many memorable bits and pieces, mostly how it represents everything.
Half Life 2s beginning has that memorable line I still love hearing. And as many of you noticed, there are many changes in the challenges. Event after event after event, all different stages that mixes up things nicely. I love out running the gun fire when looking for safety, dodging all the shit in the boat, Ravenholm: in and out, raiding the prison with your insect army, etc. Everyone seems to have a different reaction to all these parts too. It's one hell of an experience.
I believe artistic power can come in any form. While many people say it needs to make you think or whatever, I tend to focus on what makes me come back to certain games. Whether it's the atmosphere or level design or just how eventful the game is altogether.
My choices are either Super Metroid or Half Life 2. I come back to them every year and it's because of the challenges you need to over come and how well they function. I find them more exciting than any thing else so far.
Super Metroids intro, trial and awakening still absorbs me like no other. The boss fights are still fast paced fun. The puzzles still tests your skills, and there are hidden moves to muck around with. The Draygon and Mother Brain fight is epic, and there are many memorable bits and pieces, mostly how it represents everything.
Half Life 2s beginning has that memorable line I still love hearing. And as many of you noticed, there are many changes in the challenges. Event after event after event, all different stages that mixes up things nicely. I love out running the gun fire when looking for safety, dodging all the shit in the boat, Ravenholm: in and out, raiding the prison with your insect army, etc. Everyone seems to have a different reaction to all these parts too. It's one hell of an experience.
I've looked at the meaning of pretentious a million times and it still doesn't make complete sense to me. You could say using words like pretentious is pretentious even. I fucking hate the word. By all means, feel free to use it though.QuicklyAcross said:
Winter Voices is hella artsy in both the 'looks cool' way and the 'holy shit feelings' way. Definitely recommend to anyone willing to try it, although I'm positive the number of people who do is small.
With a less standard definition of art though, I'd say Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines. Game was all sorts of amazing, from the atmosphere to the (Malkavian) dialogue to even the music. Just a damn masterpiece.
With a less standard definition of art though, I'd say Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines. Game was all sorts of amazing, from the atmosphere to the (Malkavian) dialogue to even the music. Just a damn masterpiece.
Mechwarrior 2, and I base that solely on these two clan intros.
Both make you truly feel like you're fighting for something bigger. The game itself is also excellent, going pretty much as far as any game can go in making you feel like you're really there in a giant robot blowing stuff up. Hell, the whole series has an excellent track record on atmosphere. What the series might lack in graphics it makes up for in sound design and world building.
Most importantly it doesn't throw in random bible quotes to seem deep. It makes it's own depth with it's gameplay and it's cutscenes and it's mission briefings. All of which are very tightly constructed to make you feel like you are there. That's what makes it artistic.
Both make you truly feel like you're fighting for something bigger. The game itself is also excellent, going pretty much as far as any game can go in making you feel like you're really there in a giant robot blowing stuff up. Hell, the whole series has an excellent track record on atmosphere. What the series might lack in graphics it makes up for in sound design and world building.
Most importantly it doesn't throw in random bible quotes to seem deep. It makes it's own depth with it's gameplay and it's cutscenes and it's mission briefings. All of which are very tightly constructed to make you feel like you are there. That's what makes it artistic.
for me, it is Ni No Kuni, but i am taking a more literal take, and i am talking about the actual art work for the game, which is amazing, i can't wait for a Ni No Kuni 2.