Games as "Art" - Help List!

[AnthonyRoundtree]

This topic may interest a few of you...
I'm gathering a general consesus on which games people feel can ultimately be described as a unique artistic experience.

I don't want to list them all already, but I'll mention one or two just so you can see what I'm talking about....

i.e.

Ico or Rez

so.. I ask... what else belongs in the same category of recognition?
import or domestic...

[jimbodan]

Grim Fandango

[Ledhed]

Funny you mention Ico and Rez...

http://www.penny-arcade.com/artgaming.php3

I think a strong case for Panzer Dragoon Orta can be made. Hmm, already we have two rail shooters. I see a pattern developing...

[AnthonyRoundtree]

bump

[Ikohn4ever]

cubivore

[GF_Eric]

I have an all or nothing opinion regarding games as art. Either they are all regarded as art or none of them are. I mean, if some guy can take a dump on a sidewalk and call it art, theen certainly more than just the video games that look like the pictures in an art book should be considered art as well.

[The Successful Dropout]

magic pengel

[AnthonyRoundtree]

I have an all or nothing opinion regarding games as art. Either they are all regarded as art or none of them are. I mean, if some guy can take a dump on a sidewalk and call it art, theen certainly more than just the video games that look like the pictures in an art book should be considered art as well.

true...but i'm trying to gather the best list of games that can be used in a good argument that video games are a true form of art.

[metroidkiller9]

jet set radio future
unlimited saga
mario paint

[daphatty]

Radiant Silvergun (or just about any treasure shooter for that matter.)

EDIT: And maybe (a big maybe) Fantavision.

[doraemonkerpal]

i thought XIII was pretty unique :)

[Osh Kosh B'iotch]

Check out Vib Ribbon. I don't think it came out in the States though.

Gamespot article: http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/vibribbon/

[snotnose_colossal]

no one has mentioned big name releases like MGS or Final Fantasy yet.

also Castlevania:SOTN should be mentioned

[SneakyPenguin]

If you would consider movies art, cinematic games like MGS could be considered.

[CaseyRyback]

I would say Shenmue 1 and 2. Gameplay is not the greatest but the storyline kept me playing

and Vib Ribbon is totally unique (saw it on Cinematech and it is amazing how cool black and white graphics can be)

[SpookyD]

SaGa Frontier 2 kind of, I mean the art in it is beautiful but the actual game dosn't have much of an art like feel to it.

[AnthonyRoundtree]

these are all great suggestions....
keep them coming!
(yes... a bump!)

[karmapolice]

I think the first Jet grind was better in terms of art it also (forgive me if im wrong) introduced cell shading to the video game world...Sure the graphics werent as great but it was original and the spray painting was more in depth and semi more realistic (you actually had to move instead of just pressing one button) I think Veiwtiful Joe is a major one. Like it or not Zelda WW is too...I mean the smoke effects are breathtaking.Paper Mario is another major one as well.

[Ikohn4ever]

no one has mentioned big name releases like MGS or Final Fantasy yet.

also Castlevania:SOTN should be mentioned

I disagree with this, even though it might fit the basic description that does not make it a good example. THats like saying T3 was art cause it was a movie. Artsy movies/games are different from the rest. They are stylishly unique. They bring about a new form of visual graphics. Just because they have a big cut scene does not make it art.

[Kaijufan]

Viewtiful Joe and Wind Waker are both great examples of artistic games. Dragon Warrior/Quest VIII might be one too.

[Mr Durand Pierre]

Grim Fandango, The Monkey Island series, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and Sam & Max.

Nothing else comes close.

[SneakyPenguin]

Grim Fandango, The Monkey Island series, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and Sam & Max.

Nothing else comes close.

I sense a trend. You are right though. Most Lucas Arts games are great.

[AnthonyRoundtree]

more?

[bmulligan]

Max Payne. I got this game as a gift and it's one of the few games I've ever actually fininshed. Cheezy as it was, the film noir style of the story was engaging and kept me playing almost non-stop. It was like reading a graphic novel. So, in a sense, its like a comic book, which is usually considered an art form.

And if were considering Wind Waker as art, then we have to include Kingdom Hearts, Beyond Good & Evil, and of course, the FF series. Some is more art than actual gameplay.

[punqsux]

nhlpa 93

[SpookyD]

How about elder scrolls 3:morrowind, sometimes if feels like a walking painting with beautiful landscapes and incredible building/level design.

[CaseyRyback]

Max Payne. I got this game as a gift and it's one of the few games I've ever actually fininshed. Cheezy as it was, the film noir style of the story was engaging and kept me playing almost non-stop. It was like reading a graphic novel. So, in a sense, its like a comic book, which is usually considered an art form.

And if were considering Wind Waker as art, then we have to include Kingdom Hearts, Beyond Good & Evil, and of course, the FF series. Some is more art than actual gameplay.

I will second Max Payne. I have played through that game so many times its hard to keep count. It has a soul and a depth that the second one lacks

[karmapolice]

I couldnt get passed the part where you follow the trail of blood and the screams...it was scary too...*gives me chills*...sorry im a wimp when it comes to scary games/movies...but i like em anyways...I got so freaked out in Silent Hill 2...sorry...back on topic

[magilacudy]

I can't remember the name of the game, but someone started a thread about it here recently. It's a PS2 game coming out. I think its a 3rd person platformer done in the style of Japanese paperwork or something. It looked really unique.

But yeah that's an 'artsy' game.

[karmapolice]

I think FABLE will be amazing...The depth it envolves cant be matched by anything...ever...well maybe in the future but not by games now...plus most games arent in "development" for 10+ years...(the guys who made it have been planning it and making ideas for it for a long time, so therefor more effort has been put into it)

[basketkase543]

Final Fantasy X. Absolutely beautiful combination of fantastic visuals coupled with a great score by Nobuo Uematsu.

[Mustang O-Line 75]

Metal Gear Solid 2

Postmodern art

Insertcredit.com says so

[BlueStorm781]

I most certainly think that some games are works of art, and there's different ways of looking at what is artistic.

I think games such as Viewtiful Joe, Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker and the Jet Grind (Set) series uses a great artistic direction by effectively using cel-shading to present it's game. But you probably wouldn't think of a game such as Project Gotham Racing 2 or Gran Turismo 3, where a large deal of craftsmanship and detail goes into these games to make it look as realsitic as possible. Then there are games such as Amplitude, which brings a unique visual look to something that usually isn't visual, which is music. It's great to see a game such as that bring songs to life and provide a unique and engaging visual look to them.

There's probably a lot more games to get into, but it would take longer to go into that.

[Javery]

Yoshi's Island

[AnthonyRoundtree]

very excellent arguments...
I also think I'll have to add Gitaroo-Man.

anyone else have more?

[Ledhed]

I already mentioned a couple, but I just have to throw in Legend of Mana. Alot of people think it's lame, but the art style deserves respect none the less. It looks like it was ripped straight out of a story book, I can't remember ever having such a strong reaction to watercolors in my life.

I'm glad someone brought up the LucasArts adventure games, because adventure games are probably the genre that is most easy to argue as art. They are not action games where the focus of the player is twitch reactions. There is little to no 'gameplay' in adventure games, seeing as how clicking your mouse is often more than enough to accomplish each goal set in the games. Because of their intended lack of direct player interaction, these games rely on immersion to draw the player in. Adventure games don't work unless they can completely absorb you in the characters or your surroundings, like Sam & Max or Uru. The visuals and audio are what set adventure games apart, and without these elements than noone would play adventure games. Basically, adventure games are played to enjoy the visuals, audio, and story/character interaction, which in my opinion almost makes them art by default.

[bmulligan]

I'll add another-

Mark of Kri. Yeah, they borrowed heavily from Disney as far as the art direction department, but I thought the game as a whole did a terriffic job of creating a unique graphical world. I was enveloped by it's style and completeness. Not to mention the unique targeting system and animations. The wholeness of a game is a majority determinant for me as to whether its art or not, and this game, IMO, is.

[hohndog]

Panzer Dragoon series, BG&E, Rygar, Onimusha series, Culdcept nad Prince of Persia. I'm also a fan of many already listed in this tread, particularly ICO. I paid $50 for it new and never regretted it.

[dd_mcdoodle]

I would say Curse of Monkey Island.

[rickybee2003]

HEH HEH. HALO. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. IF NOT THEN DAMMIT BUNGIE COLLABERATE WITH SOME SOME PRODUCERS AND MAKE A DAMN MOVIE.

[Amanda the Red Mage]

When I saw the thread title I immediately thought "Ico," but it was mentioned in the first post. So I'll contribute Myst and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

[LeviathynX]

Dark Cloud 2
Otogi: Myth of Demons
Valkyrie Profile

[AnthonyRoundtree]

bump for.....umm.... curiosity's sake.
any new suggestions?

[sketch226]

Wind Waker, Pikmin and Viewtiful Joe.

[LinkinPrime]

Mark of Kri

[redrobot]

I think there are quite a few games that count as art just like literature counts as art. I remember thinking how well developed the stories in Xenogears and Chrono Trigger were when i was playing them.

[SpookyD]

Tranquility
http://www.tqworld.com/

[fieldkillah]

Ikaruga, I consider it more of an experience than a game.

[DenisDFat]

This thread has me laughing.

thanks.

[Tom]

Z.O.E. 2, that game is damn beautiful.

[AnthonyRoundtree]

any more?

[WildWop]

I'll add another-

Mark of Kri. Yeah, they borrowed heavily from Disney as far as the art direction department, but I thought the game as a whole did a terriffic job of creating a unique graphical world. I was enveloped by it's style and completeness. Not to mention the unique targeting system and animations. The wholeness of a game is a majority determinant for me as to whether its art or not, and this game, IMO, is.

I'm pretty sure it was Don Bluth's studio, not disney. Just look at how the dog was drawn... reminds me of All Dogs go to Heaven.

I'll add Vagrant Story to the list. Looking back, the admittedly poor 3d graphics still hold up because of its style.

[Spacepest]

The Panzer Dragoon Series, with Panzer Dragoon Saga at the top of the list.