Okay, recently I was discussing the debate as to whether video games can or cannot be considered art. As a result of this, a good friend—and fantastic artist—made an “argument” (used here in the sense that he had a thought other than my own and posed it in a way that challenged, albeit in a friendly manner, my original assertion) that games aren’t art based on his definition of what art is. His statement was as follows:
“I don't play video games, so take this with a grain of salt, but I can't personally qualify them as art, because I'm not familiar with any that were designed specifically to explore or question and ultimately create change at an individual or societal level.”
He then went on to list a specific, and enlightening, example of this sort of thing in comics—the introduction of a homosexual character in Archie Comics—and explained how this had, and continues to change society by challenging their concepts of what is socially acceptable and “normal.”
Now, while I can’t list any games which have evoked that sort of thinking on a level as grand as that, I do not feel that his would be grounds for denying games status as art. First, let me state that my friend was, in no way, saying that games couldn’t be considered art, but that he simply hadn’t seen any games to evoke this sort of emotional response on a socially changing level. However, to me, this isn’t a necessary characteristic of art.
My definition, art is, well, a lot of things. But, to me, it’s the creative expression of the artist’s imagination and the application of creative skills. Not every artist is a Picasso or Michelangelo, not every writer is a Machiavelli or a Marry Shelly, not every composer is…well, you get the point. A work of art doesn’t need to change the world to be art. It just needs to be an expression of the artist’s creativity. And, in this sense, I feel that a great many video games are, in fact, art.
That’s not to say that I think all games are art, just like I don’t feel that all movies, or all comics are art. Some of these are, as my friend went on to state, pure forms of “escapism” and strive to be nothing more than a means to an end. However, I can list several examples of games that go being more than just a package for a few hours of mindless fun. Games that, to me, inspire emotional attachment to the characters as well as the worlds they exist in. Games where the visuals often leave me breathless and push the boundaries of what can be done with the media. Games that tell a story so beautifully that, when it was over, I desperately wanted nothing more than to be able to experience it again.
Games that, to me, are art…
When the original “debate” was sparked, I found an article that discussed the author’s own reasons for why games are art and, while their arguments often got a bit on the long and snooty side, there was a point made that brought a smile to my lips. Well, rather, an example given in the form of the game Max Payne. Max Payne is a game that—at the time—made me stop and think about games in a way that I hadn’t before. Here was a game that was more than just a pixilated plumber bouncing on sentient mushrooms and punching dinosaur companions in the back of the head. A game that existed for more than an excuse to waste a few hours holding a controller; it existed to tell a story. And an emotional one at that. It didn’t take long for me to connect to Max and his plight; to long to see his vengeance for the death of his wife and daughter fulfilled. The whole time floored by visuals and gameplay mechanics I had never seen before and disturbed (in a good way) by the “tripping” sequences in which you lead Max through a vast darkness toward the ever-distant wailing of his baby girl. When you finally reach the nursery in one of the later sequences, there is a moment of turmoil when you dare to hope only to be thrust back into the harsh reality. It’s at this moment where you can understand Max’s addiction to the painkillers and his motives for abusing them.
Then there’s games LIMBO (the title is actually capped…I’m not “yelling”). Here is a game that can call upon ones most primal emotions—feelings like fear of being alone, fear of the unknown, and an undying desire to save the ones we love—all while forsaking the gritty realism seen commonly in today’s games. LIMBO is, in my opinion, a work of art from every possible angle. It is an emotional tale of a little boy who fights his way through an unknown world full of countless dangers and unknown terrors to save his sister’s soul all told with a beautiful simplistic art style which uses silhouettes and backlighting and focuses on mood rather than eye candy. The main character never speaks and, in fact, nary makes a sound except when the player fails a puzzle or falls for a trap and it is here that I find LIMBO truly shines. In a very short time the player becomes unwittingly attached to the shadowy little boy and when he dies—and he does so often and with a disturbing brutality—the player feels remorse and a sense of loss.
Shadow of the Colossus was another game in which the designers utilized simplicity in both art style and gameplay as a way of telling a powerful story of a boy who has his love and devotion turned against him. On a quest to save his companion from an unknown affliction—in fact, another example of the game’s beauty is that there is never any exposition given to the player, only what you can derive from the imagery presented—the nameless protagonist strikes a deal to destroy a race of colossi in return for the help from a group of spirits. As the game plays out—each colossus presenting a unique challenge and majestic beauty—it becomes apparent that the spirits have their own agenda. All of this, of course, is setting aside the fact that the game’s use of minimalist art direction and epic scoring readily sent chills down my spine and, often, made my heart speed up with the inherent danger of what was coming.
These are just a few examples of how games can be art. How the designers, the writers and graphic artists, the codewriters and composers all pour their heart and souls into a piece of work that embodies their imaginations and dreams. How that final work—that piece of art—inspires emotions in the players they are making these games for. I have many more—examples of how games can often task a player with employing their own sense of right and wrong and then living with the consequences of that choice, or of how certain stories are so and intricate that only a game could contain it and only a game could deliver it in a fashion that is unique to the person experiencing it—but, as it is, this went on a little longer than I’d planned and I need to wrap it up.
I hope that I have given a decent explanation behind my assertion that games can be, and often are, works of art; at least enough to satisfy my friend’s curiosity. There are few mediums that inspire greater joy and a feeling of experiencing someone’s creation in a way that is utterly different than most any other, than video games. And, while I’m not expecting this to change his opinion, I hope that he’ll at least be able to approach games from a different angle.
Thanks for your time, guys!
Later!
My thoughts and ideas. My creations and rants.
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ageless Superspies
Hey, guys!
Okay, first thing's firt, if you don't know about Condition 2 Productions hop on over here to learn more!
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about something with a little more Conviction! Hahaha! See what I did there...no? Anyway, as the bad joke suggests, I've recently been playing Spinter Cell: Conviction (that's Tom Clancy's Splinter...oh that is just too much to say). And I have to say, aside from my shared opinions on certain aspects of the game, I am digging it quite a bit. Now, as always, that's not to say it's not without flaws in both gameplay design and story elements, though, as a complete package, I am finding it head-and-goggles better than Ubisoft's last itteration.
To be fair, Double Agent started off really well, and actually had some solid ideas and a potentially decent story. But, in the end, the game was ripped apart by its own convolution; the player was bogged down by continuously conflicting objectives to the point where trying to maintain the right balance was simply no longer fun. Conviction doesn't suffer from this problem; the story is all Sam-kicking-ass all the time. It's not a perfect story, to be sure, but it's far more entertaining when you're playing a guy who doesn't have to worry about who he needs to please and how much. It's pretty straightforward: complete your mission and kill any mouthy asshole who gets in your way.
As far as gameplay goes, Ubisoft has pretty much stripped Sam's world down to the bone and started rebuilding it. I stress rebuilding here because it really felt that this outing was more of a pilot episode for a relaunch of the franchise than an actual sequel of sorts. Ubi has obviously decided to go in a completely different direction--reimagining the steal shooter--and, to me at least, Conviction came off as a kind of "test run" rather than the next installment in the series. Backing up my theory is the fact that Sam's part of the game (the main story, if you will) is extremely short--it took me roughly 5-6 hours to complete--and, though it doesn't feel rushed and there is definately a complete story, it's fairly obvious that we haven't seen the last of Sam Fisher. The actual meat of the game, however, can be broken down into three things: Mark & Execute, Projection Tech, and the P.E.C. Challenges.
Mark & Execute is pretty much what it sounds like. The player is able to "mark" a number of enemies (depending on the weapon, that number varies) and, after performing a Hand-to-Hand Takedown (if you can't figure out what this is, I can't help you) Sam is then able to swiftly and silently "execute" those unsuspecting foes the player marked. It's a little different at first, but is easily mastered and, during later parts of the game where things like the Sonar Goggles (Sam's new toy) come into play, is quite possibly the most fun I've had in a game like this in a long time. I often found myself happy I died in an area simply for the chance to re-do one of my previous M&E moments!
The Projection Tech isn't really part of the gameplay, per se. It's more like Ubisoft's new, and interesting, way of displaying Sam's objectives--and sometimes even his thoughts and/or memories--in the gameworld without disrupting the flow of gameplay. They even go so far as to allow you to project your objective at will; a simple press of the Back Button will cast glowing white words at Sam's feet.
The P.E.C. (which stood for Persistant Elite Creation in Rainbow Six Vegas 2) is a series of challenges given to the player--which can be accessed either through the main menu or the pause screen in-game--which offer up varying amounts of points upon completion. You can then take these points and spend them on things like weapon and gadget upgrades (granting things like extra Marks on certain weapons) as well as new "uniforms" for multiplayer and their subsequent upgrades. A good deal of these challenges will be obtained throughout a normal playthrough and I think this was done so that casual players could upgrade weapons without setting specific goals for themselves to complete, thus, possibly, degrading the imersion factor. That said, I personally think the P.E.C. is a fantastic way to get more bang for your buck on such a short game.
Like I said, the game is short. But, for me, the fun didn't stop at the single player game. There is so much more offered in the multiplayer modes and I will have more on those later on. For now, I have to be going.
See you in the shadows...or will I?
--Ray
Okay, first thing's firt, if you don't know about Condition 2 Productions hop on over here to learn more!
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about something with a little more Conviction! Hahaha! See what I did there...no? Anyway, as the bad joke suggests, I've recently been playing Spinter Cell: Conviction (that's Tom Clancy's Splinter...oh that is just too much to say). And I have to say, aside from my shared opinions on certain aspects of the game, I am digging it quite a bit. Now, as always, that's not to say it's not without flaws in both gameplay design and story elements, though, as a complete package, I am finding it head-and-goggles better than Ubisoft's last itteration.
To be fair, Double Agent started off really well, and actually had some solid ideas and a potentially decent story. But, in the end, the game was ripped apart by its own convolution; the player was bogged down by continuously conflicting objectives to the point where trying to maintain the right balance was simply no longer fun. Conviction doesn't suffer from this problem; the story is all Sam-kicking-ass all the time. It's not a perfect story, to be sure, but it's far more entertaining when you're playing a guy who doesn't have to worry about who he needs to please and how much. It's pretty straightforward: complete your mission and kill any mouthy asshole who gets in your way.
As far as gameplay goes, Ubisoft has pretty much stripped Sam's world down to the bone and started rebuilding it. I stress rebuilding here because it really felt that this outing was more of a pilot episode for a relaunch of the franchise than an actual sequel of sorts. Ubi has obviously decided to go in a completely different direction--reimagining the steal shooter--and, to me at least, Conviction came off as a kind of "test run" rather than the next installment in the series. Backing up my theory is the fact that Sam's part of the game (the main story, if you will) is extremely short--it took me roughly 5-6 hours to complete--and, though it doesn't feel rushed and there is definately a complete story, it's fairly obvious that we haven't seen the last of Sam Fisher. The actual meat of the game, however, can be broken down into three things: Mark & Execute, Projection Tech, and the P.E.C. Challenges.
Mark & Execute is pretty much what it sounds like. The player is able to "mark" a number of enemies (depending on the weapon, that number varies) and, after performing a Hand-to-Hand Takedown (if you can't figure out what this is, I can't help you) Sam is then able to swiftly and silently "execute" those unsuspecting foes the player marked. It's a little different at first, but is easily mastered and, during later parts of the game where things like the Sonar Goggles (Sam's new toy) come into play, is quite possibly the most fun I've had in a game like this in a long time. I often found myself happy I died in an area simply for the chance to re-do one of my previous M&E moments!
The Projection Tech isn't really part of the gameplay, per se. It's more like Ubisoft's new, and interesting, way of displaying Sam's objectives--and sometimes even his thoughts and/or memories--in the gameworld without disrupting the flow of gameplay. They even go so far as to allow you to project your objective at will; a simple press of the Back Button will cast glowing white words at Sam's feet.
The P.E.C. (which stood for Persistant Elite Creation in Rainbow Six Vegas 2) is a series of challenges given to the player--which can be accessed either through the main menu or the pause screen in-game--which offer up varying amounts of points upon completion. You can then take these points and spend them on things like weapon and gadget upgrades (granting things like extra Marks on certain weapons) as well as new "uniforms" for multiplayer and their subsequent upgrades. A good deal of these challenges will be obtained throughout a normal playthrough and I think this was done so that casual players could upgrade weapons without setting specific goals for themselves to complete, thus, possibly, degrading the imersion factor. That said, I personally think the P.E.C. is a fantastic way to get more bang for your buck on such a short game.
Like I said, the game is short. But, for me, the fun didn't stop at the single player game. There is so much more offered in the multiplayer modes and I will have more on those later on. For now, I have to be going.
See you in the shadows...or will I?
--Ray
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Dear LucasArts
Dear Story Developement Guys at LucasArts Game Department,
I, a loyal (which is stressed because, well, you guys have made a few faux pas here and there, *cough-Jedi Battles-cough* but I keep coming back) and dedicated fan. I am anxiously awaiting your next installment of Star Wars cannon and, though I am a little disheartened by the delayed release, I'm sure it will be the shining achievement in your ability to tell a story while "unleashing" the full potential of the Force. The videos I've seen and the articles I've read have done nothing but fuel the fires of my need to play this game.
All that said, however, I have something I'd like to say...
Please, for the love of your fans, move past the Galactic Civil War period. Seriously, we've seen enough. With the exception of the Knights of the Old Republic games, every single Star Wars game to date is based around the 30+ years between Episodes I and VI; with the a decent amount smack dab in the middle of the Original Trilogy. A time of fantastic battles and larger than life heroes, to be sure. But, c'mon, guys! There is a veritable plethora of great characters and stories to be told beyond the six movies.
In fact, there's an entire war. Waged, I might add, against an enemy FAR scarier than the Empire and rediculously evil. If you really think about it, the Yuuzhan Vong are the perfect badguys for a video game series. They have a caste system which could be used to tier the enemies faced within the course of the game, their weapons and technology stand up against a lightsaber (the primary weapon of most SW games' main hero) and their single-minded drive to enslave or destroy all life in the galaxy makes for the perfect antagonistic motive.
And, as previously mentioned, there is a wealth of deep characters from which to choose from. You could even make a game in which we, the fans, get to choose to take on the roll of a number of the Original Three (Luke, Han, and Leia...duh) in a branching storyline, lending to a game with multiple endings; an aspect most gamers love as it justifies their $60 purchase with more playability. If you want to stay away from the Original Three, but still want to do the branching story idea, you could make a game starring the three Solo children; three Jedi with similar goals and morals, but vastly different personalities and strengths. This give the player a chance to cater to a personal playing style or experience the game from three unique points of view; something we all look for when playing a game. Hell, if you want to stick to what you know, guys, you could even make a game starring our old pal, Kyle Katarn; a character we grew to love in the original games and did a little cheer every time he was mentioned through the NJO series and would love to see brought full-circle with a frontline role in the first of what would hopefully become a series of games in this time-period.
Here, I'll even run you through some story ideas just off the top of my head.
We'll star with one using the Solo children:
**for anyone reading this who hasn't read the NJO series all the way through, this next bit contains some spoilers**
Star with the player taking on the roll of Anakin Solo, the youngest of the Solo kids, leading the strike team on the mission to Myrkr. Give players not familiar with the NJO series a recap in the form of an opening crawl or montage cutscene (maybe even obtaining the voice tallents of the original actors?) and then toss them headlong into one of the most vital missions in the story. Starting with this particular mission would accomplish several goals in the form of one massive introductory level: First, you give the player their first real look this new evil and the world in which they exist through the woldship that the strike team attacks in their mission to destroy the voxyn (a great boss for said level, btw), pulls the player in with a character that feels familiar and new, then propells them into an emotional character-driven story when, at the end of the level, Anakin sacrifices himself to save the strike team.
From here you can choose to take the roll of Jaina and play through various mission which all lead up to her becoming the Sword of the Jedi. With Jaina, you could even incorporate space-flight missions as she becomes a memeber of Rogue Squadron and then, once she is granted Knighthood and dubs herself Yun Harla--the Yuuzhan Vong trickster goddess--leads her own squadron.
With Jacen, you have the whole Vergere storyline. You can lead the player through Jacen's capture and subsequent escape from the hands of the Vong with the help of Vergere and, later, Ganner Rhysode. I, for one, would love to witness Ganner's heroic Last Stand on Yun Yuuzhan (the terraformed Coruscant) through the eyes of Jacen as he works to complete his mission to convince the World Brain to turn on the ecosystem.
Or....
If you want to use Kyle...
Kyle's would be a simpler story, to be sure. You could take the player through the developement of Kyle's strategies for and missions to save Yuuzhan Vong captives during the war. Again, with Kyle, you could include space missions since, in the final battle of the war, the then-Knight was one of a select group granted a seed-partner and Sekotan ship.
Well, there you have it; and that's just off the top of my head. You guys should know more than I do, that this time-period is ripe with characters and stories enough for ten games! To be honest, I just don't understand why you haven't done it yet? Is it George? Is he afraid that the Yuuzhan Vong are too scary for the younglings that would play these games? Cause, seriously, Darth Vader was one of the scarriest s.o.b's of my childhood and, let's face it, that's exactly what a badguy needs to be. That makes the hero's triumph over the evil-dude all the more exciting.
Of course, if you wanted to give the player a personal experience and allow them to create their own character, you have the whole Alpha Red project to focus on. Just for starters.
Anyway, those are just some of my ramblings. Like I said, before, I'm all for any game you put out...well...that is, until I play it, in which case, if it's sub-par (as far as my personal preferences go; I wasn't a fan of Republic Commando, myself) then I'll move on. It's just that my Star Wars fandom has, over the past decade, grown deeper roots in the Extended Universe and I feel that the New Jedi Order is the best of the best in this area and I'd love to see these characters brought to life in a digital experience.
Don't get me wrong, though. I'm a huge fan of the current series, Legacy of the Force. However, this only lends more to my argument for a game starring Jacen Solo.
Thanks for listening (sort of) and making games set in a galaxy far, far away...
Keep up the great work, guys!
I, a loyal (which is stressed because, well, you guys have made a few faux pas here and there, *cough-Jedi Battles-cough* but I keep coming back) and dedicated fan. I am anxiously awaiting your next installment of Star Wars cannon and, though I am a little disheartened by the delayed release, I'm sure it will be the shining achievement in your ability to tell a story while "unleashing" the full potential of the Force. The videos I've seen and the articles I've read have done nothing but fuel the fires of my need to play this game.
All that said, however, I have something I'd like to say...
Please, for the love of your fans, move past the Galactic Civil War period. Seriously, we've seen enough. With the exception of the Knights of the Old Republic games, every single Star Wars game to date is based around the 30+ years between Episodes I and VI; with the a decent amount smack dab in the middle of the Original Trilogy. A time of fantastic battles and larger than life heroes, to be sure. But, c'mon, guys! There is a veritable plethora of great characters and stories to be told beyond the six movies.
In fact, there's an entire war. Waged, I might add, against an enemy FAR scarier than the Empire and rediculously evil. If you really think about it, the Yuuzhan Vong are the perfect badguys for a video game series. They have a caste system which could be used to tier the enemies faced within the course of the game, their weapons and technology stand up against a lightsaber (the primary weapon of most SW games' main hero) and their single-minded drive to enslave or destroy all life in the galaxy makes for the perfect antagonistic motive.
And, as previously mentioned, there is a wealth of deep characters from which to choose from. You could even make a game in which we, the fans, get to choose to take on the roll of a number of the Original Three (Luke, Han, and Leia...duh) in a branching storyline, lending to a game with multiple endings; an aspect most gamers love as it justifies their $60 purchase with more playability. If you want to stay away from the Original Three, but still want to do the branching story idea, you could make a game starring the three Solo children; three Jedi with similar goals and morals, but vastly different personalities and strengths. This give the player a chance to cater to a personal playing style or experience the game from three unique points of view; something we all look for when playing a game. Hell, if you want to stick to what you know, guys, you could even make a game starring our old pal, Kyle Katarn; a character we grew to love in the original games and did a little cheer every time he was mentioned through the NJO series and would love to see brought full-circle with a frontline role in the first of what would hopefully become a series of games in this time-period.
Here, I'll even run you through some story ideas just off the top of my head.
We'll star with one using the Solo children:
**for anyone reading this who hasn't read the NJO series all the way through, this next bit contains some spoilers**
Star with the player taking on the roll of Anakin Solo, the youngest of the Solo kids, leading the strike team on the mission to Myrkr. Give players not familiar with the NJO series a recap in the form of an opening crawl or montage cutscene (maybe even obtaining the voice tallents of the original actors?) and then toss them headlong into one of the most vital missions in the story. Starting with this particular mission would accomplish several goals in the form of one massive introductory level: First, you give the player their first real look this new evil and the world in which they exist through the woldship that the strike team attacks in their mission to destroy the voxyn (a great boss for said level, btw), pulls the player in with a character that feels familiar and new, then propells them into an emotional character-driven story when, at the end of the level, Anakin sacrifices himself to save the strike team.
From here you can choose to take the roll of Jaina and play through various mission which all lead up to her becoming the Sword of the Jedi. With Jaina, you could even incorporate space-flight missions as she becomes a memeber of Rogue Squadron and then, once she is granted Knighthood and dubs herself Yun Harla--the Yuuzhan Vong trickster goddess--leads her own squadron.
With Jacen, you have the whole Vergere storyline. You can lead the player through Jacen's capture and subsequent escape from the hands of the Vong with the help of Vergere and, later, Ganner Rhysode. I, for one, would love to witness Ganner's heroic Last Stand on Yun Yuuzhan (the terraformed Coruscant) through the eyes of Jacen as he works to complete his mission to convince the World Brain to turn on the ecosystem.
Or....
If you want to use Kyle...
Kyle's would be a simpler story, to be sure. You could take the player through the developement of Kyle's strategies for and missions to save Yuuzhan Vong captives during the war. Again, with Kyle, you could include space missions since, in the final battle of the war, the then-Knight was one of a select group granted a seed-partner and Sekotan ship.
Well, there you have it; and that's just off the top of my head. You guys should know more than I do, that this time-period is ripe with characters and stories enough for ten games! To be honest, I just don't understand why you haven't done it yet? Is it George? Is he afraid that the Yuuzhan Vong are too scary for the younglings that would play these games? Cause, seriously, Darth Vader was one of the scarriest s.o.b's of my childhood and, let's face it, that's exactly what a badguy needs to be. That makes the hero's triumph over the evil-dude all the more exciting.
Of course, if you wanted to give the player a personal experience and allow them to create their own character, you have the whole Alpha Red project to focus on. Just for starters.
Anyway, those are just some of my ramblings. Like I said, before, I'm all for any game you put out...well...that is, until I play it, in which case, if it's sub-par (as far as my personal preferences go; I wasn't a fan of Republic Commando, myself) then I'll move on. It's just that my Star Wars fandom has, over the past decade, grown deeper roots in the Extended Universe and I feel that the New Jedi Order is the best of the best in this area and I'd love to see these characters brought to life in a digital experience.
Don't get me wrong, though. I'm a huge fan of the current series, Legacy of the Force. However, this only lends more to my argument for a game starring Jacen Solo.
Thanks for listening (sort of) and making games set in a galaxy far, far away...
Keep up the great work, guys!
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