Are Video Games Art? Yes But It Is A Hard Title To Achieve

To me, art is art when it expresses something. Maybe it is an emotion or a psychological truth, or an idea of who we are as a species. This can be achieved with a pen, a paintbrush, a chisel or a camera. But it can also be achieved with a computer. Depending on what you are trying to convey you may be more successful with one medium over another. And as video games include an interactive element, certain issues and theme can be explored better using this as your canvas. However just as a random photo from you cell phone and a summer blockbuster and not considered art, a game has to be made in a way where it puts expression first. This is a hard thing to achieve as a game needs to still have a game in it and that aspect can take away from the rest of the expression.

Let's start with games that tell a story. Cut scenes can be as in-depth and emotional as a film. They have actors and writers. And they are no different than films like Toy Story 3 and Wall-E which deal with some pretty heavy themes. But unlike those CGI movies, which get to focus 100% on the story, when the cut-scene is over the game has to start. Gameplay and story can be worlds apart. You have this touching cut-screen where a character dies and things have weight and then you go into an FPS shooter where you kill wave after wave of guys, who stop coming when you magically get to a certain point and your teammate, who has fifty bullets in them, just respawns beside you. What works to make a cut-scene good and what works to make a game good can be at odds with the overall artistic element of the game. There are games that blend gameplay and cut-scenes well but in order to have that depth of a film gameplay has to suffer. I do have two examples that I would consider made it work though. The first is Silent Hill 2. The story involves dealing with guilt and through-out the game you have to watch your wife die over and over again (this is top ten games you need to play). Through-out the game you run into other characters who are all dealing with their own issues and the theme of the game is so strong it could be adapted into a serious film or novel. The second is Heavy Rain. I don't know if this gets the art title but a great story is being told. But as I mentioned before, that gameplay suffers, a lot of this game is quick-time events and people would argue that does not make for good gameplay.

The other way a video game can be art is if the core mechanics of the game mirror the theme of the game itself. This is an impressive accomplishment and when done right is where games as art sign. One of the best examples of this is the puzzle game Braid (another MUST play). The game deals with the theme of regret and wanting to fix something. This is mirrored by gameplay mechanics where you can rewind time to solve puzzles. The two work together to fully express the theme. Another example is the first Bioshock. I do not want to give any spoilers but will say the game deals with control and why you don't question doing what you are doing. This is an idea I would recommend any game develops to things about when they are designing your game. Think of your mechanics and your theme and see if you can get them to blend seamlessly.

There are also artsy games that just rid of traditional mechanics and give you an experience. Journey and Flower come to mind. You can put these more into interactive art than game category but they still prove that a player with a controller can experience something meaningful and the medium has the capabilities of being art.

Any games you consider art? Please add them in the comments

@whatageek

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