# Your Top 5 Most Artful Video Games



## HereKittyKitty (May 6, 2013)

A few months ago, pbsideachannel on YouTube posted this video on what he thought were the most artful video games. This episode was inspired by the MoMA's recent acquisition of 14 video games for an exhibit, which means that video games are finally being officially recognized as art. Yay!

This got me thinking on what I would consider to be the most artful games. While I found all his choices to be interesting and artful, my top 5 would look much different, though my gaming experience is probably quite less. And because I have less experience, I'm interested in what everyone else thinks are the most artful video games.


My Top 5 (spoilers may be in the explanations)

*1) Journey* - This is definitely my number one, no doubt about it. On a purely visual level, it is stunning. Just look at the sand. Absolutely beautiful. But that isn't all. It also explores the hero's journey in a wonderfully original way.  It doesn't tell you anything, but shows you the story through a series of breathtaking cut scenes and wall pictures, letting you fall into the story seamlessly. 
Then there's the friend system. You can only meet one person at a time, so already the bond is going to be stronger than in games where you can just summon people willy nilly. You're just two people wandering around the same desert who happened to find each other, both lost and alone, and that's deep. To make things better, you can't even talk to each other. You can only chirp. The lack of words bonds you even closer as you fight your way through to the end. You help each other, feel for each other, cry out when they get attacked by a scarf predator. Each time I played Journey, it wasn't just a friend I met, but a best friend.  That extreme feeling that it created is surely enough for it to be art.

*2) Ico* - So this is another really pretty game that I loved. It's basically one big escort mission, which could rub some people the wrong way, but the connection between Ico and Yorda is just so strong that it made it worth it when I continually had to chase her down after she wandered off.  Again, we have a game where there's no verbal communication. Yorda and Ico speak different languages, so all their interaction is purely physical, making each action more meaningful. Once more you are just two people trying to escape the same crappy situation. Yorda is helpless and you feel for her, you really want to protect her. The hand holding mechanic was truly beautiful in that it's so simple yet so powerful. Towards the end, after Yorda is captured and turned to stone, I spent a good 30 seconds trying to call to her because I didn't realize she couldn't move. Let me tell you, that was fucking sad. And when a game can make me that sad, it's a really good game.

*3) Okami* - Ok, so this one I chose purely for aesthetic reasons. The plot isn't that deep and the characters are all okay. It's just so damn beautiful.  The Japanese wood-cut and calligraphy styles are such a nice change from the normal look of video games. Everything is pretty. The ugly monsters are pretty. The smoke is pretty. The moles are pretty. It's just really really pretty.

*4) Antichamber* - This is a super short game, but well worth the play. Basically you're trapped in a demented modern art museum with only a portal gun prototype to help you on your journey. You interact with brightly colored cubes, solving puzzles and trying to decipher the clues randomly found on walls. The visuals have a very optical illusion sort of feel and you have to think way outside the box in order to make it out in time. It takes the idea of a puzzle platformer and takes it to another level. Everything is part of the puzzle and you never know when the surroundings are going to change on you. It activates all of your brain and that is something to be admired.

*5) Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite* - I want to put these two together because I like them for very similar reasons. First, the art-deco style and cool story lines make both games a must play for just about anyone. But more than that, they explore video game logic in a way that I haven't seen in most games. Everyone is used to just walking blinding, following prompts without a second thought because it's a game and that's just what you do. But Bioshock 1 gave us a real reason why we just followed orders. It gave us "would you kindly" as a way to explain why we continue fighting our way through hordes of deranged druggies when our character probably just wants to go home. It gave us a reason for the obedience that we so often overlook.
Bioshock Infinite carried on this idea with it's multiple universes and idea of "constants and variables". It explains coming back to life as a different universe where that Booker did manage to survive, albeit with Elizabeth's help. It also explains why sometimes your choices just don't matter. Even with the advent of moral choices in video games, there is a lot of stuff that we just cannot change. There is always a fixed story. Infinite tells us that this is because those things are constants that will never ever change because... reasons. Overall, it gives us a lot to think about in terms of video games and how we perceive ourselves playing them.


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## DarrylWolf (May 6, 2013)

1. Mario Paint (duh!)
2. Eternal Darkness (maybe on the list of most "literary" video games)
3. Earthbound
4. Okami
5. Anything with Kirby in it.


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## Demensa (May 6, 2013)

This is a tough one... if artful can even be considered a useful adjective. It seems like in this case, artful will be taken to mean creative and emotionally effective, for the most part.
Right now I'll go with:

1. Journey - A breathtaking minimalist approach to the visual aspects of the game coupled with an excellent soundtrack (And wonderful sound effects that really set Thatgamecompany apart from the rest.)
The game is open to all types of interpretation in terms of symbolism and storyline which is one of the reasons it is so fantastic. The name truly says it all.

2. Dark Souls - Grim and beautiful with shining moments of triumph and always an undertone of psychopathic humour. I'm not even going to try and describe it in detail. There's just too much to say.

3. Limbo - Another journey through a dark and unforgiving world. The silhouettes, clever puzzles and terrible danger faced blends together to make one excellent piece of art.

4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I included this mostly because of the sheer scope and size of the game. It takes an amazing amount of creative talent to create a world as large as Skyrim and make it look and play well. Even though I may have enjoyed many, many games more (including Oblivion, although I have yet to play Morrowind - which I'm consistently told is the best) Skyrim will take it's place here in my list.

5. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - It may be simple, but it is chilling like no other game I have played.

Even now I can think of a dozen games that could easily replace the ones I've listed, and I still have an insane amount of games I want to play, but have not yet picked up that probably deserve a spot on the list.


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## Heliophobic (May 6, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> which means that video games are finally being officially recognized as art. Yay!



I hope that means the video games themselves and not just the act of gaming.


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## SirRob (May 6, 2013)

Wow, is that true? That's AWESOME! I've always considered games to be art, so it's great to hear that the art world agrees. 
Instead of listing what I think are the most artful games, I'm gonna list the ones with my favorite art styles-- Radiant Dawn, Sonic Generations, Brawl, Skyward Sword, and Persona 4.


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## benignBiotic (May 6, 2013)

1. Killer7 (Also one of my favorite games of all time).

2. Dark Souls 

3. Shadow Of The Colossus

4. Silent Hill 3

5. Okami (As if I have to show a bunch of furries what Okami is like )


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## Judge Spear (May 6, 2013)

I can only give 3. 

1. El Shaddai- It was an interesting twist on Christianity and the graphic style was beautiful. Take Okami's ink style for the environments and the cel shading of Borderlands for the characters. It was kinda like Sonic Unleashed or Splatterhouse 2010 in which it would go from 3D to 2D. You could be running on rolling gusts of wind literally. The world was just this twisting spiraling paradise with many organic painterly shapes. It was VERY art neuveau. Not to mention it was damn hard! :3

2. Ikaruga-a lot of people don't consider this because it's not a big budget AAA title with hours of cutscenes and endless dialogue, but fuck em! 
Ikaruga at high level play was not just a game, but a masterful performance tempered by hours of practice and chiseled by dedication. When seeing a perfect playthrough, you realize that it's not simply skillful play, but how it was intended to be played.
Many have compared it to ballet. Treasure's enemy placement, boss patterns, levels themselves, and music synchronized to the events happening on screen made the game a spectacle as your ship pirouettes between polarities. Gorgeous gorgeous flawless game with a great art style in general.

3. Unfinished Swan-A game about discovery. You are a boy who travels into a painting of a swan his mother didn't complete before she died. It's a first person adventure where you begin in a blank world...but the world is fleshed out around you. To find your path, you must toss ink to paint the world and find your path. The goal is to find the swan the boy's mother did not complete before her last breath. It's puzzling at times and there are things you must figure out to proceed.



DarrylWolf said:


> 1. Mario Paint (duh!)
> 2. Eternal Darkness (maybe on the list of most "literary" video games)
> 3. Earthbound
> 4. Okami
> 5. Anything with Kirby in it.



Oh my Christ! Mario Paint and Earthbound YES!


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## HereKittyKitty (May 6, 2013)

I'm so glad people are mentioning Dark Souls. It almost made my list. I agree that it is beautiful in a very grim way and the lore, though hard to find, is absolutely wonderful. Also, just the fact that so many people can hate it yet still be so addicted to it means that it has to be doing something right.



Saliva said:


> I hope that means the video games themselves and not just the act of gaming.


The video games themselves, though a large part of the video game experience is the interactive element so it seems to me that we can't cut out the act of gaming altogether. 
Still, a bunch of guys screaming about who fucked who's mom over xbox live chat is not what I would consider artful.


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## Percy (May 6, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> *4) Antichamber*


I haven't played this game myself, but I've watched video of someone playing it. It really seems like a cool concept of a game. You just don't know what to expect.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 6, 2013)

Percy said:


> I haven't played this game myself, but I've watched video of someone playing it. It really seems like a cool concept of a game. You just don't know what to expect.


I watched it being played from start to finish. Only took about 6-ish hours if I'm remembering correctly. It is a really cool concept. You have no idea who or where you are and the environment keeps changing. It took 4 university students to figure out one puzzle. It's trippy and amazing and an experience you can share with friends.


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## Butters Shikkon (May 6, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> *1) Journey* - This is definitely my number one, no doubt about it. On a purely visual level, it is stunning. Just look at the sand. Absolutely beautiful. But that isn't all. It also explores the hero's journey in a wonderfully original way.  It doesn't tell you anything, but shows you the story through a series of breathtaking cut scenes and wall pictures, letting you fall into the story seamlessly.
> Then there's the friend system. You can only meet one person at a time, so already the bond is going to be stronger than in games where you can just summon people willy nilly. You're just two people wandering around the same desert who happened to find each other, both lost and alone, and that's deep. To make things better, you can't even talk to each other. You can only chirp. The lack of words bonds you even closer as you fight your way through to the end. You help each other, feel for each other, cry out when they get attacked by a scarf predator. Each time I played Journey, it wasn't just a friend I met, but a best friend.  That extreme feeling that it created is surely enough for it to be art.



 You have chosen wisely...  

I esp. loved the ascension to the mountain top. I lost all my scarf power at that point so it wasn't nearly as impressive as it shoulda been. I want another Journey game ;^; 

My choice may be an unpopular one so be forewarned: Spyro the dragon. 

No game has affected me more in terms of creativity. The skies, the colors, the music. But my favorite thing about that game is similiar to why I love Journey so much. Because you are completely alone. You feel isolated and lonely. (Sure you have sparx but he's really just a health meter in the first version.)

I still think of Gnorc's cove, the Dreamweaver's home world, and the angry skies of Toasty's realm. 

Also, Kingdom Hearts is an honorable mention. Hollow Bastion just oozes decaying beauty.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 6, 2013)

Butterflygoddess said:


> I esp. loved the ascension to the mountain top. I lost all my scarf power at that point so it wasn't nearly as impressive as it shoulda been. I want another Journey game ;^;
> 
> My choice may be an unpopular one so be forewarned: Spyro the dragon.



Well, once you reach the snow everyone loses their scarf. If it isn't eaten by scarf monsters, it breaks away during the final trek before you fall over face first in the snow. So no awesomeness missed. And I liked that you lose the scarf. Makes it all the more depressing. Seriously, I tear up every single time I watch someone trudging through that snow. 

I haven't played the original Spyro, so I can't comment on your choice. I have played Spyro: Ripto's Rage, and that wasn't necessarily what I would consider artful. Sure, the designs were fun and there were lots of different worlds, but you weren't all that alone and I just couldn't really feel invested in the characters.


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## Butters Shikkon (May 6, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> I haven't played the original Spyro, so I can't comment on your choice. I have played Spyro: Ripto's Rage, and that wasn't necessarily what I would consider artful. Sure, the designs were fun and there were lots of different worlds, but you weren't all that alone and I just couldn't really feel invested in the characters.



Oh you must someday then. It's quite different from all the others in its solitude. It's as if you truly are the only dragon (and thus person) left in a world of fake monsters.


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## benignBiotic (May 6, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> I'm so glad people are mentioning Dark Souls. It almost made my list. I agree that it is beautiful in a very grim way and the lore, though hard to find, is absolutely wonderful. Also, just the fact that so many people can hate it yet still be so addicted to it means that it has to be doing something right.


I think Dark Souls is the first game to ever leave me speechless. When I first flew over the wall into Anor Londo I was just ... wow. The whole world is cohesive too. When you're in the Darkroot Garden you can look up a huge tower and see the boss you can fight later. So awesome.


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## DarrylWolf (May 6, 2013)

Of course, don't just pick commercially-unsuccessful "arthouse" games. Not all video games have to be the interactive versions of _Koyanisqaatsi _or the "Cremaster" series to be works of art. The Zelda and Final Fantasy series (the latter, up until recently) has consistently shown an art and storytelling style that is on par with, and even better, the best Hollywood has to offer. Nothing wrong with going for a mainstream game that sells well, as long as it sells well for a reason. A well-made Mario or Pokemon game may sell very well but that doesn't mean it's not artistic.


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## Hewge (May 6, 2013)

1: Guild Wars 2 - This game is amazing. With graphics up to max, or even set to low, it will constantly be breathtaking. From looking over a beautiful valley from on top a huge mountain, to just how they the have spells and abilities look like they do in the      concept art is amazing.

2: World of Warcraft. Although this game is sort of aged now, it's still going and was always visualy impressive 6-8 years ago. And now it still is and keeps improving, while keeping its neat cartoony style.

3: Limbo - It's so simple, cute, and dark at the same time. The entire game has such a mysterious and sinister feel to eat, but keeps it all so it's still in a unique cartoon style.

4: Anything from Puppey Games - These guys make such cool retro themed pixel type games with a super cool modern feel to them. Not much needs to be said about how cool pixels are!

5: Nothing - Not sure what to put here, maybe I'll think of one later. :u


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## Saga (May 6, 2013)

5) Spec Ops: the Line - weapons were average, but the one source lighting effects are the best i've seen. Only the damaged building remind you that you're fighting a war.

4) Far Cry 3 - Driving physics in this game are not very realistic, but the vehicle driving visual and damage from the front seat view are very detailed. Besides that, damage to the body when crashing and rolling and the most realistic I know of. It creates a sense of actually driving the car.

3) GTA IV - probably one of the most unrealistic games because of it's comedic background, but the collision damage is unmatched in terms of being realistic. 

2) Mirror's Edge - This game's scenery was incredibly detailed, where lighting was spot on with the way an actual earth environment would be. As the character moves, the environment changes with the change of the player's position.

1) Amensia: Justine - Justine is a DLC add on for The Dark Descent, and the dark feeling of this game is absolutely sinister. Your eyes must adjust to the lighting, and where there is no lighting, your in-game insanity begins to slip away. As this happens, the world distorts and the player begins to hallucinate. There is no running in this game, and no fighting, so you're being chased, you feel tension running through you, and jumpscares and the general sight of a satanic castle you're locked in is enough to raise your heart rate while playing.


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## lol (May 6, 2013)

I read this as "your top 5 most awful games", saw Okami and said 'wat?'
anyway...

1. SpaceEngine (Not a game but holy shit its beautiful)
2. Skyrim
3. TLoZ Wind Waker (Love the cel-shading in it)
4. Mario Galaxy 1 + 2
5. Mario 64 (iirc the game showed Gaben that video games could be works of art)


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## Twylyght (May 7, 2013)

1.  Shadow of the Colossus (I love the creature design and the minimalist story.  The music was good too.)
2.  Silent Hill 2 (Atmospheric and a lot of symbolism throughout the game)
3.  Beyond Good & Evil
4.  Metroid: Prime 
5.  Super Castlevania 4 and Castlevania SotN (both improved the look, sound and gameplay on their respected systems)


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## Teal (May 7, 2013)

1. Call of Duty
2. Call of Duty
3. Call of Duty
4. Call of Duty
5. Call of Duty


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## Demensa (May 7, 2013)

Butterflygoddess said:


> You have chosen wisely...
> 
> I esp. loved the ascension to the mountain top. I lost all my scarf power at that point so it wasn't nearly as impressive as it shoulda been. I want another Journey game ;^;



People may disagree with me, but I would have loved the game 10 times more if you simply died in the snow and that was the end. 
That's not to say that I didn't think the end was fantastic, but it would have been even more emotionally effective for me, in a way that no game I've played has ever done.



benignBiotic said:


> I think Dark Souls is the first game to ever leave me speechless. When I first flew over the wall into Anor Londo I was just ... wow. The whole world is cohesive too. When you're in the Darkroot Garden you can look up a huge tower and see the boss you can fight later. So awesome.



The verticality of the world surprised me so much as did the very clever shortcuts, that turned a massive world into a tightly knit web, making it possible to easily travel anywhere you wanted, as long as you took the long way at least once. 
And besides horror games, no other game has made my heart beat as fast or made my breath as short and ragged as a tough battle in Dark Souls has. (Demon's Souls should not be forgotten either!)

I also want to add Shadow of The Colossus to my list. The only reason it wasn't at the very top was my own fault.
I was terrible at figuring out many of the battles and had a little difficulty with the controls and character movement to start with, which frustrated me a little and made the game lose momentum.
Other than that, I thought the game, art direction and boss design was amazing.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 7, 2013)

Demensa said:


> People may disagree with me, but I would have loved the game 10 times more if you simply died in the snow and that was the end.
> That's not to say that I didn't think the end was fantastic, but it would have been even more emotionally effective for me, in a way that no game I've played has ever done.



I agree that dying in the snow would be a very emotionally powerful ending, however, it would take away the continuous flow of the game. After you die and reach scarf nirvana, you get shot straight back to the beginning. In a way, the journey never ends because it keeps repeating in this cycle.


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## Outcast (May 7, 2013)

I would have to say Silent Hill 3, Metroid Prime, Shadow of the Colossus, Dark Souls, and Majora's Mask. 

... Do these games really need explanation?


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## Aleu (May 7, 2013)

There's different things that I like about different games so it's really hard to list.
Okami has the best art overall by far. Anything else is lies and slander (or rather libel)
Dragon Age has the best characters and dialogue in my opinion. I also like the change that their religion is more woman dominated. It's an interesting take.
Spyro the Dragon had the best worlds and world transfers in my opinion. The controls were very user friendly as well.
Kingdom Hearts simply because I love cross-overs and I'm terrible for liking the anime style. It also had very lovely music.
Dante's Inferno I give credit to because it really made Hell look like...well, Hell. It's absolutely terrifying and should be.


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## Ramses (May 7, 2013)

Just considering the art --

- Okami.
- Fable 2.
- Skyrim.
- Batman Arkham Asylum.
- Kingdoms of Amalur (a bright, colorful, cheerful-looking world, even though it's a world where Very Bad Things are happening).


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## benignBiotic (May 7, 2013)

Outcast said:


> I would have to say Silent Hill 3, Metroid Prime, Shadow of the Colossus, Dark Souls, and Majora's Mask.


This guy! Word.



			
				Aleu said:
			
		

> Kingdom Hearts simply because I love cross-overs and I'm terrible for liking the anime style. It also had very lovely music.


I was thinking of putting this on my list too. That game is pretty and has a really cohesive feel to it.


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## miskey (May 7, 2013)

Okami, Skyrim, Deadpool (I know it hasn't come out, but it looks so badass), Dark Souls, Tomb Raider (she's Lara freakin Croft)


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## Saga (May 7, 2013)

Teal said:


> 1. Call of Duty
> 2. Call of Duty
> 3. Call of Duty
> 4. Call of Duty
> 5. Call of Duty



I am disappoint


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## Teal (May 8, 2013)

Saga said:


> I am disappoint


 I was joking. I couldn't get the :V to turn white so I left it out. :/


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## Demensa (May 8, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> I agree that dying in the snow would be a very emotionally powerful ending, however, it would take away the continuous flow of the game. After you die and reach scarf nirvana, you get shot straight back to the beginning. In a way, the journey never ends because it keeps repeating in this cycle.



Yeah, the way Thatgamecompany can make a game _flow _is what they do best.
They definitely succeeded in sending the message that they wanted, in every aspect of the game and I'm completely satisfied with what they did. Changing the ending would have sent a completely different message.


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## Aleu (May 8, 2013)

I'd also give an honorable mention to Psychonauts. The sole reason is Black Velvetopia.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 8, 2013)

Aleu said:


> I'd also give an honorable mention to Psychonauts. The sole reason is Black Velvetopia.


I've never seen it, but I keep hearing about it again and again.


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## Seekrit (May 8, 2013)

Games as art? Bah. Though considering the general quality over on FurAffinity maybe I'm wrong. Anyways:

1 - Yoshi's Island
2 - Okami
3 - Rez
4 - Metal Gear Solid 4
5 - YOSHI'S ISLAND PEOPLE COME ON


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## Aleu (May 8, 2013)

HereKittyKitty said:


> I've never seen it, but I keep hearing about it again and again.


It's basically inside the mind of an insane Spanish painter obsessed with bullfighting. If you get a chance, look it up on youtube. Pics don't do it enough justice.


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## Demensa (May 9, 2013)

secretfur said:


> 5 - YOSHI'S ISLAND PEOPLE COME ON



Agreed.
Both the level design and visuals are absolutely fantastic. Those cute little animations and brightly coloured backgrounds really make it stand out. 

The soundtrack is also stuck in my head thanks to typing this.


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## Judge Spear (May 9, 2013)

Yoshi's Island is even more artful when played by Trihex.


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## Outcast (May 9, 2013)

Aleu said:


> I'd also give an honorable mention to Psychonauts. The sole reason is Black Velvetopia.



Tim Schafer's talent at its finest. Too bad I didn't hear of it until a year after its release, otherwise, I would've been all over that shit on day one.



secretfur said:


> YOSHI'S ISLAND PEOPLE COME ON



Thanks for reminding me why Yoshi is so badass in the first place.

Also, I forgot to mention Metal Gear Solid 3... no explanation needed, of course.


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## Demensa (May 11, 2013)

XoPachi said:


> Yoshi's Island is even more artful when played by Trihex.



Thank you so much for showing me this.


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## Kaedal (May 11, 2013)

I'm surprised not to see Bastion or Vessel mentioned yet. The former is artful in more than one way, and the latter is just pure, unadulterated fun with liquids. Some more mainstream, artful games would be, as already mentioned, Psychonauts and Dark Souls though.


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## Judge Spear (May 11, 2013)

Demensa said:


> Thank you so much for showing me this.



That man is a boss. I don't think I've seen more technical speed runs.


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## Seekrit (May 11, 2013)

XoPachi said:


> That man is a boss. I don't think I've seen more technical speed runs.



You a TAS man? It's hard to beat the computated precision of their entertainment value.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 11, 2013)

Kaedal said:


> I'm surprised not to see Bastion or Vessel mentioned yet. The former is artful in more than one way, and the latter is just pure, unadulterated fun with liquids. Some more mainstream, artful games would be, as already mentioned, Psychonauts and Dark Souls though.



Shit, I was going to put Bastion on my list. I'd play that game for the narrator's voice alone!


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## benignBiotic (May 12, 2013)

Kaedal said:


> I'm surprised not to see Bastion or Vessel mentioned yet.


Bastion just didn't make an impression on me. The artwork was nice, but the gameplay was pretty shallow. While the narration thing was cool I felt it got old pretty quickly. But that's just me.


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## NerdyMunk (May 13, 2013)

I don't understand why any of the Uncharted's aren't mentioned yet. >_>


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## Aquin (May 13, 2013)

If this is over time:

1. Ni No Kumi: Wrath of the White Witch - it isn't just the art I'm talking about, but the whole game captures you in a short time in its world even if your not normally into the type of story that it is. One of my all time favorite JRPGs.

2. F-Zero (ALL of them) - between the characters, original and memoriable OSTs, etc. 

3. Secret of Mana - Ending made me friggin cry. 

4. Terranigma - The only other game with an ending that nearly made me cry. Very fun gameplay. The story itself was art.

5. Fatal Frame Series - To this date, still one of my favorite survival horror games. The artwork kept true to the tale throughout the whole game. Story history that you find through out the series provided further backup and covered loose ends pretty well.


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## Judge Spear (May 13, 2013)

secretfur said:


> You a TAS man? It's hard to beat the computated precision of their entertainment value.



Not so much. I can't really praise frame by frame stuff too often even if it looks phenomenal at normal speed.


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## benignBiotic (May 14, 2013)

Aquin said:


> 5. Fatal Frame Series - To this date, still one of my favorite survival horror games. The artwork kept true to the tale throughout the whole game. Story history that you find through out the series provided further backup and covered loose ends pretty well.


I can agree with this. It was really savvy of the designers to essentially force the player to get close to the spooky ghosts.


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## veeno (May 17, 2013)

In no order at all

1. Yoshis Island
2.Majoras Mask
3.Metroid prime
4.Super Mario world.
5.Super Metroid.

Nintendo Fan girl? What are you talkin about?


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## Aleu (May 19, 2013)

i must admit some of the games mentioned don't seem like they belong here at all but rather are a compilation of favorite games


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## Judge Spear (May 19, 2013)

A few people didn't get in depth with why so who knows what their tastes in art could be exactly. I could only name three so they did a better job than I did.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 20, 2013)

Aleu said:


> i must admit some of the games mentioned don't seem like they belong here at all but rather are a compilation of favorite games





XoPachi said:


> A few people didn't get in depth with why so who knows what their tastes in art could be exactly. I could only name three so they did a better job than I did.



There is a line between favorite games and most artful, a line that not everyone sees. I know that when I posed this question to my friends, I had to remind them about that. People have strong attachments to what they like, so they want to boost those games in all ways possible. Also, some people I think are posting games simply because the graphics are good. That's nice, but to me, art has to be a little more than just something that's rendered well. I tried very hard with my list to pick things that were both pretty and that communicated a deeper emotion.

Still, this is all subjective, and most people did not decide to go into the detail that I did about their reasons. With this in mind, I really have no grounds upon which to judge them. Just as people have different tastes in paintings, they're going to have different tastes in the type of "art" that video games are. If there is someone you really disagree with or that you just can't understand, you can ask for their reasons and discuss it. I know I'd like to hear more about what other people define as "art".


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## SirRob (May 20, 2013)

I'm gonna go more in depth with my choices. Firstly, when I think of the word artful, I think of something that's avant-garde. Groundbreaking, doing something different. But my own personal tastes in art don't coincide with that, which I wanted to focus more on for this list. All of the games I listed appeal to those tastes, and I use them for reference and inspiration for my own art. 

Radiant Dawn is my primary reference for character and scene designs. The style is anime, but there's a large variety in the body types and faces. The soft shading and toned down colors is pleasant, and there's this sort of aura about it that's serious, yet approachable. The clothing design is fairly simple, yet distinct and elegant. The scenery and cutscene images are absolutely gorgeous; they're all crisply rendered and meticulously detailed. I haven't seen another game with such high quality 2D art, and that includes later games in the series.

Brawl is a compilation of a lot of series where the art direction appeals to me, including Fire Emblem, Sonic and Zelda which I all included in my list. So naturally it appeals to me ten fold. Brawl is very similar to Radiant Dawn in its use of color- they both feature that soft shading and toned down palette, while keeping a colorful, whimsical, and friendly vibe. That's a blend that I love and strive for in my art. What I love especially about Brawl is how it takes such a diverse collection of series and makes them all look like they belong in the same group. To achieve such cohesion despite the huge variety in characters and environments is an inspiring thing. 

Skyward Sword puts a heavy emphasis on its art style. It's sort of a culmination of the styles featured in previous Zelda games, and it adds its own distinct flavor with its impressionist approach. You won't find another game that looks like Skyward Sword. There's such a rich variety in monster and character designs, something that I've always enjoyed in Zelda. Everything has a lot of personality to it, not only from the design, but the animations, too. 
Definitely my favorite area in the game is the Lanayru Desert, which shifts back and forth from a desolate wasteland to a vibrant blend of nature and industry. Blending environmental conventions is a concept I've been fascinated with, and it's something I want to use in my own art.

Sonic Generations is actually pretty similar to Skyward Sword in terms of its art direction, since it blends previous styles from the series. I love its re-imagining of worlds from the past games; they're all highly inspired, and inspiring. Sonic Generations focuses on its environments, and puts a lot of care into filling every second with something beautiful. These environments are highly varied-- I've heard people say the opposite, but I disagree. Every level has its own feeling, achieved through their distinct color palette and architecture. 

Persona 4 is the black sheep in my list, since I like it for entirely different reasons. Honestly, I'm a little surprised to see that I listed it and not Arena, because everything I like about Persona 4 is improved there. I'm not so much impressed with the environments, but I do like the character designs and some of the Persona designs. What I really like about Persona 4 however is its use of design elements. Stuff like the user interface and menus. It's minimalistic, using mostly solid colors, lines and circles. Yet it manages to be highly distinct, and the way everything flows is really pleasing to look at. The opening's use of design and text is brilliant, and it's a huge source of inspiration for my design work.

I wanted to include Pokemon in my list, since it's also a big inspiration for me, but it's mostly the official art I like. Since that's not an actual part of the game, I left it out.

Edit: Oh yeah, Sonic Generations has fantastic loading screens/menus/UIs, too. Similar to Persona 4 but more colorful and playful.


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## HereKittyKitty (May 21, 2013)

SirRob said:


> Persona 4 is the black sheep in my list, since I like it for entirely different reasons. Honestly, I'm a little surprised to see that I listed it and not Arena, because everything I like about Persona 4 is improved there. I'm not so much impressed with the environments, but I do like the character designs and some of the Persona designs. What I really like about Persona 4 however is its use of design elements. Stuff like the user interface and menus. It's minimalistic, using mostly solid colors, lines and circles. Yet it manages to be highly distinct, and the way everything flows is really pleasing to look at. The opening's use of design and text is brilliant, and it's a huge source of inspiration for my design work.



Persona 4 also had _mostly_ good music choices for the various dungeons- Nanako's was the best- and I really enjoyed how many options they gave you. It was mind-boggling to think of how many possible persona combinations there were, it must have taken forever (exclaimed by the girl who knows nothing about video game programming). And then, of course, they tried to get really deep with their characters, letting you get to know them and bond with them, all that jazz. It definitely wasn't the best game I've ever seen, but it had a lot of good points.


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