Subjective Question For Game Enthusiasts.

[Cairus]

I saw this leafing through GI and want to hear your opinion:

If there was one game that you felt had the best potential to convince a passerby that it qualified not just as a 'video game' but truly a WORK OF ART,  which would it be?

[Goman Fox]

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga.  Technically two games but I'm counting them as one since it's a direct story link.

Why?  The story is interesting and I think the character development is great, which was heavily supported by some amazing voice acting, the best I've ever heard in a video game, and I think it's even better than some TV shows I've seen.

It's easy (for me at least) to really connect with the characters because they literally start off with no emotions, no real sense of individuality, and you get to watch them develop and deal with coming to terms with their new personalities and emotions and such.

Plus the whole package of gameplay, visuals, music and storyline blend really well together.  If I could recommend only one game to someone, this would be it (the first part specifically, although the second is great too).

[polarassasin]

star craft 2, because i now have dreams where im a zergling, and i rush like no tomorrow... or nightmares where im the last zergling running from a fleet of protos void rays o..o  seriously think im addicted to this game, and its only the 3 rd RTS ive ever played, an i usually hate rts's o.o

[Taylor-MadeAK]

As good as StarCraft 2 is (I will play you yet, polarassasin!), it's not purely what I would call art.  Yes, a lot of art went into making the game, but you see most of it in the single player campaign and even then most of the story is the usual "underdog vs. evil government" dreck (still good, mind you, but it's been done before).

Video games are a great medium for telling stories, and the best stories are the ones that make you feel.  Final Fantasy is great and all, but I have yet to play a game in that series that allowed me to connect with a character enough to make me care when something bad/good/surprising happened to them (see: Aeris vs. Sephiroth).

No, for a video game to be considered art in my esteem, it must do two things well.  First it must tell a compelling story.  Second, the game's visual artwork must be distinct and beautiful.  The Whispered World is one such game.  As much of a pussy as it reveals me to be, I will admit that I cried at the end of that game.

[Eternimus]

Xenogears. I played that game till the data layer started to erode, then I made ISOs. Not that lame pathetic bullshit retarded monkey head-in-ass bastardized abortion Xenosaga, I mean the original PS1 Xenogears. That game kicks entire area codes of ass.



Ah Elly... my first real gamer crush. The story I adored, the game itself was a blast, I loved the combat system, The graphics weren't the best, but tough sh**. I have yet to find a modern day RPG I loved near as much. I have yet to play one that had such an engaging story. Allys becoming enemies, enemies becoming allies, secret lives, forbidden love, needless death, quests for revenge, gods... there is so much there. I know everything that's going to happen, every move, every item, every secret, every combo, and I STILL play the damn thing. That was a good friggin game, and if they were qualified as works of art, that was one.

[Keph]

If there was one game that you felt had the best potential to convince a passerby that it qualified not just as a 'video game' but truly a WORK OF ART,  which would it be?

My personal vote would be for the game Ico. Hands down, that (and Shadow of the Colossus, incidentally) blur the line between art and the gaming experience. Other than that, I'd go with Okami.

I'll think about that some more tonight.

[Dustee]

If there was one game that you felt had the best potential to convince a passerby that it qualified not just as a 'video game' but truly a WORK OF ART,  which would it be?

My personal vote would be for the game Ico. Hands down, that (and Shadow of the Colossus, incidentally) blur the line between art and the gaming experience. Other than that, I'd go with Okami.

I'll think about that some more tonight.

i agree with this full heartedly, i was going to use these myself, but it seems you beat me to the punch