[Games as Art] What is the best writing in all of video games?

Aurelius Of Phoenix said:
Silent Hill 1-4: Among the most creative of the survival horror genre for its time and arguably still is today, when others in the genre like Resident Evil dialed the b-movie schlock up as time went on Team Silent managed to keep the games both familiar and fresh with excellent music and cerebral stories.

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2 is my go-to for describing what I want from psychological horror. Not the kind that makes me feel scared like a slasher or ghost film but the one that makes me feel broken, depressed and melancholic with its atmosphere, writing and themes.
 
Risewild said:
People say good things about Disco Elysium. I never played it so I can't really say anything about it.

Of course, there is always Planescape:Torment. Probably the most famous game related to it's writing.
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I'm currently halfway through Disco Elysium and the only game I can really compare it to is Torment. There's an enormous amount of differences between the games, almost to the point that you can't practically compare the two, but the intense focus on dialogue as well as some basic themes (what defines you, do your mistakes become a permanent part of you, etc) definitely pull a clear inspiration from Planescape.

Since I haven't finished Disco Elysium yet I don't feel safe giving that as my answer so here mine are, in no particular order:

  • Fallout: New Vegas
  • Arcanum: Steamwork and Magick Obscura
  • Bioshock
  • The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
 
I am not sure which game stories I would put down as "art" as I am not sure if they can meet the standards of other media that has such as literature. Mind you, I have never read literature so it could just be that a lot of these books and texts that are considered by critics and analysts to be the high point of writing, characterization, exploration of concepts and themes, or representing their zeitgeist is just a bunch of masturbation porn on their side to make them feel like some kind of literature "connoisseurs" of the written word who are above the rest of us plebes that do not grasp the greatness, deepness, and meaningfulness of these works.
Though I am sure that some works do indeed represent the pinnacle of craftsmanship and the writer's intellectual strength.

One problem I sometimes have with games that try to be "art" is that how disingenuous or pretentious, or should I say the people behind it are "I know I am an artist/genius and I am going to show it to you through some artsy-fartsy project, and if you don't get it or do not like it shows how stupid or backwards you really are", with as a result that a lot of people will praise it publicly because they don't want to come over as being imbeciles.
And of course more lately games that jump on the current social politics movements which almost automatically make them "deep and honest", and if you disagree you are an -ist or a -phobe. (I am sorry that I had to bring this up, it is almost like Godwin's law, but it had to be said)

All I can mention are games which storylines I felt were more memorable than those of other games that I have played. Some do indeed deal with philosophical subjects or try to tell a deeper story regarding certain themes but that is not a mandatory requirement for me to make it to my list.
  • Anachronox (god does this game need a sequel)
  • Snatcher
  • The Secret of Monkey Island
  • Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
  • Deus Ex
  • Planescape Torment
I am heavily divided on the Fallout games (Fallout 1, 2, New Vegas). I really like them but to call them art?
They are in general a lot better written than most contemporary games and a lot that came after them but I feel a little biased if I would put them down as art though I guess they do establish certain standards in gameplay connected with story telling.

Perhaps I should also treat the term "art" as what I feel it means. That it inspires thoughts and feelings in people who watch, read, or listen to it (or play it). It having an impact on people that lasts with them.
  • Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake
  • Timesplitters Future Perfect
  • Metroid Prime 1/2/3
  • Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission
  • Star Trek 25th Anniversary/Judgment Rites
 
RangerBoo said:
Bioshock 1: This is politics in video games done right. Instead of beating you over the head and telling you that you're wrong and the devs worldview is right it instead presents itself as a criqute and presents logical scenarios on how certain ideologies, like Objectivism, in its purest form wouldn't work. It also doesn't portray the believer of that ideology, Andrew Ryan, in a negative light but rather as a tragic villain who had the best of intentions but when pushed came to shove he become the very thing he hated most in the world, a tyrant..
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I don't know how you could say Bioshock doesn't hit you over the head with its political message. The final boss fight of the game is literally you fighting the cover of Atlas Shrugged. The writing in Bioshock is good but it's not some centrist piece. The narrative makes very clear its thoughts on the politics of Rapture and of men like Andrew Ryan and Fontaine.
 
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Fallout 4 is a masterclass of storytelling.
I can kill a nameless raider and find out they had a family, making little old me the bad guy.
Genius.
 
Millim said:
Fallout 4 is a masterclass of storytelling.
I can kill a nameless raider and find out they had a family, making little old me the bad guy.
Genius.
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The genius of the storytelling of Kill, Loot, Return. I mean, who doesn't love such dialogue options as "Hate Newspaper"or the amazing and well written quests like Cabot House or Kid in a Fridge. Emil and Todd are the John Steinbeck of our generation. Oh, and lets not forget the amazing and masterful storytelling of Nuka World. It so blows Dead Money out of the water. Seethe you hipster douche bags!

Atomic Postman said:
I don't know how you could say Bioshock doesn't hit you over the head with its political message. The final boss fight of the game is literally you fighting the cover of Atlas Shrugged. The writing in Bioshock is good but it's not some centrist piece. The narrative makes very clear its thoughts on the politics of Rapture and of men like Andrew Ryan and Fontaine.
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Maybe but its not condescending or extremely pompous. TLoU2 and Borderlands 3 was condescending and pompous with its messages. At least Bioshock tried to offer valid criticism.
 
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Speaking as a Master of Literature, my view is video games are no less meaningful a medium than books or film. They just get less attention and respect. Mind you, I also know that many game producers deliberately shy away from any controversy so that any meaningful content in a work could be diluted to the point of nothingness.

Have games had their Godfather yet?

We'll see.

Mind you, the definition of art for me is, "Does it move you?"
 
RangerBoo said:
God, you think so highly of yourself that it borders on arrogant. Don't see you getting Pultizers or Nobel Prizes.
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Seriously, is something wrong? You've been posting a bunch of really negative stuff and I'm worried about you. You're one of my favorite posters here and I still remember when we had that awesome podcast together. Is there anything I can do to help?

In any case, some really good answers here everyone and I applaud everyone who is participating. Appreciating games as art requires people who are willing to look beneath the surface and there's a lot of signs about this here.
 
5545Trey said:
The first Prime game is a visual masterpiece on the Nintendo Gamecube, and that goes double for Echoes.
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I'll agree with Prime 1's world and the Light Aether in Echoes, but definitely not Dark Aether. I know it's meant to be oppressive and dark, but it looks drab and unappealing instead. And yes, something can look oppressive and dark and still be appealing.
 
CT Phipps said:
Seriously, is something wrong? You've been posting a bunch of really negative stuff and I'm worried about you. You're one of my favorite posters here and I still remember when we had that awesome podcast together. Is there anything I can do to help?

In any case, some really good answers here everyone and I applaud everyone who is participating. Appreciating games as art requires people who are willing to look beneath the surface and there's a lot of signs about this here.
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My problem is your arrogance as of late. I'm sorry I called you a talentless fagot in a previous thread but you need to show some humility and not disregard criticism when it comes to things you like. Look Phipps, insults aside I do like you and was inspired to write an essay for NMA on the problems I had with Skyrim from your essays on here but you need to not disregard people's criticism. Whenever someone here tells me I am being a retarded cunt I try to improve myself. Works out best for me in the long run.
 
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Sure but you have been overly aggressive towards an overall peaceful retarded poster. Try to cut the insults down. His book sales can show if he is a hack or not. If they show he is making money then I am more jealous than anything. He made one snide comment that was annoying but nothing worth sperging over. Stop worrying about whether Letist twats enjoy mediocre movie games so much.
 
TorontoReign said:
Sure but you have been overly aggressive towards an overall peaceful retarded poster. Try to cut the insults down. His book sales can show if he is a hack or not. If they show he is making money then I am more jealous than anything. He made one snide comment that was annoying but nothing worth sperging over. Stop worrying about whether Letist twats enjoy mediocre movie games so much.
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I know which is why I apologized.
 
Good deal and I am saying this for your benefit not to scold you. Just try to disengage from some of this shit if you get too heated because it is wasting your energy and I hate seeing you get all worked up. Phipps posts some pretty odd things that drive me crazy from time to time. If I engaged him on all of these points I would be behaving like you were so I am just pointing it out. I don't mind the insults but Hass does. Every single time I curb stomp a noob Hass takes me in his office and spanks me. It's part of the reason I do it. But this is a fairly active poster that contributes some threads of dubious quality that is not here strictly for talking about gun control so I want to keep him around even if I do not agree with him.
 
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