Closest game you know as pure art?

[Salandrin]

This isn't referring to a mere videogame. This is a thread to base opinions on what one game do you guys think is so groundbreaking or fascinating it can be considered a true piece of art? IMO, it will always be this game.

No matter what you say, this game and MGS2 were the first games to show how far games can go to strive as art.

[Caiada]

Bioshock. There's games I love more, but that's the closest one to art.

There's a few scenes or pieces of other games that I can think of that might qualify, but no other whole games that I've played do. At least traditional art.

The art of video games though? LoZ: Skyward Sword. Absolutely no comparison with anything in the whole medium. Single-handedly revived my interest in gaming.

[Sargerus]

Metal Gear Solid 3.
It's beautiful, it has a deep story, memorable characters, a bit of funny moments, and one of the best endings of all time.

[TheWerebison]

I was gonna say several indie games, such as Dear Esther, or Limbo.

[Deleted]

Okami. In every sense of the word is Okami a piece of art, masterwork. I certainly don't hope that the PSP game was the 'hinted-at' sequal... That said, my expectations for that game are very high after the first one, so dunno if it'd be a good idea, but I can hope... xD

I'm a very big fan of the Silent Hill games, especially 2 and 3, 4 was ok, but I couldn't sympathize at all with that piece of concrete blank slate Henry, or whatever his name was, oh god... >_>

[MrSerious]

I actually had to think about this one since I have played Sooooo many games from the C64 onwards. I think you're on the money with MGS. although I would say MGS1 - that was amazing and before the storyline started to get a little bit crazy. FFVII also was one of those games that amazed me, story, graphics and the shear scale of it all.

I'm sure if I started played WoW when it first came out that would also been something I would of classed at art, but instead I started during wrath so it wasn't that amazing.

[llandrywyn]

Metal Gear Solid 3.
It's beautiful, it has a deep story, memorable characters, a bit of funny moments, and one of the best endings of all time.

I have to disagree wholeheartedly. The story was the typical garbage the genre produces, the characters were cardboard cutouts with no depth at all and the ending was entirely without merit. The "big reveal" was something you already knew as fact if you'd played the previous games.

Gaming as art; I personally have to choose Minecraft. It's not the first game of its genre, nor even the best - but something about it has captivated the imagination of such a large number of the gaming community into, rather than having a game dictated to them, truly creating in their game space. To me that's groundbreaking and fascinating.

[Deleted]

Ive only looked at others playing Shadow of the colossus but its the game that have the lowest game vs art ratio. I mean all games have both elements in them. But my vote goes to shadow of the colossus without even playing it.

Another world deserves a honorable mention. That game still looks ok today imo compared to how i remember alot of other games from that era that i see today. the AA in my head have made me alot of favours when it comes to those games.

[Tyratops]

I was gonna say several indie games, such as Dear Esther, or Limbo.

I was thinking Dear Esther as well.

Not really quite sure what OP is asking though.

[Slipper]

Shadow of the Collosus without a doubt.

No game like it before it and no game has been like it since.

Incredible game.

*note* I have never been that affected by storylines in games but I nearly cried when my horse fell off the bridge.

[Deleted]

Bastion!
Awesome graphics in that game, warm, colourful and full of life and warmth.

[Adrianoz]

Half-Life franchise. Liad the groundwork for all modern FPS's, a very immersive and compelling environment, enchanting storyline and awesome use of physics in HL2.

[Kalx]

Dear Esther is a really good attempt at "art-fying" a game

on topic, have you guys ever seen a game called "the graveyard" on steam? that's another attempt at this, and a laughable one

[Nathanyel]

Agree with the mentioned HL2, Dear Esther and Limbo, have yet to play Shadow of the Colossus, but I only heard good things about it. I never understood why people liked the MGS and Silent Hill titles so much, and in the context of this thread, they're about as much art as the average spy/horror movie.

As for my own addition to the list, I really loved how Prince of Persia: Sands of Time managed to combine good gameplay with an enthralling story, especially the wtf moment when you lose the dagger until close to the end of the game (that's about as non-spoiler-y as I can describe it)

[Primernova]

I always give this to Okami, pure awesome.

I duno about HL2 being what I would consider art but it's an amazing game. I must have played through all the episodes and the orginal a dozen times, just for the expirence. It never gets old and that is the mark of a truely epic game and maybe, now that I think of it, yeah art.

[Woebegone]

Just came across this today.

Journey: A hauntingly beautiful art house film disguised as a game

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/review...-as-a-game.ars

The thread title said "pure art". I think this fits the bill, as it has barely any video game elements to speak of.

[Herrenos]

While I wouldn't call all these games "groundbreaking" they have always struck me as having the qualities of Art. They're creative, beautiful, and at least attempt to touch your mind in the way good art does.

Flower
Rez
Lumines and Meteos
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus

[MissCleo]

Surprised no one has said Braid yet.

[Valicen]

Why oh why has Machinarium not been mentioned :<


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwZBdWRSBRs

[Voidgazer]

Basically all games are art, unless they solely focus on the gameplay.