It’s fair to say that the perception of video games has changed a lot over the last few decades. In the 1980s and 1990s, the industry was seen in a negative light in most respects. By that, we refer to some of the pearl-clutching on the impact gaming had on children; it supplanted television as “chewing gum for the eyes” and was, at best, recommended only in moderation. Things have changed, and now gaming is a pastime enjoyed by billions of people around the world, and it’s certainly not limited to children.
Yet, while the perception of gaming as an activity has changed, so too has its reputation when it comes to artistic merit, both in terms of storytelling and visual art. There was a limit as to what extent game developers could do in the 80s to bring their artistic visions to life – there’s only so much you could do on an 8-bit console – yet once technology caught up with the imagination of game’s creators, the sector became a blank canvas for some amazing art.
Okami Demonstrated that Video Games Could be ‘High’ Art
The list of beautifully designed games is endless. To give two examples, consider Okami and Gris. The former is one of the most visually unique video games ever released. Some have described it as playing a moving Japanese sumi-e ink painting. Its arrival in 2006 blew many of us away, creating a watershed moment that finally dispelled any argument that video games could not be considered art.
As for Gris, well, it did something extraordinary, with every color palette representing the mood of the protagonist. It was a moving (both literally and figuratively) visual depiction of passing through stages of grief and back out again. Every frame of the video game feels fresh and unique like it could be a piece of art in itself.
These are just a couple of examples, but there are so many more. You can find stunning representations of video game art in the most unexpected of places, and they are certainly not limited to AAA games. From abstractly styled puzzlers on mobile waiting to be discovered in an app store to depictions of American wilderness in popular buffalo-themed slot games, there are so many examples of artistic merit in the gaming world.
AI May Impact What We Consider to be Artistic
Will games continue to evolve to become more artistically merited? The reactionary answer is yes, most definitely. The inimitable Okami was made almost 20 years ago, and logic would, therefore, dictate that technology would facilitate more masterpieces that could exceed Okami in the future.
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However, there are some things to be cautious of. Most notably, artificial intelligence. AI is gaining influence in video game design – perhaps at a greater pace than any other sector of entertainment. While the debate rages over whether the use of AI can ever constitute art, which is based on the premise that art is only ever a form of human expression, the reality is that AI will – and already has done – replace human labor in the design and creation of video games. That means we are likely to have scenarios where someone’s vision for a video game is never realized.
That said, it’s likely that we will continue to see wonderful video game artwork. For now, anyone who wants to see some breath-taking designs spanning different genres of art should check out some of the games on the following list: Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cuphead, Red Dead Redemption 2, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, Inside, Limbo, Abzû, Firewatch, Hyper Light Drifter, Hades, Control, Kentucky Route Zero, Monument Valley, and Shadow of the Colossus.