Video Games As Interactive Art

It’s pretty much agreed on that some games are art-based - they feature beautiful and/or stylistic artwork, and sometimes the art is really what makes the game. Many games can be called a work of art. But can a work of art be a game? Usually the art in a game takes the backseat, aiding and enhancing the gaming experience. But recently a number of games have begun to question what would happen if the art was the game. The point is not to get through the game and “win,” the point is to just play for the sake of playing. Sometimes, there is no point. The focus lies in the experience. You as a player are placed inside a work of art, and your actions influence the whole artwork in general, or help you discover new ways of seeing it.

You might call it interactive art.

One of the best examples of this is the Playstation Network game Linger In Shadows. Linger in Shadows places you inside a work of art that is in constant motion, and constantly changing. You are watching the artwork unfold, but, being inside of it, you also have the power to alter it. You can pause, rewind, change your point of view, and uncover hidden areas, segments, and images. In order to fully appreciate and understand what you’re seeing, you need to explore within the world that Linger In Shadows creates. There is no real goal in this game. Sure there are PS trophies and images that you can uncover, but in reality, it’s just an animated movie. You can choose to just watch the whole thing through and enjoy it as just the art. Or you can pick up the controller and join in. It’s a beautiful idea.

Another beautiful idea - and astonishingly beautiful game - is Flower. Flower is another PSN game. Unlike Linger In Shadows, it does have a more clear-cut goal. It opens with a flower sitting on the window-sill in a gray, lifeless city. When you enter the game itself, you begin with one flower. One petal. In a vast, colorless field. Press any button on the controller to make the wind blow and move the petal, and turn the controller to guide your petal to a few scattered and closed flowers. Pass over a closed flower and it opens. As you move through this gray world, you collect more and more petals, and bring color everywhere you pass. I can’t repeat enough times how pretty this game is. The idea is so simple, and the controls are the basic of the basic, but the game is amazing. It’s a work of art, and it’s your job is to color it - and create the soundtrack. Every flower, every area, everything you do adds beautiful music to the already gorgeous soundtrack. You can go through the game in a linear fashion, uncovering more areas and adding flowers to your windowsill (as well as bringing color to the city outside little by little). But that’s not the point. The point is the experience of the game. I must have spent a good hour or so in one specific level where you can color the grass different colors with your petals as you pass over it. The beauty of this kind of art is that every time you play, the artwork is a little different, a little more personal.

The last game/art I’m going to mention is not from PSN, but is for the PC (non-PS3 users rejoice!). The Path is a short psychological horror tale that draws inspiration from Little Red Riding Hood. The story follows several girls as they face their own metaphorical “wolves,” and, while it is open for interpretation, could be taken to be symbolic for girls going from childhood into adulthood. The distinct art style and ambiguous nature of this game makes it more of a work of art, a short interactive film, than a game.

Modern art is always looking to push the boundaries of what art is. Will interactive art in the form of video games be the next step in the art world? These games are already blurring the line between what is considered an artistic game, and what is considered a game-like work of art.