VIDEO GAMES ARE ART:
THE LAST OF US
Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21st century, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.
Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of videogames allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is The Last of Us.
THIS WON'T TAKE LONG...
What is there to say about this game that hasn’t already been said? It’s truly a masterpiece that is more like a playable movie than a video game. While I do not think it is a style suited for most games, it is nearly perfected in this instance.
Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are brilliant as Joel and Ellie and the rest of the cast rises to match their stellar performances. It’s worth noting that the actors were motion captured for the game so not only did they lend their voices, but they supplied their movements and facial expressions to the developers as well. As players, we get to witness their full performances, which is a rarity in gaming..
Despite the game’s setting in a “zombie” apocalypse, it feels quite real. The movements are not exaggerated or fast and combat is brutal. As a player, you rarely feel super powered like you might in other games. In the few instances you do, it is only because of the difficulty setting. Players can make the game more realistic by making it harder. This in turn makes players feel more human and vulnerable.
The “zombies” aren’t too farfetched either. The disease that causes these zombie-like transformations in the game is one that actually exists in ants. It makes a seemingly unbelievable scenario more real and puts fear in the back of the player’s mind. One cannot help but wonder if this disease might one day evolve to affect humans.
Basically, everything in this game is incredible. The writing, storytelling, design, and characters are matched in quality by few other games. The fact that you play it instead of watch it adds a layer of immersion that you can’t get in most other media, including most other video games. For these and all the other reasons so many others have stated before, The Last of Us truly IS art.