Games As Literature

I recently started replaying Marathon 2: Durandal, and I realized that I didn't really like it as a game so much as a novel.  And as such I'd probably get more enjoyment out of the old marathon.bungie.org/story/ page.

I've made it clear that I generally don't view games as art.  I've softened on that of late.  There are three games I'd potentially consider art, and two of them I don't like (not because they're bad, but because it "isn't my scene", like how I just don't like racing games).  The three games are The Void (Tension if you're in Europe), Metro 2033, and Bastion (the one I like).

I bring this up because I've decided that Spec Ops: The Line is definitely going to be purchased by year's end.  If you haven't watched the Extra Credits episodes on it, do so now.  Or at least the first episode because episode one is spoiler free and episode two is spoilertastic.  And some of what they bring up is mentioned in the Zero Punctuation review as well.  One man (a very stupid man, but I digress) once said that games are art, it's just a question of good art and bad art.  I still argue that games like Modern Warfare are not art.  They aren't bad art, because they aren't art at all.  Perhaps games shouldn't be divided in two: good art versus bad art, or art versus not art.  Instead, maybe it's three: good art, bad art, and not art.  Maybe.

Damn You, Bethesda!

I've "beaten" it twice, I've finished the DLC, and I'm still starting new games of this: