Life is Strange: True Colours- Videogames As Art

About 7 years ago, the first of five episodes of Life Is Strange was released onto an unsuspecting world. The creators, Dontnod, had previously produced an okay but unremarkable game called Remember Me- it was pretty forgettable-so the episodic tale of an introverted photography student with the power to rewind time did not garner much excitement. However, it ended up being one of the most talked about games of the year, garnering strong reviews and approval from the video games community at large. Since then we have had the prequel Before the Storm, and a whole new storyline with new characters in Life is Strange 2.

What appeals with these games is the mumblecore movie like vibe; authentic sounding dialogue delivered well with only a occasional clunky pieces of dialogue. The games are usually shot with an eye for cinematography, a great central mystery that pulls you in and likeable or relatable characters.

I played the latest entry, True Colours and loved getting to know Alex Chen and see the effect her empathic powers had on her. There were the usual moments of wonder, surprise and tenderness that will stay with you long after the game is over but it's the characters portrayed with depth and personality that are the real triumph here- I like the portrayal of strong women in videogames who don't need rescuing.

The game was a great palette cleanser from the open world fatigue I've suffered from after playing Elden Ring and Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West for over 200 hours.

Elden Ring- Videogames As Art

I've been playing videogames for a looong time (click here for my article on this) but Elden Ring has been a game changer for me. When I wasn't playing it, I was thinking about it. When I wasn't thinking about it, I was reading about it. When I wasn't reading about it, I was watching video essays on YouTube about it. The thing took over my gaming life and most of my nights for most of this year- my wife even complained when I entered the bedroom past midnight most nights due to the game. It's my most played game ever with over 155 hours clocked.

I didn't know how much I needed this experience. I've become used to more linear experiences in the past decade or so but From Software’s masterpiece demanded focus and attention. The scope of the game is sublime and the map(s) opens up very early on. Gone are the parochial way finding icons splodged on the map, removing any hint of a surprise (I'm looking at you Ubisoft) to a more natural, diegetic method of discovery and wonder. Okay, I don't pretend to understand all the nuance if the narrative but man, this is one of the best games ever made and it’s been a heck of a ride getting to the end. Below are screenshots of my playthrough.

The Artful Escape- Videogames As Art

I've often said that videogames can be the most amazing form of media as they can be as varied as movies and novels but they also have the added benefit of player agency.

Too often, the headline games are about shooting and killing, or worse, matching three fruits/ gems/ numbers! However, every now and again a game comes along that refreshes the palette and offers you look at the medium through a different lens and that's what The Artful Escape does. It's a story of a young musician living in the shadow of his dead famous Uncle who wants to express himself musically but feels he can't. By going through a trippy journey across alien backgrounds and worlds, many of which could have been lifted from the prog rock album covers from the 70s, he finds the strength to be true to himself.

It's a short journey, lasting about 3 hours, but boy is it a spectacle. The visual flair on show is phenomenal whilst the music matches the epic-ness of the game. If you haven't, please do check out The Artful Escape as it's a pretty unforgettable journey. Okay, all you do is press right and occasionally jump but not everything need to be a frame-reading, ball-buster of a game.

Ghostwire: Tokyo- Videogames As Art

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a stunning survival-action horror game, which doesn’t lean too much into the gore or scares. The game follows a man who is possessed by a spirit after a Rapture-like event wipes out the population of Tokyo. Instead, yokai and malevolent spirits roam the land and impede your mission to rescue your ill sister who is taken by an evil man in a mask looking to break the walls between the human and spirit world. The game is okay but the fighting does get samey and drags on after while but the animations and rain effects are incredibly beautiful. I finished the game at about 8 hours so it doesn’t overstay its welcome but it does feel like a typical Tango Studios game, great ideas that don’t fulfill their potential.

Anyways, enjoy the screenshots of my playthrough!

Elden Ring- Videogames As Art

Elden Ring is an absolute masterpiece. As more games have added bloat and pointless mission markers all over the map, losing the sense of discovery, From Software have trusted the intelligence of their audience and created a true open-world experience (at least for the first 90% of the game before it becomes more mainline). As a result, we have the most awe inspiring open‑world game where exploration is encouraged and the story is slowly unearthed. I’m 140 hours into the game and am still not finished yet, currently bashing my head against Malekith, The Black Blade, however I am loving the experience. Check out my screenshots so far!

Kirby and the Forgotten Land- Videogames As Art

I'm a big fan of Nintendo and this is mostly due to a mix of nostalgia but also its craftmanship in creating wonderful family games. After completing Super Mario 3D World and Yoshi’s Crafted World, my daughters and I were looking for our next game and Kirby and the Forgotten Land seemed to fit the bill. It is cute and 2 players so we could do the old life or level controller swaparoo!

We loved the game and completed it, taking about 15 or so hours to get through the main missions and many of the mini-games. My daughters got very trigger happy on photo-mode so I went through the game in parallel to take the screenshots. It’s gorgeous and well worth a play.

Yoshi's Crafted World- Videogames As Art

I'm a big fan of Nintendo and a huge part is due to their creativity and uniqueness in creating wonderful gaming experiences that you can play with your family. After completing Super Mario 3D World, my daughters and I were looking for our next game and Yoshi's Crafted World appealed to them due to its cute aesthetic. The art style takes a leaf out of the Kirby's Epic Yarn game in that everything in the game is made from craft materials such as bottles, cups, straws, cardboard and cans.

The sheer creativity and wealth of ideas on show is crazy. The little mini-game stages, where you are in a plane, piloting a giant robo-Yoshi or riding Poochie, pop up every now and then and add to the variety of gameplay. It's a gorgeous game and its soft fluffy look belies a challenging collectathon for those who like that kind of thing. I'm a platform fan and this game definitely scratched that itch, even if I wasn’t bothered in collecting the 600+ smily flowers. Check out the screenshots from my playthrough!

House of Ashes- Videogames As Art

Supermassive Games has its oeuvre in narrative driven horror tropes games, the studio being most know for fan-favourite Until Dawn. They continued this style of work on in the Dark Pictures Anthology series and the first part, Man of Medan came out to mixed reviews, some liking the story but not the characters and visa versa. I enjoyed the game enough but it didn’t blow me away, although the central mystery was pretty interesting. I played the second game, Little Hope, and thought that it was an okay experience but not as good as their previous work.

So, it was with some sense of trepidation that I approached the third game in the series 'House of Ashes.' The reviews had been more favourable to this game with some claiming that it was the studio's best game since Until Dawn.

Over the course of a couple of days, I have to say that I enjoyed my 6 or so hour playtime. The story was intriguing and I like how they didn't shy away from the horrors of the invasion of Iraq. The characters were more nuanced and the Iraqi backdrop was beautifully realised with the Sumerian ruins being gorgeously portrayed. In terms of gameplay its the usual QTE stuff and dialogue tree choices but it's all pretty typical of Supermassive Games. Below are screenshots of my playthrough.

Spider-Man: Miles Morale- Videogames As Art

About a year and a half ago, during one of the lockdowns, I played and completed Spiderman on the PlayStation 4. At about 20 or so hours, the game was not crazy long if you critical pathed it but there are lots of side missions a la Assassins Creed, where icons splooged all over the screen, and the annoying ‘stealth’ missions where you played as Mary Jane and Miles felt like padding in an otherwise impeccable game.

Miles Morales is a more streamlined experience and has you enjoy the best bits of the game without the extraneous ‘pipe dream’ or stealth rubbish. Instead what you get is a gorgeous 12 to 15 hour experience that is streamlined and all the better for it. Check out the screenshots from my playthrough.

Astro's Playroom- Videogames As Art

I’ve been a big advocate for VR and especially PSVR since its release. We used it in a school I taught at as a contextual hub for learning but also, after school, we’d play some awesome games including Resident Evil VII and Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Occasionally, a proof of concept comes out and shows people how amazing a new piece of kit can be and this is exactly what Astro Bot was. Much like how Mario 64 showed how 3D worlds could be realised, Astro Bot showed how VR can be used effectively to create an amazing game that couldn’t exist in any other way. So, to show how amazing and versatile the PS5 controller is PlayStation once again brought along the adorable mascot and it’s a revelation how the haptic feedback and nuanced rumble react to the onscreen gameplay.

Anyway, here are some screenshots of my playthrough of this free game!

No Straight Roads- Videogames As Art

I like to support small or new developers, especially when they create something that is truly a labour of love and I feel this is true for Metronomik with their debut game, No Straight Roads. The game is an action adventure based around Rock and EDM music. Whilst gorgeous to look at and sumptuous to listen to the gameplay is overly simplistic. However, the writing is witty, the characters are cute and well designed and the boss fights are pretty epic (if a bit bullet spongy). The game is about 6 hours long and worth your time as a pleasant diversion.

Little Hope- Videogames As Art

Supermassive Games has its ouvre in narrative driven horror tropes games, the studio being most know for fan-favourite Until Dawn. They continued this style of work on in the Dark Pictures Anthology series and the first part, Man of Medan came out to mixed reviews, some liking the story but not the characters and visa versa. I enjoyed the game enough but it didn’t blow me away, although the central mystery was pretty interesting.

So, it was with some interest that I approached Little Hope, the second game in the anthology series. I’d heard mixed reviews again but generally it was more poorly received than the previous game. Whilst browsing at my local game shop, I saw the game priced at 10 quid and though I’d give it a go.

I have to say that after the 4 or so hours it took to finish the game, only losing one from my party of five, I think it is an okay experience but not as good as their previous work. I’m not disappointed with my time spent on this game but I’m glad I bought it at a big discount as, although there are various branches and slight narrative detours available, the central story and reveal is a one and done for me.

Anyway, here are some screenshots from my playthrough. Sorry but it’s a lot of ‘moody player in shadows’ shots but that’s pretty much the game!

Florence- Videogames As Art

Every now and again, I feel compelled to play a palette cleanser of a game. I spend a lot of time gaming and sometimes the open-world games can be a bit overwhelming so to combat this I play shorter, more experimental pieces. I am a huge fan of the indie scene and it is often here that I find gems. I played Florence a couple of years ago and, after completing Jett: The Far Shore recently, I felt compelled to play it again. I’m glad I did as the 45 minute visual-novel style game following the life, loves and dreams of a young lady was very affirming and hopeful. For those who haven’t played it, I would highly recommend it- it is a deeply personal, humanist work and the art is gorgeous!

Jett: The Far Shore- Videogames As Art

Over the past month I’ve been working my way through gaming pile of shame, you know, the pile of stuff you want to work your way through but may never have the time to actually do. Just before Christmas, my family and I were isolating as we had fallen like dominoes to Covid. We’d been through lockdown like everyone else but this was the first time that we had tested positive and so had to isolate.

It was a challenge to keep the kids busy and engaged with activities away from Netflix and also to keep myself active. I’d used the time to read loads and, in the evening whilst everyone is sleeping, play videogames. I’d been working my way through 80 Days on the Switch and Final Fantasy VII Remake on the PS4, however I have a sense of gaming overwhelm as I had a huge pile of games to work through and bought some more in the Nintendo e-sale which occurred just after Christmas. So what, you may think? Well, I managed to snag a PS5 but haven’t even got around to setting that up or buying any new games. I’ve decided to wait until I’ve finished a few more games before buying any more as my guilt overwhelms me and I feel that I should complete what I already have before buying any more.

The new games out there sound amazing and I can’t wait to play Deathloop, Returnal and many more ‘must play’ titles but I want to complete the last few games I’ve downloaded onto my PS4 before moving on. This bring me to Jett: The Far Shore by Superbrothers and Pine Scented. I loved Swords and Sworcery (as you can probably tell by the aesthetics of this website) and the idea of the new game by the same guy excited me. I read the book about the game and learned about the imposter syndrome he suffered and saw the so-so Metacritic rating but that didn’t deter me; I went all in and bought the game on sale.

I recently finished Jett and boy was it an intriguing game that reached for the stars but sputtered before reaching orbit. It had high aspirations but failed ultimately due to fiddly controls and poor way-pointing, which meant hours of time lost figuring out what to do. I don’t need hand holding but I like games that respect my time and I didn’t always feel this did. However, with this monkey off my back I’m hoping to finally crack open the PS5 later this week and finally jump into Astro’s Playroom and Miles Morales.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake- Videogames As Art

I’ve just finished Final Fantasy 7 Remake and I have to say that it's a gorgeous game. You are taken down some beautiful but linear tubes which has its pro’s and cons. I enjoyed the streamlined focus of the game but I felt disappointed in this stunningly realised world where much was heavily walled off.

An area the game really develops is the characterisation. I loved the earnestness of the characters, the camaraderie that grew and the consequences of Avalanche's actions and the sense of guilt they felt when ordinary citizens died or were put in harms way by their actions against Shinra. When Biggs and Jessie die (apparently) I felt a sense of sadness as I'd known them for 20 or so hours whereas in the original they'd come and gone in about a couple. I'm not saying this game is amazing but in an age of edge-lordy stuff it's lovely to get some emotion and cheesy empathy in your character who isn't a grizzled merc or a wise-cracking sociopath.

Now, if anyone would have a word with the President of Square Enix and say sending a letter which sounds similar to the remit of Shinra about the ‘perks of NFT’s’ is peak dick move, especially after you’ve released a game about fighting against corporate greed and ecological disaster. Oh well.

Resident Evil Village- Video Games As Art

I have a deep love for Resident Evil with RE 4 and 7 being a couple of my most recent favourites from the series. I have fond memories of playing RE 7 in PSVR with a few of my friends, initially after school and then at home and sharing in the scares. Village continues the story of Ethan Winters and his family as he undergoes loads of hand-based trauma whilst battling the 4 Lords of Mother Miranda in an effort to retrieve his daughter and exact revenge for the death of his wife.

The game is wonderfully chaotic and, even though it is not as memorable as 7 or 4, it is an excellent game full of exciting set pieces. The graphics are gorgeous and the House Beneviento is a particular highlight, scaring the heck out of me. Check out the screenshots from my playthrough.

Hades- Video Games As Art

Hades is the multi-award winning and highly regarded rogue-like based on the Greek mythology that told the story of Hades’ son Zagreus trying to escape the underworld. Being Hades though the escape is extremely perilous so you die, a lot, before finally getting through the different levels of Hells.

I bought the game on the Nintendo Switch earlier in the year and alongside Skyrim, it is the game I poured most of my hours into. After nearly 100 attempts I finally managed to escape and see the first ending. I won’t spoil it but it was sweet release.

Now, speaking to a few friends I know you’re supposed to beat it about 10 times to see the ‘true’ ending but forget that… I’ve got my pile of shame building up! However, I loved my time with the game and its gorgeous art style is singularly spectacular.

Afterparty- Video Games As Art

I have a bit of affection for Night School Studios as they made one of my favourite game of recent times, Oxenfree. With its follow up game, the studio ups the ante as you control teens Milo and Lola escaping Hell rather than the island of the previous game.

In Afterparty, you play beer pong and other drinking games but the game is an introspective look at what it means to be human and how it feels to face your own mortality. It’s a powerful and emotive game but I felt it didn’t quite stick the landing, and I played it through to get both endings. Its a beautiful game though and well worth a look.

Genesis Noir- Video Games As Art

I've never really played a game quite like Genesis Noir before as boy is it a singular experience. The game is a cross between a film noir-style detective movie and a Cliff Notes version of the origins of the Universe and its end. Now, those two things shouldn't go together but they do in a wonderfully stylish and magical surrealist point and click adventure game. The art style in this game is lush looking, at times, like Lascaux cave art with stylised depictions of people, animals and locales. I don't want to spoil the game but there is one moment near the conclusion that will stay with me for a long time.

The game can be obtuse and sometimes confusing as there is very little written or spoken but the majesty of this game truly is artful.

Super Mario 3D World- Video Games As Art

I played and completed Super Mario 3D World several years ago on the Wii U but have been playing the Switch port with my daughters over the past few months. It became a weekly ritual as we played for about an hour a week, every week. Seeing the joy on my daughters’ faces as we entered a new world was one of the real pleasures of my life and, when we completed the game, the sheer excitement on their faces was heartwarming. Here are screenshots from our playthrough.