I’m sure that most everyone here has heard the argument, or made it, at least once. My point of view might be a little different from what some people probably take. I am no merely looking at the visuals, though they are still a part of it; I am looking more at the story. Specifically, how the story makes you feel. Art, in whatever other form you look at, is basically supposed to provoke an emotion or thought.
Just to give some background on me: all the games I mention I have played and thoroughly and enjoy quite a lot (the exception being Two Worlds). Some I have spent hundreds of hours in and have many, many characters.
Visuals:
I know that I said that I was focusing more on story, but this is still important. Look at Destiny. It is mostly competitive play, but still has a decent story. It could have some improvements, yes, but it still drew you at least a little. I happen to like it, others barely touched it and went on to MP. For me where Destiny really shines is in the world that they created. It contains some impressive and detailed areas to explore and, some very coo skyboxes.
I feel similarly about Dragon Age: Inquisition, though it has a lot more depth with the story. It is an RPG after all. It has some of the best character models I have seen so far. If you have ever looked on the Screenarchery thread, you will know what I mean. There are some fantastic shots there, some look almost real.
Nowadays, a game with mediocre graphics will most likely be over looked, even if it has a very compelling story.
Audio:
This is nearly as important as good writing. Anyone that played Two Worlds knows that; decent writing and bad voice acting made a bad game. Without good voice acting a game is bland, even if it had the most amazing story, people would be bored. The score/ soundtrack also play a role; can you imagine Mass Effect or Star Wars without music? Try watching a clip with the music from a scene edited out, it is not the same. You might not even notice it most of the time, it almost plays to your subconscious. Then you hear a piece outside of the game and immediately you are taken to that scene, feeling different than you did five minutes ago. That is a good writer and a good composer working together to create a feeling, to create art.
Characters and Story:
This is the important part, what draws you to buy the game in the first place and what will bring you back over and over again. (Unless you are a multiplayer addict.)
Before I get into anything really controversial, I want to mention Halo: Reach. In my opinion this is as close to a perfect story a first-person shooter has ever gotten. The first attempt Bungie had at giving faces, feelings, and names to your entire squad (ODST), tripped and stumbled its way through the story. It was not a bad story, just poorly executed. Reach really made up for it, even though you know already have pretty good idea of what is going to happen. The entire story is bleak and grows progressively more hopeless. Even knowing what will inevitably happen you still form a connection with the other Spartans, and you can feel it when you lose one. Reach does a pretty good job of showing the bleakness of war and sacrifice. Some deaths you can rationalize away, Jorge for example. The other characters do, “He just sacrificed himself thinking he just saved the planet.” Other hit you when you don’t expect it, like Kat. Yeah, I’ll admit it, at that point I was a little choked up. You don’t see it coming, and not everyone dies in a fight and facing their enemy. But at the end, I felt sorrow and triumphant. You were sad about the loss, but felt good that you accomplished your mission.
Inquisition is similar to this. It has a fun ride, some ups and downs. At the end you are left with an adequately triumphant ending. You did what was set before you.
Mass Effect
I know where this could end up, and I am going to --try-- to avoid some of the fire. I want to focus on ME3. Why? Because it is the end of Shepard’s story. For two games you have been collecting allies, friends, connections, and enemies; all to stop the Reapers.
You have your friends: Garrus, Ashley, Jack, Miranda, Liara, Wrex, Mordin, Tali, Legion, or maybe you don’t. Maybe they didn’t survive Virmire or the Collector Base. You did not like them anyway, so you killed them off yourself, or you did not gain someone’s loyalty and that cost you someone who you do like. You really like *insert whoever* and decide to pursue your space romance, doing what you can to keep your love life alive, despite mistrust and Shepard’s own troubles.
All of this is important to the story. The characters are the people that you may start off hating, and when you actually bother to talk to them and find that they have a fantastic story. Or might think they are awesome from the first line and adore them all the way until you shed a tear when they cure the genophage. (Which I have not heard or read a single thing related to the ‘Curing the Genophage’ arc that was negative.)
The characters made Mass Effect. They made the story, and they are part of the reason there was such a…reaction to the ending. Everyone wanted complete closure for their Shepard, their romance, their story. You know what I believe? That is partly what the writers wanted. You got so emotionally invested in the story, in the characters, that you wanted an end tailored for you and nothing else mattered.
I believe we got the best ending with the Citadel DLC. It is the best DLC that I have ever played, and in my opinion a proper ending to Shepard’s story. It showcases how good writing can be for a video game, and how they can provoke a reaction from their fans. It is a fun, silly, and emotional part of the game.
This is what art does; it provokes a reaction and elicit emotion, even if out of original context.
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