Games That Do Something Interesting With The Art Form

Slowly adding notes to these to explain why they're on the list as I get the time.

Just a list of games I've played that remind me why I love video games. Every game on this whether a masterpiece or simply just ok explores concepts that can only be explored within video games. This includes games with interesting aesthetics that are worth exploring in the medium of video games, games that are about video games, games that let you explore an interesting environment in a way that other art forms wouldn't allow, to games that simply have a few interesting scenes or techniques that could only exist in a video game. These aren't my favourite games just the ones that make me excited about gaming as an art form.

These games also have to be interesting from a modern-day perspective. I want someone to be able to pick up any of these games and experience something unique. That wouldn't happen if this list was filled with influential games that shaped video games, yes, but without the context of when they came out wouldn't seem that unique.

Elden Ring
Elden Ring
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3
Hades
Hades
Undertale
Undertale
Minecraft
Minecraft
Portal 2
Portal 2
Celeste
Celeste
Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush
Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0
Portal
Portal
The portal gun mechanic is genius.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey
Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man
A game that truly makes you feel like Spider-Man. Is a great example of how video games can put you in the shoes of an iconic fictional character.
Cuphead
Cuphead
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds
Alan Wake II
Alan Wake II
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The perfect celebration of all things Nintendo and to a lesser extent gaming as a whole.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
BioShock
BioShock
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite
Inscryption
Inscryption
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard is straight up the scariest game I've ever played which would on its own warrant it a spot on this list, but weirdly that's not why this game sprang to mind when compiling these titles. No, it's two other things.

One, the idea of viewing a tape in-game and then playing out what's on that tape is a really interesting concept.

And two, the first boss fight against Jack is one of the tensest boss fights in anything. Scrambling together to find any way to kill this seemingly immortal man is just amazing. It's a very scripted boss fight that manages to feel more free-form. You get into the car to ram him not because that feels like the obvious way to do damage but out of a sense of desperation to do anything to slow him down. There have been few times in a game where my only thought has been "I need to kill this guy now" but this was one of them.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Control
Control
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Persona 5
Persona 5
Neon White
Neon White
EarthBound
EarthBound
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Silent Hill
Silent Hill
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Mother 3
Mother 3
Journey
Journey
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch
Wii Sports
Wii Sports
Papers, Please
Papers, Please
Psychonauts
Psychonauts
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV
Turns the idea of a road trip into a video game.
Unpacking
Unpacking
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2
Deltarune: Chapter 2
Deltarune: Chapter 2
Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3
Gris
Gris
A Short Hike
A Short Hike
Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Firewatch
Firewatch
Killer7
Killer7
Metroid Fusion
Metroid Fusion
Five Nights at Freddy's
Five Nights at Freddy's
The idea of staying in one place whilst the monsters come to you is still a really interesting concept for a horror game.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Judgment
Judgment
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Deltarune: Chapter 1
Deltarune: Chapter 1
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight
Yume Nikki
Yume Nikki
OneShot
OneShot
Superliminal
Superliminal
A puzzle game that uses perspective itself as a puzzle mechanic.
Pikmin
Pikmin
Ōkami
Ōkami
Bastion
Bastion
The Messenger
The Messenger
Abzu
Abzu
Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game is one of the only comedy games I can think of where the humour comes from the gameplay instead of the writing. It's comedy and more specifically slapstick translated into a gameplay mechanic.
Ico
Ico
Transistor
Transistor
Baba is You
Baba is You
An interesting game about manipulating the rules of a video game.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire
Donut County
Donut County
Persona 4
Persona 4
Immortality
Immortality
The Silver Case
The Silver Case
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
Five Nights at Freddy's 3
Five Nights at Freddy's 3
Outsmarting a single character without the ability to move is really interesting to me.
Oxenfree
Oxenfree
Iron Lung
Iron Lung
Fez
Fez

2 Comments


5 months ago

Would be great if you could elaborate in the game notes what (spoiler free) makes those games so special.

4 months ago

Ditto!


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