Video Games as Literature

A Quick Reflection:

Literature-quality writing in video games is, admittedly, very hard to come by. I acknowledge that the medium is very new, and I am hopeful that, with time, there will be more and more video games that can emulate the greatness of a well-written novel. In truth, writing is just one aspect of many that make video games so memorable. It would be asking a lot of the very limited writing and dialogue to rival that of a novel when video game writing’s main purpose is to propel a typically action-packed story. These games listed above, however, come close to games that perfectly blend the elements talked about throughout this website to create unforgettable experiences for gamers.

I was reminded of Aristotle’s “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” quote, and was thinking about how this could be applied to video games. It is true that a video game lacking in one area (i.e. writing) can certainly make up for it in others (i.e. music, gameplay). This certainly cannot be the case for written literature, whose quality is judged solely on the words written on the page. This is what makes video games so compelling to me as a literary genre; the fact that plenty of components come together to achieve an experience unlike any other floors me. I am so happy to have grown up in an environment that encouraged me to explore not only the world around me, but also the worlds that are entirely unattainable yet completely within reach thanks to video games.

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Roger Ebert once argued that

“No one in or out of the field has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great poets, filmmakers, novelists and poets”

It is not uncommon for critics of the older genres of art to kick to the curbside newer art mediums as “simply not good enough.” When considering video games as an art medium, it is more than crucial to understand the care that went into the writing, auditory, and visual elements of these games. There should be allowed no room for discrediting video game designers on the sole basis of video games being too new a medium of storytelling. Compelling and emotional narrative can be told in the digital space through video games just as effortlessly as with pen and paper.

What do my readers think?

Can and should video games qualify as worthy mediums of art?

Are there any video games you’ve played that embody the essence of peak storytelling?

What are some of your favorite video games and why? What aspects of these games compel you most?

I would love to hear what you guys think. Leave a comment down below!