OMG.

[hmpf]

Why are game genres that I really don't like beginning to look so damn gorgeous nowadays?

This makes me want to learn how to play airborne shoot'em-ups (or whatever you call that genre). Check out the trailer, the screenshots don't do it justice.

There seems to be, nowadays, a subset of computer games/video games that are mainly about navigating a work of art, rather than about accomplishing any kind of directive. I hesitate to even call what's happening there worldbuilding, although that's a somewhat related phenomenon. But it's really closer to painting and sculpture than to worldbuilding and storytelling. Or maybe there's a bit of all of these in there. Anyways, this is nearly utterly about a new kind of aesthetic experience. 'New' in that you don't stand in front of the work of art, but walk/fly/jump around in it. Strangely enough, even with a 2D game, the fact of being able to 'walk around in it' changes the aesthetic experience, in ways that I find difficult to explain.

I've already begun to learn to love platformers. Will I learn to love other previously unattractive genres, too? (But my reflexes are crap! I'll never get good enough to really experience these games! *cries*)

Here's another example.

**

Here, have two short, artistic online platformers:

Shy Dwarf
Seven

Comments

[jazzymegster.livejournal.com]

Have you heard of The Path? Apparently that was an exercise in blending art and exploration or something like that. Sadly it's not free, but the download is only $10 dollars (not sure how that converts to Euros). I haven't played it yet, but it sounds interesting. Oh, and it's riffing on the whole Red Riding Hood thing.

Did you ever manage to download Yume Nikki after?

Yes, I've heard of The Path.

[hmpf.livejournal.com]

But if it's like one of that studio's other games, The Endless Forest, then I can't play it, because it will insist on installing itself on my system drive, which is very, very small. :-(

I did manage to download Yume Nikki; but I can't get it to run. Maybe you could walk me through the setup on IM sometime?

Re: Yes, I've heard of The Path.

[jazzymegster.livejournal.com]

Ah, fair enough.

Yup, can do that :) Should be on pretty much any time in the evening at the moment.