English VI

Homework:

About realism in videogames –

Recent videogames not only depict the world we live in realistically but also offer different views on
what we consider to be “real”, and feed on Art to deliver experiences that mimic human emotion and
development.

In The Oxford Dictionary of Art “realism” is defined as “in its broadest sense the word is used as vaguely
as naturalism, implying a desire to depict things accurately and objectively. Often, however, the term
carries with it the suggestion of the rejection of conventionally beautiful subjects, or of idealization, in
favour of a more down-to-earth approach.” This means that any representation will be faithful to what
we perceive as real, with no changes whatsoever. Videogames however, being a hybrid of all sorts of
media does not fully comply with any possible definitions. Be it of realism or of art due to the interaction
between game and player or because it is a kind of organic bond, that grows with prolonged exposure. A
game where one has command, in real time, over infrastructures and the ability to issue orders that
allows a city development, or any other physical manifestation inside the game, would be considered a
RTS or, Real Time Strategy, and if this game were to have an online multiplayer connection, it would be
an MRTS or, Multiplayer Real Time Strategy. Now, if we take into account games like “World in conflict”
which drops the player into a faithfully recreated world, with nothing but a simple question –“What if
Russians had invaded America?” thrown into the mix, it is easy to see that certain lines begin to falter.
The world is still realistic. The characters are lifelike; the cities are real; the main story line is still based
in real events and so is the debris falling. However we have a new world and we can interact with it, and
further develop new outcomes. If we think about the games “Medal of Honour” and “Call of Duty” which
not only use real people, real places, but change the perspective from “top-down” to “first person” we
get a whole new experience capable of triggering emotional responses in players. This is because games
have a type of crescendo like development, which builds into a “rush” feeling. This effect, coupled with
the personal sensation of being “there” is one of the main gears which fuels players into following the
games created from a specific Softhouse, and creates such avid arguments over games.

This “crescendo” effect is capable of creating a sense of epicness which defines many of today’s games.
Games like “Dragon Age: Origins” and “Mass Effect” were created and design by the same Softhouse,
Bioware, however they differ both greatly and yet, very little. One deals in Middle Ages terms, with
dragons, witches, magic, and knights-in-not-so-shinny-armor. The other is a fully fledged universal
representation of the future of Humanity with faster than light star crafts, aliens and phasers. This is
what one perceives when seeing the games. However when entering both worlds we can see the basic
notions that keep these two games together. The dialogue is fully voiced in both games, except for the
main character which is the player. The player can also customize the character, whether male or
female, blonde or red head, short nose or long nose. The story revolves around the player however he is
not the center of it all. He is capable of interaction by dialogue, by making choices and this will produce
outcomes which will alter the story. For example, in both games we can ask NPCs (non playable
characters) to join our quest. Each NPCs has his, or her, own story, friends or foes, and along the game
story the player will explore their lives, as well as the main arch. In “Dragon Age: Origins” the player can
choose to free an individual from a humanoid race called “Qunari” which had killed an entire family of
farmers. By talking to the being the player will forget to use the “it” word. The player will see how
repentant the being is, to the point of offering a way to make up for it (if there is a way) – To fight
against the coming evil alongside the player. Although strange in the beginning, this will create the
opportunity for a new player to come in terms to the games system. The main arch, the story about the
impending doom, is rather small, however the characters are charismatic, the interactions between
them are many times hilarious, and their stories are moving. This creates the “crescendo”. We can feel
that it is going somewhere. The “crescendo” controls the timing, it has a purpose for when a powerful,
classical music starts playing we know something big is coming. Then it is time for the big fight,
everything comes together. Our decisions come to fruition, some characters leave, others stay by the
players’ side. Some die. There is a hint of humanity in it all. A rather large one at that. In “Dragon Age 2”
we see much death including the players’ mother and sister. Albeit a game, it does sink in since we feel
connected to the characters by watching how the family members bond with each other. The
soundtrack glues everything together and the end result is something that makes Hollywood movies
weep.

This emotion fueled experience did not come to be by accident however. We know it works, but how?
Trial and error, one could say. But there are hidden messages hidden all over nowadays games. The
point of Art has always been about someone expressing something, and to bring about an emotion, a
reaction, whatever it may be, from someone else. An organic experience above all. Many paintings from
the 18th century depict epic representations from the bible. Michelangelo’s paintings and sculptures
were full of grandeur. Just like one can consider Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” as an Art piece, one
could begin to understand the type of art considered as “epic”. Although vaguely described, “Epic” in
literature “is about both size and magnitude. Epics (whether poems, films, novels, or other creative
forms) tend to be longer than average. This characteristic is not by accident; it demonstrates their key
defining trait: complex storytelling. Some epics are so labyrinthine that they span several periods of time
as their stories play out.” If we take into account the scope of recent videogames, their stories and their
sheer size, when many of them span over 80 hours of play not including downloadable content and
expansions, with arches that span hundreds of years, with dozens of characters, “Epic” is the right term
to use when describing them. Also, most stories deal with tragic loss, overcoming obstacles, love, hate
among other very human topics, all of which develop alongside the main story.

However the graphics are what connect everything. Like a great bridge they create a fertile soil where
other media like soundtracks, may flourish. They create amazing worlds that owe nothing to the great
castles of old, or paintings depicting towns and events. Or perhaps they owe everything. We can see the
wind hitting the banners, the horses’ breath, the depth between the stones that make up the road, the
shadows created by fungi on the castles walls, the blood splattered on the shields, swords and faces, the
enemies closing their teeth when they are going to get hit, and whining when they are. This throws a
player directly into the action, and although playing in a laptop may not look like much, it is more than
enough to feel entangled by the experience. But when we look for the first time at a game it never looks
like much. It takes getting used to. It’s an acquired taste for some people, just like reading. But they are
a sight to behold, for in no other media we can participate in such epic struggles like those found in
videogames.

More and more Videogames are shunning on the usual “win-lose” scenarios, and bet on story driven
experiences, where the player longs not for the high score, which is nonexistent, but for the next
chapter. This creates an even more intrinsic connection with Realism, since the “point” is now to
discover the plot, explore it and of course, develop it, in our own image – mental or otherwise. Because
now the player is the key that opens the locks – it’s the decision of choosing which locks to open that
drives the journey. Like so, Videogames feed on Realism, and morph it into something else. Something
new, that once again moves players, with a crescendo that induces a rush like few others, which
culminates in a climax. These are basic notions of Epic pieces – considered Art by many.

The connection between Realism, Videogames and Art is not in plain sight nor can it be easily explained.
There is much talk about Videogames and Art, and one of the most popular ones is the “Videogames can
never be Art”, one of the main points being “because videogames will never be a Leonardo da Vinci.”
However I cannot explain one point without touching the other. That is because like everything in our
world, they are connected. From the moment videogames borrowed from Art certain notions they
began walking down their own road, albeit somewhat different, towards Art. Realism is a depiction of
Art, or rather, a way to depict Art, which was later used by literature, motion pictures, and now
videogames. This basically means that “Videogames use Realism to depict reality”. They are all part of
the same cycle, and denying the evolution of one, denies the triumphs of all others.

Bibliography:

http://www.enotes.com/oxford-art-encyclopedia/realism

http://www.enotes.com/topics/epic

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-definition/