{"id":244,"date":"2016-03-30T00:24:22","date_gmt":"2016-03-30T00:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/morsepower.net\/wp\/?p=244"},"modified":"2016-03-30T00:28:42","modified_gmt":"2016-03-30T00:28:42","slug":"a-decade-of-procedural-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/?p=244","title":{"rendered":"A Decade of Procedural Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been reading this blog, you might have noticed by now that I have a penchant for answering questions that nobody asked. This is an essential part of my blogging experience, because if a question were worth answering, I just sort of assume somebody has already answered it better than I could and then what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the damned point.<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a friend who took an extended leave from the gaming world. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a busy fellow, and his time is valuable. So what should, and can, that person play? \u00c2\u00a0Well, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recommend games that were vitally significant experiences, novel in some way, and with limited time commitments. Games that are important to this culture in one way or another, and make it clear what kind of play time we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re looking at for each of these titles.<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also biasing games that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m fairly sure he missed out on. I will point out if a game is available only on Windows, or if it is platform independent, because I know that’s also a key feature. The game time estimates are based on my own Steam metrics if I have them, or else based on community submissions to Howlongtobeat.com<\/a>, a handy website that I only learned about thanks to writing this post.<\/p>\n

I’m working with the years 2005-2015 as my time frame. And what a decade it was. These entries are ordered not chronologically, but by my personal sense of their priority.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bastion<\/h3>\n

Supergiant Games, 2011<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 6 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

This isometric action RPG features the best narration in gaming history and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not even exaggerating. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on this list for its excellent art design, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s blending of mechanics with narrative, and setting a high bar for voice acting. If I were forced to point to a single title in which to make the case of video games as an art form, it would be this one.<\/p>\n

But best of all, the game doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sacrifice gameplay quality or enjoyment for storytelling, as many narrative-heavy games tend to do. It has a great deal of replayability, but you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll probably be all set after going through it once.<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s relatively short, it plays great on Linux, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a masterpiece. If you only play one game on this list, make it this one.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Transistor (Optional)<\/h3>\n

Supergiant Games, 2014<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 5-6 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

Supergiant Games is all about quality over quantity. To date they have released two games. This is the second. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still an isometric action RPG, still has amazing narration, and sports another absolutely amazing soundtrack. They switch it up with a Cyberpunk theme and make the storytelling a little bit more nuanced. If you enjoyed Bastion you should play this.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Portal<\/h3>\n

Valve Software, 2007<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 3-4 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

This tech demo was included in the Orange Box deal (apparently as an afterthought) and became an instant classic. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an excellent puzzle game that forces first-person-shooter fans to think about navigating the world in a novel way. And the execution of its mechanics is perfect. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find yourself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153thinking in portals<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in no time, able to solve puzzles by exploiting the simple rules that are set out from the beginning. It also sports a captivating story that seems to suddenly come out of nowhere.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Portal 2 (Optional)<\/h3>\n

Valve Software, 2011<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 7-8 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

Longer than the original, but with better production values overall. If you enjoyed Portal and want more, give this a try. Not nearly as critically acclaimed as the original, it adds several interesting mechanics while keeping the pitch black dark humor largely intact. Also Stephen Merchant is great. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m calling it optional because of the added time investment for much of the same game.<\/p>\n

This game also includes a very novel 2-player cooperative mode that is completely distinct from the single-player game.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Deus Ex: Human Revolution<\/h3>\n

Eidos Montreal, 2011<\/em>
\n Windows-only<\/em>
\n 20-30 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

This prequel comes close to replicating the excellent level design and storytelling of the original. I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say they nailed it, but it is still very much worth experiencing. The developers made sure not to repeat the mistakes of Invisible War and hired a third party contractor to handle the PC version, and it was a great decision. The Director\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Cut fixes heavily criticized boss fights, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still not possible to skip killing some characters.<\/p>\n

In this entire list, I believe this is the second longest single entry. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what you would want in a Deus Ex entry: large amounts of content and a deep branching storyline. But I would only recommend attempting to tackle this you know you have the time; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not the kind of game you can just walk away from or leave unfinished.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Minecraft<\/h3>\n

Mojang, 2011<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n ?? hours<\/em><\/p>\n

The indie gaming darling that exploded in popularity while it was still in beta, and after launch somehow became the game that every 8-year-old plays. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not sure how that happened. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let the demographics of the fan base distract you; this is a game that deserves the credit it received.<\/p>\n

The problem here is the time sink. With no narrative, no hard objectives, and creative freedom, you can spend limitless amounts of time in this game. But we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have limitless time nowadays, do we? At the very least, play this for a few hours to see what everybody is on about, and maybe watch the video where a guy made a functional CPU in-game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Personal aside: this game\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s enjoyability scales well in multiplayer, so let me know if you want to team up.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Braid<\/h3>\n

Number None, Inc, 2008<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 5-6 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

This list isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t big on platformers, but this one made quite a splash. \u00c2\u00a0It was one of the first indie game hits on X-Box Live and was one of the talked-about games in Indie Game: The Movie.<\/p>\n

By the way, go watch Indie Game: The Movie<\/a>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s free. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve watched it three times now.<\/p>\n

This puzzle platformer comes with a very short time commitment, but it an artistic and design marvel that shows what a small team (two, as far as I can tell) can put together. Since Minecraft and Braid, the indie game scene positively exploded. This is a great starting point. Honestly I could have also put the other stars from the aforementioned documentary in this list: Super Meat Boy and Fez. Those are great games to explore if this one resonated with you (more the latter than the former).<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bioshock<\/h3>\n

2K Boston, 2007<\/em>
\n Windows-only<\/em>
\n 12-15 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

System Shock 2\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spiritual successor. It features great voice acting and storytelling, but I almost didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include it on the list due to how much of a slog it becomes towards the end. The combat isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t great, and eventually starts to feel like a chore. But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a chore you push through because of how invested you become in the world. You can safely skip the sequels.\u00c2\u00a0 Bioshock Infinite got a ton of press, and is worth investigating if you really want more of this style of game.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spec-Ops: The Line<\/h3>\n

Yager Development, 2012<\/em>
\n Platform Independent<\/em>
\n 6 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

It occured to me that I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include much in the pure FPS genre (DX and Bioshock are technically RPGs). So I might as well include the one that pokes fun at typical military shooters and hits the player with a severe mindf**k.<\/p>\n

This game is basically Heart of Darkness<\/em> set in modern Dubai, and presents itself as a cookie-cutter shooter. But over time, through clever imagery and illusions of choice, it becomes clear that the game is presenting a critique not just of the genre itself, but of the players. It caused a stir and remains controversial for a number of reasons that I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite explain without spoilers. For how short and accessible it is, I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth trying.<\/p>\n

Extra Credits said it better than I did, but listen to their advice and watch part 1 of their review<\/a>, play the game, then watch part 2 to get what the big deal was all about.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Holy hell I did not see this game coming,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d echoes my impressions.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dark Souls<\/h3>\n

From Software, 2011<\/em>
\n Windows-only<\/em>
\n 40-50 hours<\/em><\/p>\n

This was a very hard game for me to recommend. Not for any glaring reasons; it hits so many of the right notes. It has a fair and engaging combat system, sports a perfectly executed artistic style, and has hands-down the best map design I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever seen. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s highly revered as one of the best action RPGs ever made.<\/p>\n

But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a huge amount of content here, and more importantly the game will keep you bogged down by its brutal and unforgiving difficulty. You will face challenges, and fail over and over again. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll inevitably overcome them, and it will feel deeply gratifying, but in doing so you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll probably lose a great deal of time.<\/p>\n

The problem I faced here is that the game is so well done, so highly regarded, and so influential that I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t not put it on a list of essential or important releases over the last decade. But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s near the bottom of the list for a reason: the time commitment it asks of you, the player.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Image courtesy of Piranha Games, Inc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mechwarrior: Online<\/h3>\n

Piranha Games, Inc,<\/em>
\n Windows-only<\/em>
\n ?? hours<\/em><\/p>\n

Okay fine I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m only putting this one on the list because we both bonded over Mechwarrior when we were little kids, okay?!\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually not particularly noteworthy in the grand scheme of things. And it has a significant grind. But I want more people to play it with.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

So one thing I just noticed is how many of these games were published in 2011 or 2007. Big years, I guess?<\/p>\n

I did cross reference my list with a few Game of the Year lists<\/a>, and found a surprisingly small amount of overlap. This was most likely a side effect of my self-imposed constraints coupled with my urge to focus on novelty and cultural impact over pure execution. Or, simply put, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care how good Call of Duty 4 was, give me something different. As such, I’m asking you to trust my instincts as they do seem to conflict more than a little bit with industry insiders.<\/p>\n

Of course, I can’t pretend to be the be-all-end-all when it comes to opinions about games.\u00c2\u00a0 My own experiences and tastes weigh heavily on the above choices.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately, with so damn much art out there to choose from, we must each form our own opinions on what constitutes novelty and impact.\u00c2\u00a0 And, at times, help each other along in the process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been reading this blog, you might have noticed by now that I have a penchant for answering questions that nobody asked. This is an essential part of my blogging experience, because if a question were worth answering, I just sort of assume somebody has already answered it better than I could and then […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=244"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":250,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions\/250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morsepower.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}