Modern Artist To Compare It To: The obvious choice is
Doug TenNapel, comic maven and creator of
Earthworm Jim (his graphic novels,
Creature Tech and
Gear, are both masterpieces), but since weâve already established that comics donât count, you should probably go for a mix between
Zdzislaw Beksinski and
Michel Gagne. He still works on comics, but most of his don't have any word balloons, which makes them art.
1. Psychonauts
The World: âWorldsâ is actually more accurate. As a student at psychic summer camp, Raz is able to dive into the brain of pretty much any character in the game, and each is a unique, fully developed world with its own physics and art design evolved from the characteristics of the mind itself. Accordingly, the uptight Germanic counselorâs brain is a two tone neon box of ever-transforming precision; the paranoic security guardâs head is crammed with shady, faceless men muttering about conspiracy on an impossibly twisted version of Main Street, U.S.A.; and the giant fish-monsterâs mind is exactly what youâd expect that to be.
How Itâs Art: Razâs descent into the world of thought is nothing short of an attempt to suss out the true inner workings of the human mind. As levels shift and flow, illusory as dream, we are faced with the manifold physical manifestations of the metaphysical: the body of self-loathing, the shape of fear, the dark recesses of denial and repressed emotion. We emerge sobered, and ready to explore our own minds with an equal amount of depth and rigor.
How Itâs Still Fun As Hell: Tim Schafer, creator of
Grim Fandango and most every other awesome Lucasarts game, made this one too, which means itâs smart, funny and thereâs a move that lets you set squirrels on fire with your mind. Thus, the fabled trifecta has been achieved, and
Psychonauts receives the Michael Swaim official seal of âBest Platformer of All Time.â Let the rabid argument begin!
Modern Artist To Compare It To: Tough, since each brain has a whole separate visual aesthetic. Iâd go with
Jacek Yerka as a catchall, but Iâm open to other suggestions.
RUNNERS UP: Bioshock,
Okami,
Heart of the Alien,
Beyond Good & Evil, the
Metroid series,
Mirror's Edge and the works of Warren Spector. Just had to stop at some point.
Okami and
Heart of the Alien I don't find particularly
fun (compared to others on the list), but both innovative visually and deserving of a mention.
Beyond Good & Evil and
Mirror are fun as hell, and
Bioshock is just all around phenomenal. Warren Spector =
Thief and
Deus Ex, among others.
SECOND ADDENDUM: The commenters have mentioned a number of great games that could have easily made an expanded version of this list, but I'd like to throw my weight behind
Neverhood and
Skullmonkeys as well, especially the latter.
Buy it on Ebay, get the soundtrack, it's all good.
Also, a game being really really good doesn't make it easily comparable to modern art; sorry. And did someone really give me shit for not mentioning
Out of This World when I went to the trouble of mentioning the incredibly obscure
Heart of the Alien? Seriously, man, I'm trying here. Cut me some slack.
When not writing for Cracked, Michael is apparently playing video games as head writer for and co-founder of
Those Aren't Muskets!
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