For the past few years, there's been a lot of discussion surrounding the capacity of video games to be art. Of course, this requires defining art itself, but in general when we attach the "art" label to media that are designed primarily to entertain we usually mean that the entertainment has taken a backseat to the style or some kind of commentary. When it comes to video games, though, being less entertaining makes the game in question inherently less interesting, if only because of the interactive element. A game has to be fun, first and foremost. If it has a particularly unique style or manages to be emotionally resonant, then it leans toward art. The following are three very creative, fun games that came out in September.
Designed in just a few days by a rather prolific coder/artist calling himself Adam Atomic, Canabalt is as simple as modern games get. Players only need one button and the game goes on as long as players survive the increasingly hostile world. Utilizing the currently popular faux 8-bit style, Canabalt puts players in control of a hapless but acrobatic sprite that has to outrun the destruction of his city on its crumbling rooftops. The single button makes the sprite jump, helping him go from one roof to another while leaping over obstacles that either affect him in small ways, like slowing him down, or in big ones, like blowing him up. Each re-play generates a random rooftop world, so no two plays are the same. Canabalt is aesthetically pleasing without being too slick, and simple but engaging.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei: A Werewolf Thriller by Weremsoft is something of an oddity. Despite its simultaneously pretentious and nonsensical title, or the fact that it doesn't really have anything to do with werewolves outside of some character models, it's still a highly competent game with some genuinely interesting design elements. It's something of a genre grab bag, with each screen providing something a little different. Sometimes its an action platformer, sometimes a stealth game, sometimes a timing puzzle or an escort mission. Players control a blue ninja whose only weapon is an animalistic fury unleashed upon pixel-shooting werewolves when he tackles them and mercilessly tears them apart. The cliffhanger ending promises a larger sequel, but even if that never comes to fruition, Vox is still a fun distraction with some carefully crafted visuals.
This short, laid-back title by designer Intuition doesn't have much staying power or replay value, but it's rather pretty and relaxing. Players navigate a bicycle through an increasingly treacherous obstacle course composed of floor plans and other architectural figures. The real star of Fig. 8 is its soundtrack. Each area of the course has its own gentle backing song ranging from French accordion tunes to mellow indie acoustic. That last bit of atmosphere really captures the essence of rolling down an leafy lane on a trusty bike. Fig. 8 isn't a flawless game or even all that original in its premise, but its unique, touching atmosphere sets it a cut above the rest.
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