Let me pose a couple of questions right out of the box.
Have you ever just traversed through a level or world in a video game and just took a break from the action to just see the world around you in greater detail?
Have you found yourself admiring the work developers put into a specific world, city, level, or room in a game?
Bioshock makes a grand entrance. There have been only a few instances where I would take a break from the shooting or exploring to stop and smell the roses, as they say. Here is a recent example: several days ago, I bought Bioshock on a whim during that money-draining sale on Steam. And thanks to some input from the few people that read my blog, I put a few games on the backburner in order to focus on the city of Rapture. Nearly 9 hours in, I started to find myself heavily distracted from the actual gamey part of the game as I looked around at the game world itself. And this all began in the very beginning of the game. So to fill the people in who never played the game, you play the part of Jack, a man who survived a plane crash near a lighthouse which leads to the underground city of Rapture. As soon as I reached land, immediately I had to scope the area, looking up the tower and out at the crash site. Inside housed a bust of Andrew Ryan and that distinct Art Deco design that is influential in Rapture's architecture. During the periods where I wasn't setting Splicers on fire, I was busy admiring the artwork, the intricate details, the flashy signs, and the 1930s Manhattan-style cityscape. It's very refreshing to see a video game world that's not just pleasing to the eye, but also garners interest in the smallest of details. Like every game of its kind (although there aren't many like it), Bioshock has its more mundane rooms and hallways, but when a game manages to capture your attention in such a way that detracts you from the actual game at your own free will, the developers have done their work... and done it brilliantly. It's the equivalent of an American history enthusiast walking into the Smithsonian Institute and just being mesmerized at what there is to be displayed. My favorite aspect of the style is the variety within the one particular theme. While this Art Deco design is a constant throughout, within that look is a wide number of unique settings. No one level is alike in Bioshock much to my amazement; it can be tricky to create a varied world within a specific style, especially one this unusual, and I have to give credit to 2K for finding that sweet spot.
Just one of many examples where just looking can be fulfilling. So Bioshock has me immersed in its underwater world unlike any game I've played since Metroid Prime, and both Bioshock and Metroid Prime share a great number of similarities. I felt a great sense of immersion in Metroid Prime, much in the same way as I am currently with Bioshock. Both games like to promote exploration as you search for Tonics and audiotapes in a similar vein as you search for missile packs and energy tanks in the Metroid games. Both games are revered for its gaming atmosphere, however while Metroid Prime centers on the current landscape, Bioshock also lets you see through the piles of rubble at the utopia Andrew Ryan and the people of Rapture lived in before the revolt. I can plainly see this new "underwater paradise" that Andrew Ryan envisioned, a world of extravagance, grandeur, beauty, perfection. Unfortunately like all attempts at a Utopian society, the experiment ends in failure as soon as free will and human flaws start to surface, which we see while traveling through Rapture.
One of the many breathtaking areas of Metroid Prime. In the case of Metroid Prime, there doesn't seem to be one cohesive style that stands out as the presence of many races and climates provide a wide variety of worlds to experience. Right from the start, you land in a rainforest-like setting rich in plant life, then to a ruined Chozo city that has more tribal influences, to a cavern of lava rivers and narrow corridors, and the more industrial Phazon Mines. Metroid Prime's atmosphere and immersion is prevalent and its sense of the unknown (at least during the first playthrough) is a major asset as well as its attention to detail. No world is the same from both an organic and inorganic perspective, however the world of Metroid Prime happens to feel less connected to the story and history unless you read through the miles of text. That's if you're the type to scan everything. Actually in a way you're almost forced to soak in the area and history because of it, but even if they removed all scanning in Metroid Prime, I'd still take my time to just scope out the area and revel at the work of the developers and their span of different styles.
It's easy to act like a tourist in New York City and look up at the lights and skyscrapers in Star Junction. However not every game needs to follow the Metroid Prime or Bioshock formula, and a more recent addition to the video game world, Red Dead Redemption, features a different type of world that is begging to be viewed in all its splendor. Unlike Metroid Prime's variety across several distinct themes and Bioshock's variety within one main theme, Red Dead Redemption sticks to one thing and does it well. There world of Red Dead Redemption is significantly less varied than either games featured and focuses exclusively on making the world feel like the Old West. No massive shifts in climate, no fracturing of different art styles, none of that. Red Dead Redemption knows that as a game Western-themed sandbox it needs to stay that way. The stereotypical Old West has a pretty homogenized look and so for Rockstar to recreate that look, they couldn't mix things up like they could in their flagship Grand Theft Auto franchise. Grand Theft Auto IV needs to be varied in order to recreate the illusion of a real-life metropolis while Red Dead Redemption needs to do just about the opposite. And it looks beautiful in spite of (or perhaps because of) the simple premise to the Old West aesthetic. There's something about watching the sunset over the horizon for the first time that just looked incredible. Perhaps it was the mountains across the valley or the orange glow that blankets the sky. Even the small towns are an interesting sight to see because of the rarity of the Western style in video games.
Red Dead Redemption is a fine example of a one-trick pony in its art direction, but it's a case where it fits beautifully. Well I've already reached the "too long, didn't read" point in this blog so here's a summary.
Summary
There are some video games that sometimes need to be seen and not played. It might be worthwhile to just take some time and look around and just do some sightseeing.
One of Bioshock's strengths is its level variety created within one particular theme.
Over time, I was able to see Rapture's past glory before the destruction. I was able to look past the debris and see what Rapture was like during its heyday.
Bioshock reminded me of Metroid Prime in how it emphasizes exploration, but Metroid Prime added more variety to their worlds for more unique experiences throughout.
From what I've seen of Red Dead Redemption, its beauty lies in its authentic Western feel and amazing landscapes without trying to experiment with different styles within the game. It sticks to the by-the-books Old West theme and it works.
What I'm trying to say is that there is no one way to make a visually appealing game and if you have some time, feel free to enjoy the sights and take some pictures.
Just make sure everyone around you is dead and there are no cougars within a 5 mile radius.
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