We’ve often heard of many video games catching not only great commercial attention but remarkable critical attention as well. We have seen games such as Heavy Rain, The Last of Us, and even entries into the Metal Gear series heralded as fantastic interactive experiences and are heralded in the same way for video games as the greatest movies made over the years.
I would suggest that not only is this an unfair comparison, but also a harmful one. Video games, by their very nature, are an intricately different medium and should be weighed against one another rather than another form of media.
The easiest parallel we have for this sort of faulty comparison is also one that has been around for quite some time: books to movies. We’ve heard, countless times, how often that “the book is better” when comparing movies that tackle book subjects. There may be some expectations that have this switched, but more often than not when the criteria breaks down is when you look at the details. The book has more ability to go into direct detail, and more space to explore various plots and characters. No movie can ever cover everything a book does because it would never have enough reasonable time or capacity. What makes a good movie does not make for a good book.
We run into the same situation, even if the variables are different, when comparing a movie to a game. A game, by its very nature, has an interactive component that a movie doesn’t. A movie has a set amount of time that it targets to try to tell it’s story, and has the advantage to allow better control over the writing, the lighting, and the camera works.
Video games have this in cutscenes. But for the majority of the game, that sort of control is impossible. Video games do not aim for the same experience as a movie, and neither should they. While we can have absolutely amazing experiences with games of any genre, to try to offer a comparison to movies begins to break down. Not just with the aforementioned camera and cinematography, but also purely on the experience. A movie can allow for long and detailed exposition, and has had over a century to hone their craft. Video games are at their strongest when they focus on their strengths; the gameplay, the engagement with the player. Rarely does a critically acclaimed game cite the cutscenes as the highlights; if they do, it’s probably not being well received by the players.
Various forms of media often will be compared to one another, but in the end, we look to the medium’s strengths. This is true for books, theater, movies… and now, video games enter the circle. But they should not be what they aren’t, nor should they be compared nor expected to do so. Like any good medium, we should celebrate what makes it unique rather than try to compare it to what it cannot be.
