This year’s most poignant and powerful narratives were in video games
This year’s most poignant and powerful narratives were in video games
This year’s most poignant and powerful narratives were in video games
By Todd Martens
December 4, 2023
Summary
We still too often talk about video games as escapes - little playthings that are big business but often considered not as serious as their media peers.
Our critics and reporters select their favorite TV shows, movies, albums, songs, books, theater, art shows and video games of the year.
While they couldn't be more different, both are emblematic of what video gaming means and encapsulates in 2023.
"Super Mario Bros. Wonder" brings something familiar into metaphorical spaces, a run-and-jump game that makes a surreal statement about the miraculous world we live in.
"If we think about games as a modern medium, and we think about all of these other popular mediums that have come before - novels, graphic novels, music and live-action film and TV - to me it's always felt like all of those can be used inside the game as part of the storytelling," said Sam Lake, the creative mastermind behind the "Alan Wake" series, at a prerelease event this fall.
One of the most tearful scenes one is likely to experience in a video game is the moment in "Venba" when the mother prepares a meal for her son, only to have him blow her off for other engagements.
Mario can transform into an elephant and flowers can talk in the new "Super Mario Bros. Wonder," lending the game a sense of friendly weirdness.
Reference
Martens, T. (2023, December 4). This year’s most poignant and powerful narratives were in video games. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-12-04/best-video-games-2023