Metroid Prime and the Artistic Relevance of Video Games

Michael Thompson has a feature up on IGNWii advocating for the artistic merits of the 2002 Nintendo release Metroid Prime. Thompson makes the case that Metroid Prime is the interactive equivalent of Citizen Kane. While the format and audience for the piece seem to limit how deeply the article delves into an analysis of the game in terms of more formal artistic theories, it does make the case for the treatment of video games as serious art, using Metroid Prime as the fountainhead for its commentary. Thompson writes:

The novel is the art of writing; film is the art of editing; and videogames are the art of interacting. Developers create a space where interaction is necessary for progress and they author all the different consequences for interaction within that space.

Here, Thompson is making a fairly basic, but seemingly unrecognized statement about the medium of videogames. They are authored works that allow for direct, explicit engagement with the consumer. That engagement and interactivity is manipulated by the authors of the work. Thompson takes this premise and runs with it, providing a summary of the game's experience to make the case that it is, like Citizen Kane, a masterpiece of its medium.

Check this video for context on what Thompson is talking about. There is a strong attention to the detail and set up of the game's world, and a mixing of standard video game elements with a sense of almost peaceful isolation. The music does a great job of setting the mood.

IGN: Citizen Prime: Is Metroid Prime Our Citizen Kane?