Ever since he typed the words “Games are not art”, Roger Ebert has been vilified by the video game community. But here’s something you might not know about him: He once reviewed a video game and loved it.
In the video above, I break down The Cosmology of Kyoto, one of two games that gaming’s most notorious critic loved and subsequently praised in Wired so many years ago.
Enjoy it and play it if you can, because art or not, it’s an experience you’ll not soon forget.
Music: “Modern Tale” by Yukkikaze
I completely disagree that games are at their best when they're about something real, and I find it contrary to the spirit of art to attempt to confine the medium in that way. Games are at their best when people are enjoying. Otherwise.. interesting vid.
Yes, interesting vid nonetheless.
Ever since Ebert reviewed The Phantom Menace, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it "an astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking" and saying "We are standing at the threshold of a new age of epic cinema" I knew that the man was either devoid of any relevant thought or mentally insane. I know not to pay any attention to the man's opinions.
I can't say I disagree with those comments. While the film itself wasn't that fantastic, the score may be a little higher than I would agree with, but the comments are pretty sound. The Phantom Menace certainly opened the doors to Blue screen films, using digital sets and CGI work was made far more realistic than ever before. One of the biggest CGI movies just 6 years prior, Jurassic Park, was amazing for the time, but was primitive compared to a walking, talking interactive CG character. As for epic cinema - he wasn't mistaken there either. In the following years, epic films became the norm - things like Gladiator and Troy were much lauded, and finally lampooned. His deep knowledge of the film industry and of films means that when he speaks of movies, he actually has an idea of what he's talking about. The same can't be said for videogames, but then again - his opinion of films may not be perfectly agreeable with yours, but they are based on some sound foundations.
cosmology of kyoto is an awesome game. If a game approaches art, that game definitely gets closes.
Also much more scary and eerie then most modern horror games