The user is free to roam the world of Columbia, but in order
to finish the game the user must follow a set storyline. This freedom to
explore even deepens the plot more than a film would. In my opinion, Bioshock
is just as beautiful a work of art as any film, book, or painting. The game is
a commentary on the human condition, and a criticism of industrialism, racism,
and fascism. Although these same concepts can be discussed in other works of
art, video games have a unique ability to discuss their points in a clearer
way. This is because the user is directly in control over what is going on.
Without the user and the machine both working together, and, in a way, against
each other, the game does not exist.
In general, the gaming industry has many different extremes
in the same sense that any other art form does. For example, there is not much
artistic value in a game like Borderlands or Skyrim in a real cultural sense
other than their aesthetic quality. But those types of games create their own
culture because they are so incredibly open. In Skyrim the player creates a
character with it’s own distinct features and appearances, and you seem to
create another you inside this epic world of dragons and empires. Although
movies such as Star Trek and Star Wars create their own subcultures, these are
fixed stories that cannot change. In a video game like Skyrim, you create your
own story.
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