The dawn of gaming saw the release of one of the most simplistic yet addicting games ever, featuring the absolute basic fundamentals of design – Pong. More than 30 years later, gamers are blessed with the luxury of lifelike, high-definition, motion-captured cinematics than most movies could only wish they looked like. The release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots took console gaming to an entirely new level as the first truly interactive cinematic experience graced millions of homes worldwide.

But games are not just about their realism. There is a determined crowd among us who wish to tarnish the good name of video games; those that deny games as being works of art or a means of storytelling, rivaling that of books and movies. To prove them wrong, I will count down my top 10 games which I believe to be the most artistic entries into our beloved medium.

10. American McGee’s Grimm

A relatively new game, American McGee’s Grimm is a three-part series (with only the first being released thus far) featuring the infamously surreal touches of the man who brought us the even more twisted version of Alice in Wonderland, combined with the familiar tales we all know and love, those of the Brothers Grimm. American’s unusual visual design for Grimm makes it seem more like an interactive comic book than a video game. Granted, the game itself is no major feat (and is by far no comparison to his earlier “Alice”), but nonetheless it is a treat to look at.

9. Grim Fandango

Every day is “Dia de los Muertos” in Grim Fandango, and every minute of playtime in this adventure game is filled with pure enjoyment and an endless amount of hysteria. The unusual and immediately-attractive visuals of Grim Fandango makes it standout above the rest in this populated genre, and there has never been another game to feature as unique a character design since its release nine years ago.

8. Rez HD

A simple rail shooter released for the Xbox Live Arcade has become a hugely successful download and likewise an incredibly appealing game in its own right. The addictive gameplay coupled with the recently-released high definition version of Rez make this a true wonder to behold. Originally developed for the Dreamcast and Playstation 2, the release on XBLA has garnered tremendous recognition for the game and almost unanimous critical acclaim.

7. XIII

The deliberately comic-book game XIII was a mild success, featuring some uneven gameplay and awkward shooting mechanics. What made it truly stand out, however, was its attention to the finite details of comic books which put this game in a league of its own. One of the most appealing features of the design was the use of onomatopoeic words contained in bubbles for sound effects similar to those found in comic books.

6. Team Fortress 2

Beautiful cell-shaded visuals combined with extremely addictive online first-person shooter gameplay makes Team Fortress 2 one of the most entertaining games of its genre. The brains up at Valve studio, the men behind Half-Life and Portal, have also been known to be top contenders in the online FPS market. Their earlier milestone, Counter Strike, has gone on to become one of the most critically acclaimed and continuously played FPS games ever.

Their first foray into a different league of online FPS games came with Team Fortress, a squad-based shooter where one picked a pre-created class. The successor to that game returns in similar fashion with 9 playable classes and a unique visual style that no other first-person shooter can compare to.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Another game using the unique style of cell-shading, the Wind Waker has often been regarded as the most “kid friendly” Zelda game. The game managed to score relatively high among many reviewers, and is the fourth of only eight games to ever receive a perfect score from Famitsu. The unique visuals only aided to the success of this title, which has went on to become one of the (very few) best games for the Gamecube.

4. Eternal Sonata

Another light-hearted game and one met with mixed reviews, Eternal Sonata was, without question, a beautifully designed game. Combining two distinct styles, anime and cell-shading, Eternal Sonata manages to blend them together into a seamless world full of vibrant colors, textures, and life. The world is a reflection of the story, light-hearted and full of emotion. While the game itself was relatively linear and short, the design is nearly unmatched and is reason enough to want to experience Eternal Sonata.

3. Shadow of the Colossus

Featuring some of the best animal aesthetics in any game to date, Shadow of the Colossus was a triumph on multiple levels. It was a game full of depth and emotion, it was a thrilling platformer, it was a challenging adventure game – but most of all, it did everything in a beautifully designed word unique unto itself.

The Forbidden Land, as so named by the game’s “narrator,” is the player’s world to explore, full of the dormant Colossi – until their rest is disturbed by the hero. Every square inch of this land is explorable, and is a pleasure to do so. With your trusty steed, Agro, one of the best designed animals ever, Shadow of the Colossus is a near-flawless game on all aspects.

2. Prince of Persia

I know it’s probably not fair to include this game, because it’s not out yet, but this is a list based on a game’s visual design – and looking at gameplay videos and in-game screenshots of the new Prince of Persia, it’s easy to tell why I had to put it up. The most daring and unique change to the franchise since the Sands of Time trilogy took the prince from 2D to 3D, this will take him from badass to awesome-looking badass. The Prince’s world has never looked more artistic and at the same time foreboding. His journey is sure to be a difficult but memorable one.

1. Okami

If there were ever one game that I could simply describe as “art in motion,” it would be Okami. Using the sumi-e inspired cell-shading (a unique style of ink and wash painting), Okami is unquestionably the most beautiful game ever made. The celestial brush mechanic adds to that level of ingenuity and design by allowing you to be a creator yourself, adding more to the world you inhabit.

The character design itself is vibrant and awe-inspiring, but it is the world, the trees, the land, the structures, the sky – it is everything else that stands out among Okami’s endlessly beautiful features. There has never been a game as intricately designed as Okami, and I doubt there ever will be again.

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