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> "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed" I think the critiques in this video [0] sum up my

> "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed" I think the critiques in this video [0] sum up my main feelings about the game. The puzzles are fantastic. The <spoiler> puzzles are fantastic. The movement, environment, graphics, etc are all fantastic. But, the "story" and "message" of the game can be interpreted in many ways. It is art in the sense that everyone gets something different from it. But it is pretentious because, if everyone gets something completely different from your "experience", you really didn't convey anything. That's what most people (I think) are talking about when they say "<art> is pretentious". [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZokQov_aH0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZokQov_aH0

AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago
I haven't watched that video, although many people do reference it[0], in part because its clickbaity nonsense title leaves me with a poor impression of the creator. It would be pretentious if Jon's intention had been to throw a bunch of crap out there and then say "it means what you want it to mean", but I don't think that's what Jon did. Jon did what artists do: they take ideas that can be difficult to express simply and they try to express them in art. That any individual can come away from the work with one experience or another is just how the world is. We all exist in our own contextual bubbles that inform our interpretation of the things around us, and while an artist can try to communicate the meaning more clearly they will find, like Heisenberg, that precision in one aspect ensures imprecision in another. And yes, these are all themes expressed in the game itself, though by no means the only ones. When I see criticism like this, I can't help but feel like some people just can't stand that there isn't some definitive documented interpretation, some twist ending that makes it all makes sense. Like it's a twilight zone episode or something. [0] Actually, I've only ever seen people link to it and try to claim its ideas as their own. I don't know about you, but I'm especially disinclined to take "here, read this link" seriously if it is the sum totality of an argument.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago

I haven't watched that video, although many people do reference it[0], in part because its clickbaity nonsense title leaves me with a poor impression of the creator. It would be pretentious if Jon's intention had been to throw a bunch of crap out there and then say "it means what you want it to mean", but I don't think that's what Jon did. Jon did what artists do: they take ideas that can be difficult to express simply and they try to express them in art. That any individual can come away from the work with one experience or another is just how the world is. We all exist in our own contextual bubbles that inform our interpretation of the things around us, and while an artist can try to communicate the meaning more clearly they will find, like Heisenberg, that precision in one aspect ensures imprecision in another. And yes, these are all themes expressed in the game itself, though by no means the only ones. When I see criticism like this, I can't help but feel like some people just can't stand that there isn't some definitive documented interpretation, some twist ending that makes it all makes sense. Like it's a twilight zone episode or something. [0] Actually, I've only ever seen people link to it and try to claim its ideas as their own. I don't know about you, but I'm especially disinclined to take "here, read this link" seriously if it is the sum totality of an argument.