Chell's View Of Video Games As A Form Of Art

Video games have not been around as long as literature has and many could say it is easier to view a piece of literature as a form of art than viewing a video game as art. Many people would consider a video game just a form of entertainment, but recently views have shifted to view video games as a work of art. In this time period, many video games are being looked at as a form of art and not just a form of entertainment. Many consider the game Portal a work of art, because it is an emergent game that requires the player Chell, to complete a series of different tests for the Aperture Science Lab. As this game may appear, Chell appears to have a sense of freedom in the Aperture Science Lab world. Portal’s narrative, derived from a robot, however limits the actual freedom that the player experiences, by controlling the story line and movements of Chell based on the how the developers want the game to progress. In the beginning of the video game, Chell is laying in bed in what appears to look like a holding cell. She is woken up with no one around and cannot move outside of the box that she is inside of. With no instructions to the game, or what is going on, Chell is forced to move around freely in the glass box. The walls are plain white and nothing can be seen through the doors that are

However, as soon as she is introduced to GLaDOS and her narrative of the story, the freedom is gone and limited to what she wants it to be. GLaDOS is in control of the story and without her Chell would not be able to advance onto the next test chambers in the hopes that there is an escape. With the promise of a party and cake at the end of the final test chamber, GLaDOS makes Chell feel free but that later turns into GLaDOS trying to kill her and the freedom of escape is