Milan Triennale Games vs The Last of Us: Two Visions of Videogame Realism
A recent article dives into two different takes on realism in video games. On one side, you have the hyper-realistic remake of The Last of Us Part 1 by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 5. On the other, there are five unique titles from the Milan Triennale Game Collection, which debuted with the Triennale Milano International Exhibition. Citing Steven Poole’s 2002 book Trigger Happy, it argues that photorealism is often seen as a marker of beauty in gaming. The Triennale collection, created by indie developers like Optillusion and Nina Freeman, explores diverse aesthetics inspired by the theme 'Unknown Unknowns.' Noteworthy titles include Wade and We Are Poems, showcasing innovative approaches that highlight human imperfections, contrasting sharply with the polished look of The Last of Us Part 1.
Key facts
- The Last of Us Part 1 is a ground-up remake of the 2013 game, rebuilt using Naughty Dog's PlayStation 5 engine.
- Milan Triennale Game Collection includes five titles by independent developers Optillusion, Fern Goldfarb-Ramallo, Nina Freeman, Akwasi Bediako Afrane, and Llaura McGee.
- The collection was released over the past few weeks in conjunction with the Triennale Milano International Exhibition.
- The exhibition's tagline is 'Unknown Unknowns.'
- We Are Poems is described as a 'swim through the queerest region of deep space' and uses touch controls reminiscent of Google Maps.
- Wade features a deliberately obscured avatar, denying players the usual visual thrill of expensive character models.
- Kyle Kukschtel coined the term 'game-design mimetics' to describe the convergence of blockbuster game mechanics.
- Contact by Llaura McGee uses glitch art to explore aliens and identity.
Entities
Artists
- Steven Poole
- Kyle Kukschtel
- Fern Goldfarb-Ramallo
- Nina Freeman
- Akwasi Bediako Afrane
- Llaura McGee
- Optillusion
Institutions
- Milan Triennale
- Triennale Milano International Exhibition
- Naughty Dog
- PlayStation 5
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Berlin
- Germany
- Ireland
- Maryland