/lit/ - Literature

Is there any legitimate aesthetic worth to a game like Final Fantasy VII, where the world is immersive, the story engaging, and there is some sense of meaningful character development?

I'm somewhat torn. On the one had it's an interactive narrative, and there's nothing inherent in its interactivity that renders it a lesser artistic experience. One the other, the interminable grind accompanying the RPG experience inevitably leads to an experience of shallow gamification, in which the story is merely a tinsel decoration to solving puzzles, battling monsters, and frittering away time on mini-games.