Think video games can't be art? This GTA 5 time lapse could make you reconsider

There's been a debate for a while now about video games as art, and whether or not that's possible. Modern film critics like Robert Ebert would have you believe their interactivity excludes them on this basis alone, which is a fair point, but I'm sorry to say that I cant' concede to the man who wrote "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."

Arguing over games as an art form is a conversation perhaps best reserved over an aged cabernet and some fine cheese, so I can at least feign an attempt at the hoity and the toity. I don't know if games can be art per se, but damn can they be pretty.

But looks on their own aren't enough, especially to fit the definition of art, nor qualify a game as good. It needs something more, like the story or gameplay for example. One game that's been a candidate for this for years has been the Final Fantasy series, particularly FFVII. But what about a game whose maing reason for being a household name is because it's known for wonton violence, carjacking, and beating up hookers to get your money back? Is that art? Well, based on just that alone, probably not, but there's more to the game than just its less than jovial antics. 

Like every other game series under the sun, as the technology improves, so does every other facet of the game, particularly its looks, and Grand Theft Auto V has that in spades, and you'd notice if you ever stopped mowing down pedestrians long enough to take in the atmosphere. If you haven't, then you're in luck. 

Machinima's director, Ben Buja, took the time to do an excellent time lapse video that shows some of the breathtaking environments of Los Santos, from the northern deserts of Shady Sands, up to the cloud scraping Mt. Chiliad, all the way back down to the bustling streets of Las Venturas. All we need now is a training montage, and we'd have a perfect 80's flick.

You can see the whole thing below, and maybe we'll leave that discussion about video games and art for another time. For now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the video.