What games are just objective masterpieces?
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 15:44 last edited by
How come no one has mentioned “Life is strange” yet? Also, “A plague tale”.
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Historically a masterpiece has been a (or the) work that demonstrates an artist is capable of utilizing their medium to its fullest extent, i.e. it has been mastered. Per ye olde Wiki:
Historically, a "masterpiece" was a work of a very high standard produced by an apprentice to obtain full membership, as a "master", of a guild or academy in various areas of the visual arts and crafts.
In that light, I'd say the best qualified would be games that completely utilized the capabilities of the platform they were designed for or, perhaps of interest to more people, expanded what everyone thought could be done with those systems. Games which were furthermore well polished and complete, and did not have much room for improvement taking into account the constraints they had to work with at the time. (For instance: No duh we could make Mario 64 run at a higher framerate and have better textures to look nicer on hardware now. That doesn't mean it wasn't arguably a masterpiece of its time, on the system it was on.) This doesn't just have to be technical stuff -- It could be the way the game used storytelling, its gameplay mechanics, or anything else.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 16:29 last edited bySpyro and Crash trilogies on the PSX, as well as the Quake 2 port, would definitely merit being called technical masterpieces
On the original Xbox, Phantom Dust would fit that bill, despite being a commercial failure at the time. The tldr is that you create a collection of spells (attacks, traps, dodges, curses, buffs) and try to grab them and the "mana" during the real time duels, in order to beat your opponents. Terrain is semi destructible and you have to take into consideration the trajectory of your spells - https://www.xbox.com/games/store/phantom-dust/9PCDNBHR11MR
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Have you played Prey? Only other game to scratch that same itch for me.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 16:30 last edited byPrey 2017 or Prey 2006?
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Nioh 2 is one of my favorite soulslikes, but falls short of masterpiece in my opinion due to the repeatedly recycled levels.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 17:35 last edited byHave you played the mainline souls titles? The NG+ system in Nioh 2 leads out into new unique maps (The abyss) rather than being the same game with revamped enemy placement and health nine times lol.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 17:58 last edited by
RDR2. Witcher 3. Fallout New Vegas.
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RDR2. Witcher 3. Fallout New Vegas.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:03 last edited byFallout 2
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Fallout 2
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:04 last edited byWasteland 3.
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Wasteland 3.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:10 last edited byIn this case, Jagged Alliance 2 (with 1.13 mod).
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Curious to hear what the criteria for "masterpiece" is, otherwise I think it is just peoples' subjective opinion of what makes a great game that they also think others might agree about being a great game. Genuinely curious, interested in discussion, not saying this to shut down any of the answers here.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:10 last edited byIn my mind a masterpiece video game can't be copied. Or at least if someone tried it would just be called a cheap clone of the original.
Then again everything can be copied but the more difficult it is to copy the closer it is to a masterpiece IMO.
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There are a lot of answers, mine will be drowned but... there it is. In no particular order :
- Final Fantasy X
- Clair Obscur : Expedition 33
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2 (but you had to be there when it came out)
- Metal Gear Solid 3
- Shadow Hearts : Covenant
- Kya : Dark Lineage (the bugs were a feature)
- Horizon : Zero Dawn
- Megaman (any megaman will do)
- Crash Bandicoot Trilogy
- Spyro Trilogy
- Pokemon Yellow/Crystal/Emerald
- Pokemon Jade (yes that bootleg version)
- The Last of Us (pt. I & II)
- Astroneer
- GTA : Vice City
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- CS 1.6 played in the most dirty lan at your disposal
- Control
- Tetris
- Neverwinter Nights 2
- Dragon Age : Origins
- Quake III
- Bomberman
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:17 last edited byJust started BG3. Fuckin mind-blowingly amazing.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:21 last edited by
Okay, now do it all on a bell curve.
What's the most absolute medium game, to which all other games are compared to, and if worse, fail, or are better and pass?
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:25 last edited by
Spec Ops: The line
Basically the "committing war crimes isn't funny after all" game
This is your fault, god-damnit 🫵
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My Picks...
Deus Ex (So many games try to be this and fail)
Cyberpunk (This one eventually measured up)
Alpha Centauri (Innovation mixed with familiarity and setting)
Fallout 2 (they're all good. Fallout 2 is special)
Kotor (Star Wars story telling in a beautiful way)
Baldur's Gate 2 and 3 (I'm stunned that 3 was a worthy successor)
Homeworld (One of the World's truly beautiful games)
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:35 last edited byPhantom Liberty is where Cyberpunk becomes a masterpiece.
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Okay, now do it all on a bell curve.
What's the most absolute medium game, to which all other games are compared to, and if worse, fail, or are better and pass?
wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:42 last edited byOooooh I like that question. I feel like it would have to be some kind of Call of Duty, right? Some absolutely mediocre slop that still has enough mechanical satisfaction and mind-numbing explosion-and-cliché-filled story to keep you somewhat entertained, yet still remaining completely forgettable.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:43 last edited by
SOMA was great
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 18:47 last edited by
I think Bioshock 1, Inscryption, Portal 1 & 2(I believe that 2 wouldn't be so loved if we didn't already love 1, I like to think of them as a set), Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil, Nier Automata, and Okami.
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Just started BG3. Fuckin mind-blowingly amazing.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 19:10 last edited byIf you really liked BG3 you might also like Neverwinter Nights 2 and DA:O. I heard there was a remaster of Neverwinter Nights 2 in the works, maybe give it a try when it comes out.
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Oooooh I like that question. I feel like it would have to be some kind of Call of Duty, right? Some absolutely mediocre slop that still has enough mechanical satisfaction and mind-numbing explosion-and-cliché-filled story to keep you somewhat entertained, yet still remaining completely forgettable.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 19:16 last edited byThe McDonald's of videogames.
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Metro 2033. Played it in the dark with good surround sound headphones on, and it's positively claustrophobic.
Last Light is good too, but at little too optimistic IMHO. 2033 nails that endless pit of despair feeling, with just enough lucky breaks that you might make it through.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 19:26 last edited byI would absolutely put that game up high on the lists as it is a perfect piece of atmospheric gameplay of misery incarnate.
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Supergiant games' holy trinity: Bastion, Transistor and Pyre.
Also, the only Borderland games 1 and 2; don't believe the lies there are no more true Borderlands games and no there most certainly is no movie.
There's also one other, but you'll need a crowbar or a gravity gun in hand for me to tell you about it.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 19:28 last edited byYou are wrong about borderlands as there is one more and it is pretty muc h perfect.
Tales from the Borderlands.
Shame they never made a sequel for it but the artistry, music and story are all so well crafted. Someone loved Borderlands making that.