What games are just objective masterpieces?
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None. There's no such thing as an objective master piece. Games are art which is, by definition, subjective.
Edited to add, well this was way more controversial than I thought it would be.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:28 last edited byGames are not Art, they are Games.
Videogames can also be art, but they are also games and 'games' (note: not 'videogames') are not art.
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Sid Meier's Pirates.
Either version.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:28 last edited byI was going to say Sid Meier's Civilization, but both of them qualifies really.
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Super Hexagon
It's about as simple as a 'modern' game can be (I read there was even a port of it to Commodore 64.) but it's a finely tuned machine. When you lose - and you will, a lot - it feels like mostly your own fault and not the game's.
The difficulty levels very accurately start at Hard for the easiest one. There are 6 total levels, the next 5 difficulties are Harder, Hardest, Hardester, Hardestest, and Hardestestest.
With much time and luck I can beat the first level (unlocking the 4th). On a lost save I had unlocked the 5th level by completing the 2nd, and have only ever seen the 6th in videos from other people. I would have to beat the 3rd to see it myself, and that's not happening.
The criteria to beat a level is "last for 60 seconds".
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:31 last edited byIt's really good, I played it again recently after not touching it for maybe 10 years, and finally beat the last difficulty in an attempt to prove to myself I'm still not old
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Video:
DoomTetris
Chrono Trigger
Table top:
ChessMagic: the Gathering
Everdell
Azul
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:31 last edited byWizards got all up in Commander and killed my interest in it.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:44 last edited by
Thomas Was Alone
I've never felt so much for quadrilateral shapes.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:46 last edited by rustydrd@sh.itjust.works
Assuming that "masterpiece" refers to the quality and impact the games had in their time (not how well they aged) some of my picks would be:
- Baldur's Gate 2 + ToB
- Star Wars: KotoR
- Morrowind
- Read Dead Redemption 2
- The Witcher 3
- The Last of Us 1+2
- God of War
- Shadow of the Colossus
- The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
- Mass Effect 1+2
- Disco Elysium
- Half Life 2
- BioShock 1
- Diablo 2
- Fallout 2
I don't know how objective this list is. Some picks are definitely subjective and fit more in a "flawed masterpiece" category of games that had a large impact on how I perceived games but that may not be so widely acclaimed as some others on this list.
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Thomas Was Alone
I've never felt so much for quadrilateral shapes.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:50 last edited byThat’s a great game indeed. The narration is on point.
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wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:51 last edited by
I was expecting to disagree with the list at some point, but I'm finding it increasingly hard to find a reason to
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Assuming that "masterpiece" refers to the quality and impact the games had in their time (not how well they aged) some of my picks would be:
- Baldur's Gate 2 + ToB
- Star Wars: KotoR
- Morrowind
- Read Dead Redemption 2
- The Witcher 3
- The Last of Us 1+2
- God of War
- Shadow of the Colossus
- The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
- Mass Effect 1+2
- Disco Elysium
- Half Life 2
- BioShock 1
- Diablo 2
- Fallout 2
I don't know how objective this list is. Some picks are definitely subjective and fit more in a "flawed masterpiece" category of games that had a large impact on how I perceived games but that may not be so widely acclaimed as some others on this list.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:54 last edited byYou could probably add E33 to that, even if it is still too early to know how much impact it will have.
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Super. Hexagon.
It's hard to explain the relief I felt upon beating the last level. I can fairly easily survive for 300s in the first one, but I've never gotten close to beating the last one again.
The most important tip I can give: if you have a 60Hz monitor, turn off VSync. Makes a huge difference.
There's also a "spiritual successor" called Open Hexagon that's extendable by the community if you want more, though I haven't played it myself.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:56 last edited by davidgro@lemmy.worldI'll have to try that vsync thing when I get a new PC (laptop). I'm playing stuff on my phone or Android tablet lately
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 07:56 last edited by
Journey
There is not a single word in the game, barely any control but the game take you through an emotional story.
It's multiplayer in a sense that you might meet another player, they can help you, you can help them or just continue on your path and despite not having any words it just fell like a genuine, pure connection with someone.
And the music is amazing.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 08:14 last edited by
Sekiro
Few games have such tight game design, story, lore, and characters blended so well into a single experience.
I don't think I even want or need a sequel.
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I'm going to take this as "games that I never see anyone question their quality." (I don't even like all these games myself)
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Sonic 3 & Knuckles
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Kirby Planet Robobot
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Doom 2016
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Street Fighter III: Third Strike
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Pac-Man
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Balatro
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Steins;Gate
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The House in Fata Morgana
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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
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Gran Turismo 4
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
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Mega Man X
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Mega Man X4
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Super Mario Bros. 3
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Hollow Knight
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Bloodborne
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Elden Ring
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Balder's Gate 3
wrote on 28 May 2025, 08:48 last edited byBaldur's Gate 3 is a good game and a worthwhile experience but you can absolutely make quite a lot of very valid critiques about it.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 09:03 last edited by
We'll see how much is recency bias and how well it will stand the test of time, but I really think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be on this list going forward. It's definitely one of the best games I've ever played, and I've played a lot of games. It's not perfect, but it's close enough in all the parts that actually matter.
Otherwise there's your usual suspects:
- Disco Elysium
- Portal
- Half-Life 2
- Bioshock 1
- Final Fantasy VI
- Chrono Trigger
- Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The Last of Us
- Baldur's Gate 2
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 09:23 last edited by
Braid
Cave story -
Wizards got all up in Commander and killed my interest in it.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 09:57 last edited byUB are getting all up in my standard and pioneer formats and killing my interest for them/Magic as a whole outside of "limited" precons.
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Not a sequel. Just because it's not Portal 1. The fact that it's second is not the problem. The problem is that the first one was flawless.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 10:27 last edited byToo few promises of cake
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 28 May 2025, 10:58 last edited by
There hasnt been yet a game that could replicate the experience I ld had when I played Planescape: Torment
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Witcher 3 for me.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 11:13 last edited byI had to scroll so far to find anyone mentioning W3... Absolutely insane to me that this isn't much higher and more mentioned.
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Has seriously no one mentioned The Last of Us? That’s crazy.
I think the second should be included.
As well as red dead redemption 2.
The storytelling is just top tier. Better than literally almost all media made today.
wrote on 28 May 2025, 11:30 last edited byRdr2 was the only game that I was actually emotionally tied to the characters. It was truly a masterpiece.