What games are just objective masterpieces?
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I remember trying the demo to Homeworld when I was a kid, it came with one of those old school PC GAMER demo CDs. I think I was too young to understand how to play it effectively, but still loved it because I found the ambience of the experience so memorizing while hyper-cozy. Would you say it she's well as something worth going back and playing now, and what of the sequel(s)?
wrote on 29 May 2025, 06:24 last edited byI still repplay now and then, there's no game like it.
Sadly the sequals failed to capture the grace of the original, though I've not tried 3 yet.
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Prey, System Shock 2, Outer Wilds, and Undertale are fully-realized microcosms where the primary game is unfolding the complex origami of the setting. All of them absolutely beautiful to experience.
wrote on 29 May 2025, 06:49 last edited by idunnololz@lemmy.worldDo you think Return of the Obra Dinn would belong alongside these or is that game too flawed by comparison? I ask because I myself am not sure.
Oh, actually Disco Elysium would fit right in here as well as a "fully-realized microcosms where the primary game is unfolding the complex origami of the setting".
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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, 06:54 last edited by jackbydev@programming.devFeels odd to include Pyre over Hades.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 07:09 last edited by
Super Metroid
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Disco Elysium
Alpha Centauri
Super Marios Bros 3
Bloodborne
Ori 1 & 2
Fallout 1 & 2
Planescape: Torment
The Outer Wildswrote on 29 May 2025, 07:20 last edited by tillman@lemmy.worldAtari: Frogger
NES: RBI Baseball / Tecmo Bowl.Genesis: Phantasy Star IV
N64: Ocarina.
PSX: FF IX.PSP: Lumines
Saturn: Panzer Dragoon
Dreamcast: Rez and Skies of ArcadiaPS2 Vice City
XBOX: PD Orta
360: Child of Eden / Shadow ComplexPC agree with all yours. Would add Syndicate, Witcher 3, & red alert
DS: Dawn of Sorrow
Neo Geo: Last Blade 2 -
This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 11:38 last edited by
Halo 1-3
Forza horizon 2 & 3
COD blacc ops 1-2
MW 1 + 2
Need for Speed Most Wanted/Underground/2/Carbon
More I can’t think of rn
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Do you think Return of the Obra Dinn would belong alongside these or is that game too flawed by comparison? I ask because I myself am not sure.
Oh, actually Disco Elysium would fit right in here as well as a "fully-realized microcosms where the primary game is unfolding the complex origami of the setting".
wrote on 29 May 2025, 14:25 last edited byHaven't actually played these two but from what I gather, they definitely fit the list!
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on 29 May 2025, 15:07 last edited by
Celeste. Emotional narrative that seamlessly blends with the gameplay, which implementa never before seen accessibility configuration, enhanced by one of the best soundtracks ever. All while being cheap, indie, and one of the best speedrun games ever made
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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 🫵