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  3. What games are just objective masterpieces?

What games are just objective masterpieces?

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  • S [email protected]

    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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    wrote last edited by
    #256

    Hell I'd make that a separate post!

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    • J [email protected]

      I'm always curious why people add things like Ocarina of Time to lists like these. While the game was revolutionary at the time, I don't think it holds up particularly well nor succeeds where later zeldas fail.

      To call it an objective masterpiece I feel like it has to be a game that someone picking up today would still enjoy and appreciate. Tetris and Portal for example hold up well even by today's standards.

      zerohora@lemmy.mlZ This user is from outside of this forum
      zerohora@lemmy.mlZ This user is from outside of this forum
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      wrote last edited by
      #257

      The thing that not holds well in Ocarina of Time is the N64 controls and like what they supposed to do to overcome that?

      J 1 Reply Last reply
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      • tal@lemmy.todayT [email protected]

        Just out of curiosity, listing the games mentioned here as of this writing by their date of release:

        Release Date Game
        1980 Pac-Man
        1985 The Oregon Trail (assuming widely-played 1985 game)
        1985 Tetris
        1986 Kid Icarus
        1988 Mega Man 2
        1988 Super Mario Brothers 3
        1988 The Guardian Legend
        1989 Abadox: The Deadly Inner War
        1989 Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II
        1989 Monster Party
        1989 Populous
        1989 Sweet Home
        1990 Dr. Mario
        1990 Final Fantasy III
        1991 Battletoads (assuming original game)
        1991 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
        1992 Ecco the Dolphin
        1992 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
        1992 Super Mario Kart
        1993 Dinopark Tycoon
        1993 Doom
        1993 Gauntlet IV
        1993 Lufia & the Fortress of Doom (assuming first game)
        1993 Mega Man X
        1994 Donkey Kong Country
        1994 Earthworm Jim
        1994 Sonic & Knuckles
        1994 Sonic the Hedgehog 3
        1994 Super Metroid
        1994 The Lion King
        1995 Chrono Trigger
        1997 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
        1997 Diablo
        1997 Final Fantasy VII
        1997 Mega Man X4
        1997 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
        1997 Snowboard Kids
        1998 Banjo-Kazooie
        1998 Metal Gear Solid
        1998 Sonic Adventure
        1998 South Park
        1998 StarCraft: Brood War
        1999 Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
        1999 Heroes of Might and Magic III
        1999 Planescape: Torment
        1999 Quake III Arena
        1999 RollerCoaster Tycoon
        1999 Silent Hill
        1999 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
        1999 Sven Co-op
        1999 Unreal Tournament
        1999 Worms Armageddon
        2000 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
        2000 Diablo II
        2000 Resident Evil CODE: Veronica
        2000 SimCity 3000 Unlimited
        2000 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
        2001 Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
        2001 Final Fantasy X
        2001 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
        2001 Shenmue II
        2002 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
        2003 Beyond Good & Evil
        2003 Need for Speed: Underground
        2003 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
        2004 Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
        2004 Champions of Norrath
        2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
        2004 Gran Turismo 4
        2004 Half Life 2
        2004 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
        2004 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
        2005 Champions: Return to Arms
        2005 Psychonauts
        2005 Shadow of the Colossus
        2006 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
        2006 Ōkami
        2007 BioShock
        2007 Dark Souls
        2007 Mass Effect
        2007 Portal
        2008 Clonk Rage
        2008 Left 4 Dead
        2008 Mirror's Edge
        2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl
        2009 Dragon Age: Origins
        2009 Forza Motorsport 3
        2009 Killing Floor
        2009 Left 4 Dead 2
        2009 Plants vs. Zombies
        2009 Steins;Gate
        2010 Battlefield: Bad Company 2
        2010 Limbo
        2010 Nier
        2010 Planet Minigolf
        2011 Bastion
        2011 Portal 2
        2011 Terraria
        2011 The Binding of Isaac
        2012 Hotline Miami
        2012 The House in Fata Morgana
        2012 Tokyo Jungle
        2014 Forza Horizon 2
        2014 LISA: The Painful
        2015 Bloodborne
        2015 Ori and the Blind Forest
        2015 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
        2015 Undertale
        2016 Doom (2016)
        2016 Kirby: Planet Robobot
        2016 Stardew Valley
        2016 The Witness
        2016 Titanfall 2
        2016 Tyranny
        2017 Little Nightmares
        2017 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (for Deluxe version)
        2017 Nier: Automata
        2017 Night in the Woods
        2017 Super Mario Odyssey
        2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
        2018 Celeste
        2018 Donut County
        2018 Return of the Obra Dinn
        2018 Rimworld
        2018 Subnautica
        2019 A Short Hike
        2019 Disco Elysium
        2019 Outer Wilds
        2019 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
        2019 Slay the Spire
        2020 Cyberpunk 2077
        2020 Factorio
        2020 Hades
        2021 Everhood: An Ineffable Tale of the Inexpressible Divine Moments of Truth
        2021 Psychonauts 2
        2022 Elden Ring
        2022 Lil Gator Game
        2023 Baldur's Gate 3
        2023 Dave the Diver
        2024 Balatro
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        wrote last edited by
        #258

        The only game I kinda like on this list is Okami.

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        • W [email protected]
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          wrote last edited by
          #259

          Well, none because favorites are super subjective, but I'll shout out my favorites because no one else did:

          1. The Wonderful 101
          2. Bayonetta
          3. Ninja Gaiden II
          4. God Hand
          5. Viewtiful Joe
          6. Catherine
          7. Gravity Rush
          8. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
          9. Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
          10. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
          11. Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion
          12. Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
          K 1 Reply Last reply
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          • zerohora@lemmy.mlZ [email protected]

            The thing that not holds well in Ocarina of Time is the N64 controls and like what they supposed to do to overcome that?

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            wrote last edited by
            #260

            It's probably me being pedantic, but for an "objective masterpiece" the game needs to stand on its own and not on its legacy. I just don't think Ocarina of Time holds up to later zelda games in many aspects (although I do think the story and soundtrack do).

            Generally I think the ps1 and N64 era just suffer from the transition to 3D. Graphically and gameplay wise many games suffered for being the first foray into 3D gaming and those challenges wouldn't really be settled until the next generation.

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            • M [email protected]

              Well, none because favorites are super subjective, but I'll shout out my favorites because no one else did:

              1. The Wonderful 101
              2. Bayonetta
              3. Ninja Gaiden II
              4. God Hand
              5. Viewtiful Joe
              6. Catherine
              7. Gravity Rush
              8. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
              9. Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
              10. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
              11. Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion
              12. Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi
              K This user is from outside of this forum
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              wrote last edited by
              #261

              Catherine deserves to be on someone's list so glad you have it and Gravity rush is a good choice cause it was a fun use of mechanics.

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              • S [email protected]
                • Portal 1/2 of course.
                • Grim Fandango. (Flawed yes, but absolutely a masterpiece)
                • Psychonauts.
                • Fallout New Vegas.
                • System Shock (the original).
                • The Longest Journey.
                • Mass Effect. Maybe.
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                wrote last edited by
                #262

                Portal 1 & 2 were the first to my mind as well. I really like this list, actually.

                S 1 Reply Last reply
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                • kinther@lemmy.worldK [email protected]

                  SOMA was great

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                  wrote last edited by
                  #263

                  I've been craving another experience like SOMA but unfortunately nothing even comes close. It was probably the coolest and most disturbing story I've ever seen. Finishing that game gave me an existential crisis for like 2 days after. It was that good.

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                  • J [email protected]

                    I feel like Soma was a decent metaphysical question wrapped in a okayish walking simulator.

                    It got a lot of praise, but basically boils down to the question "what makes you you" with nothing else about it standing out.

                    If the gameplay isn't a driving factor of making the game objectively good, then I don't think it counts.

                    kinther@lemmy.worldK This user is from outside of this forum
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                    wrote last edited by
                    #264

                    Personally I think story can make a game stand out far more than graphics or gameplay. I also disagree that the game boiled down to one question. While it was the primary focus of the narrative, the underwater laboratories and world building/history was amazing.

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                    • F [email protected]

                      Portal 1 & 2 were the first to my mind as well. I really like this list, actually.

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                      wrote last edited by
                      #265

                      Glad to hear it.

                      I'm tempted to add Red Dead Redemption 2 to the list, but it's too new for me to decide yet.

                      I think it belongs. It was the greatest storytelling game I've played in a decade or more.

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                      • M [email protected]

                        The lack of gameplay is fine, and very much important to call out for any new players. There's a whole genre of "you're playing a movie" that SOMA fits nicely into

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                        wrote last edited by [email protected]
                        #266

                        I think a masterpiece game has to offer more than just story. Additionally I think something like Firewatch does a much better job at telling a compelling story for a walking simulator. But clearly this is why "objective" masterpiece is hard to define, as nothing is really objective in these opinions.

                        Other games I'd consider better in the walking simulator category:

                        • Unfinished Swan
                        • Firewatch
                        • Gone Home
                        • Stanley Parable

                        Edit: Fixed formatting

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                        • kinther@lemmy.worldK [email protected]

                          Personally I think story can make a game stand out far more than graphics or gameplay. I also disagree that the game boiled down to one question. While it was the primary focus of the narrative, the underwater laboratories and world building/history was amazing.

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                          wrote last edited by
                          #267

                          I don't disagree, but my opinion is gameplay (or the interactive nature) of games is what sets them apart from other mediums so would be a deciding factor in a masterpiece game.

                          But I guess it largely just boils down to the fact Soma just didn't do much for me.

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                          • M [email protected]

                            It does have a couple sore points. The whole aimbots running rampant was awful. And it was one of the first major games to introduce and popularize micro transactions.

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                            wrote last edited by
                            #268

                            Both true points, however Its still my favorite game of all time. To be fair I am a fanboy, my steam year in review last year was 99% TF2. I don't really play any other games besides tf2 still.

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                              wrote last edited by [email protected]
                              #269

                              I'd say :

                              • The first Deus Ex and its first prequel Human Revolution
                              • Mafia I
                              • Max Payne 1 and 3
                              • Crash Bandicoot 1
                              • Age of Empires II
                              • GTA III
                              • Doom 1/2
                              • First Half-Life
                              • First Unreal
                              • Doom 3
                              • Duke Nukem 3D
                              • Morrowind
                              • Skyrim (modded and fixed, vanilla is pure garbage)
                              • Blood Omen 1
                              • Silent Hill 1 and 2
                              • Resident Evil 1 and 4 (and their remakes)
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                              • W [email protected]
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                                wrote last edited by
                                #270

                                Nobody can answer that question objectively.

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                                • M [email protected]

                                  I love that you included 1.6. I spent my all teenage years staying up all night playing this. I was thinking single player epics but this is absolutely a masterpiece.

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                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #271

                                  Yeah, me too... man, I would play 16+ hours on some weekends... I was kinda good, too. Too young, but godly reflexes. I still think about those days sometimes...

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                                  • M [email protected]

                                    Yeah, me too... man, I would play 16+ hours on some weekends... I was kinda good, too. Too young, but godly reflexes. I still think about those days sometimes...

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                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #272

                                    I'll sit and watch old matches from of semi finals from 2004. Every round. I can't get enough of the strategy and presicion. I'm so grateful for the memories and friends but also sad because, how do you replicate an era like that? A game that perfect? ESEA, HLTV demos, frag movies, forums. It was the best man.

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                                    • J [email protected]

                                      I don't disagree, but my opinion is gameplay (or the interactive nature) of games is what sets them apart from other mediums so would be a deciding factor in a masterpiece game.

                                      But I guess it largely just boils down to the fact Soma just didn't do much for me.

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                                      wrote last edited by [email protected]
                                      #273

                                      I'd recommend playing SOMA again, but this time get extremely baked before you play. I'm joking (not really) but I found that game's story so profound and interesting. It was like the most twisted unsettling environment I've ever seen. It had basic walking sim mechanics but being able to explore the environment and look at things up close was just really enjoyable.

                                      Also, I Inverse Tonemapped the game from SDR to HDR, so while not the best use of HDR, the added contrast gave the game a more pleasing spooky vibe. I also ran it at 4x DLDSR so it was very sharp.

                                      J 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • F [email protected]

                                        I'd recommend playing SOMA again, but this time get extremely baked before you play. I'm joking (not really) but I found that game's story so profound and interesting. It was like the most twisted unsettling environment I've ever seen. It had basic walking sim mechanics but being able to explore the environment and look at things up close was just really enjoyable.

                                        Also, I Inverse Tonemapped the game from SDR to HDR, so while not the best use of HDR, the added contrast gave the game a more pleasing spooky vibe. I also ran it at 4x DLDSR so it was very sharp.

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                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #274

                                        The setting was definitely interesting. However the main story was a bit too much of a one trick pony - who is the real you.

                                        !Additionally they kinda cheat in the story telling around who lives on. It's not random chance, each time they replicate their memories it just makes a clone. The original was never going to make it to the end.!<

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                                        • J [email protected]

                                          The setting was definitely interesting. However the main story was a bit too much of a one trick pony - who is the real you.

                                          !Additionally they kinda cheat in the story telling around who lives on. It's not random chance, each time they replicate their memories it just makes a clone. The original was never going to make it to the end.!<

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                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #275

                                          Dude that's literally the point! It throws in your face that it's copy and paste, not cut and paste, yet your character Simon refuses to acknowledge it. Same with the survivors who killed themselves after being scanned for the ark because they wanted to achieve "continuity." It's explained but they just can't accept it because it means they're going to die.

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