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  3. What games are just objective masterpieces?

What games are just objective masterpieces?

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  • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
    27 May 2025, 22:30
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    semjaza@lemmynsfw.com
    wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:08 last edited by semjaza@lemmynsfw.com
    #17

    Video:
    Doom

    Tetris

    Chrono Trigger

    Table top:
    Chess

    Magic: the Gathering

    Everdell

    Azul

    P 1 Reply Last reply 28 May 2025, 07:31
    13
    • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
      27 May 2025, 22:30
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      sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
      wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:09 last edited by
      #18

      I'm taking this to mean games that stand out in or define their genre, are widely considered to be excellent, are timeless, and there's very little if any fat to trim.

      • Super Mario Brothers - NES
      • Super Mario 64
      • Dark Souls - maybe Elden Ring takes over?
      • Return of the Obra Dinn
      • Half Life 2 - honorable mention: Left 4 Dead 2
      • Diablo 2
      • Doom
      • Tetris
      • Chrono Trigger
      • Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
      • Portal 2
      • Little Nightmares - honorable mention: INSIDE
      • GTA SA
      • Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

      These aren't necessarily my favorite games, but games I think are well respected. I probably missed a bunch.

      1 Reply Last reply
      10
      • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
        27 May 2025, 22:30
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        llamapocalypse@lemmy.world
        wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:10 last edited by
        #19

        Bastion, Hades, Disco Elysium, Planescape: Torment, and Tyranny (even if the last act is rushed in the last two) come to mind for me

        G 1 Reply Last reply 28 May 2025, 03:22
        17
        • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
          27 May 2025, 22:30
          This post did not contain any content.
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          sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works
          wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:21 last edited by sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works
          #20

          Age of Empires 2 /w The Conquers expansion pack.

          Roller Coaster Tycoon 1. (2 was weaker without OpenRCT2, the real masterpiece, but idk if unfinished projects should count or not)

          Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament 1999 GOTY, Worms Armageddon, SimCity 3000 Unlimited, Forza Horizon 2 / Motorsport 3, Need for Speed Underground 1, Clonk! Rage, Metal Gear Solid 1/2/3, Ace Combat 4, Okami, Tokyo Jungle, Zelda BOTW, Mario Odyssey, Sven Co-Op, Killing Floor 1, Final Fantasy 7, LISA: The Painful, Everhood 1, Deus Ex 1, Left 4 Dead 1/2, Portal 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2... Champions of Norrath and Return to Arms, Diablo 1, Baldur's Gate 3 makes the list...NIER both games. Planet MiniGolf.

          I could go on and on.

          1 Reply Last reply
          12
          • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
            27 May 2025, 22:30
            This post did not contain any content.
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            snotflickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:22 last edited by snotflickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            #21

            Holy shit somehow no one has mentioned:

            Nier Automata

            It counts as a masterpiece because of how well it blends game design, gameplay and story. I have played very few games as thoughtful, or that weaved the gameplay together into the story it was telling in such a meaningful way. I never thought once in my life that I would think philosophically about bullet hell but somehow Nier Automata has something profound to say and even manages to say it using bullet hell as a gameplay mechanic.

            On top of all this, it also has a lot to say about classical philosophers, their works, and honestly deeply subverts things they had to say. It asks tough questions about their thoughts and ideas, once again, through gameplay. Numerous characters are named for classical philosophers: Pascal, Jean-Paul, Simone, Engels, Immanuel... (Yoko Taro obviously has feelings about how Jean-Paul Sartre treated Simone de Beauvoir.)

            Further, Yoko Taro is doing something that a lot of game developers fail to manage to do: He is embracing gaming as a storytelling medium and eschewing the traditional three-act arc from film. Because gaming is not film. As Marshall McLuhan posited, "the medium is the message" and unlike other developers Taro's writing is aimed at the medium he is working in instead of leaning on the ropes and tropes of other mediums. (Referring back to above, tying the gameplay into the story, focusing on the medium)

            It's basically impossible to not break down into tears at the ending.

            Don't write it off because of the scantily clad anime women. Stay for the depth of the human condition. It is truly a masterwork in multiple respects.

            T S B M M 7 Replies Last reply 27 May 2025, 23:40
            39
            • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
              27 May 2025, 22:30
              This post did not contain any content.
              S This user is from outside of this forum
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              sophocles@infosec.pub
              wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:25 last edited by
              #22

              Heres a list of some favorites:

              Imperfect perfection: Morrowind

              Perfect perfection: Starcraft Brood War

              Objective perfection: Plants vs Zombies

              Subjective perfection: Knights of the Old Republic

              Perfect for its time: Gauntlet IV

              Perfect timeless: Sonic 2

              Perfect for its genre: LOZ Minish Cap

              Perfect All-in-one: Shenmue II

              P S 2 Replies Last reply 28 May 2025, 01:45
              9
              • I iamthetot@sh.itjust.works
                27 May 2025, 22:36

                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.

                L This user is from outside of this forum
                L This user is from outside of this forum
                landedgentry@lemmy.zip
                wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:28 last edited by landedgentry@lemmy.zip 6 Feb 2025, 20:17
                #23

                ::: spoiler spoiler
                askldjfals;jflsad;
                :::

                S K 2 Replies Last reply 27 May 2025, 23:44
                8
                • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                  27 May 2025, 22:30
                  This post did not contain any content.
                  R This user is from outside of this forum
                  R This user is from outside of this forum
                  radin@lemmy.world
                  wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:29 last edited by
                  #24

                  Hades. Transcends the rogue-like genre through incredible writing, art direction, and music. The gameplay is some of the most addictive I’ve ever played. I’m at over 200 hours logged and I still get lost in it.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  10
                  • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                    27 May 2025, 22:30
                    This post did not contain any content.
                    R This user is from outside of this forum
                    R This user is from outside of this forum
                    richardwagner@lemm.ee
                    wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:32 last edited by
                    #25
                    • dark souls
                    • elden ring
                    • bloodborne
                    • sekiro
                    • outer wilds
                    • doom 2016
                    • binding of isaac
                    S 1 Reply Last reply 27 May 2025, 23:53
                    11
                    • S snotflickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                      27 May 2025, 23:22

                      Holy shit somehow no one has mentioned:

                      Nier Automata

                      It counts as a masterpiece because of how well it blends game design, gameplay and story. I have played very few games as thoughtful, or that weaved the gameplay together into the story it was telling in such a meaningful way. I never thought once in my life that I would think philosophically about bullet hell but somehow Nier Automata has something profound to say and even manages to say it using bullet hell as a gameplay mechanic.

                      On top of all this, it also has a lot to say about classical philosophers, their works, and honestly deeply subverts things they had to say. It asks tough questions about their thoughts and ideas, once again, through gameplay. Numerous characters are named for classical philosophers: Pascal, Jean-Paul, Simone, Engels, Immanuel... (Yoko Taro obviously has feelings about how Jean-Paul Sartre treated Simone de Beauvoir.)

                      Further, Yoko Taro is doing something that a lot of game developers fail to manage to do: He is embracing gaming as a storytelling medium and eschewing the traditional three-act arc from film. Because gaming is not film. As Marshall McLuhan posited, "the medium is the message" and unlike other developers Taro's writing is aimed at the medium he is working in instead of leaning on the ropes and tropes of other mediums. (Referring back to above, tying the gameplay into the story, focusing on the medium)

                      It's basically impossible to not break down into tears at the ending.

                      Don't write it off because of the scantily clad anime women. Stay for the depth of the human condition. It is truly a masterwork in multiple respects.

                      T This user is from outside of this forum
                      T This user is from outside of this forum
                      tomselleck@lemm.ee
                      wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:40 last edited by
                      #26

                      I didn’t know Chris Plante is on Lemmy.

                      S S 2 Replies Last reply 28 May 2025, 00:16
                      3
                      • L landedgentry@lemmy.zip
                        27 May 2025, 23:28

                        ::: spoiler spoiler
                        askldjfals;jflsad;
                        :::

                        S This user is from outside of this forum
                        S This user is from outside of this forum
                        seathru@lemmy.sdf.org
                        wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:44 last edited by
                        #27

                        I think the word you are looking for is pedant.

                        Better vocabulary will help get your point across better. Without also sounding like an edgy atheist teen.

                        L 1 Reply Last reply 28 May 2025, 00:21
                        6
                        • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                          27 May 2025, 22:30
                          This post did not contain any content.
                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                          charonn0@startrek.website
                          wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:45 last edited by
                          #28

                          Left4Dead2 (also L4D1)

                          H 1 Reply Last reply 28 May 2025, 02:16
                          6
                          • C capuccino@lemmy.world
                            27 May 2025, 22:34

                            Portal 2.

                            S This user is from outside of this forum
                            S This user is from outside of this forum
                            saltsong@startrek.website
                            wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:47 last edited by
                            #29

                            Portal 1 was flawless. Portal 2 had a crucial flaw.

                            Specifically, it was not Portal 1. Everything else was perfect.

                            C 1 Reply Last reply 27 May 2025, 23:59
                            53
                            • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                              27 May 2025, 22:30
                              This post did not contain any content.
                              A This user is from outside of this forum
                              A This user is from outside of this forum
                              afaix@lemmy.world
                              wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:52 last edited by
                              #30

                              Psychonauts 1 and 2.

                              Some of the most imaginative big budget games in existence, from themes to art style to level design

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              12
                              • S snotflickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                                27 May 2025, 23:22

                                Holy shit somehow no one has mentioned:

                                Nier Automata

                                It counts as a masterpiece because of how well it blends game design, gameplay and story. I have played very few games as thoughtful, or that weaved the gameplay together into the story it was telling in such a meaningful way. I never thought once in my life that I would think philosophically about bullet hell but somehow Nier Automata has something profound to say and even manages to say it using bullet hell as a gameplay mechanic.

                                On top of all this, it also has a lot to say about classical philosophers, their works, and honestly deeply subverts things they had to say. It asks tough questions about their thoughts and ideas, once again, through gameplay. Numerous characters are named for classical philosophers: Pascal, Jean-Paul, Simone, Engels, Immanuel... (Yoko Taro obviously has feelings about how Jean-Paul Sartre treated Simone de Beauvoir.)

                                Further, Yoko Taro is doing something that a lot of game developers fail to manage to do: He is embracing gaming as a storytelling medium and eschewing the traditional three-act arc from film. Because gaming is not film. As Marshall McLuhan posited, "the medium is the message" and unlike other developers Taro's writing is aimed at the medium he is working in instead of leaning on the ropes and tropes of other mediums. (Referring back to above, tying the gameplay into the story, focusing on the medium)

                                It's basically impossible to not break down into tears at the ending.

                                Don't write it off because of the scantily clad anime women. Stay for the depth of the human condition. It is truly a masterwork in multiple respects.

                                S This user is from outside of this forum
                                S This user is from outside of this forum
                                sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                                wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:53 last edited by
                                #31

                                Nier Automata

                                I loved Nier Replicant, but didn't get into Automata, maybe I'll give it another shot. I do love that style of storytelling though.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                5
                                • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                                  27 May 2025, 22:30
                                  This post did not contain any content.
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                                  yareckt@lemmynsfw.com
                                  wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:53 last edited by yareckt@lemmynsfw.com
                                  #32

                                  Half-life 3
                                  Mario 69
                                  Pokemon Asbestos
                                  Super Smash Bros Bawl (if you ban Metaknight)

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  4
                                  • R richardwagner@lemm.ee
                                    27 May 2025, 23:32
                                    • dark souls
                                    • elden ring
                                    • bloodborne
                                    • sekiro
                                    • outer wilds
                                    • doom 2016
                                    • binding of isaac
                                    S This user is from outside of this forum
                                    S This user is from outside of this forum
                                    sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                                    wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:53 last edited by
                                    #33

                                    Someone likes a challenge. 🙂

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    10
                                    • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                                      27 May 2025, 22:30
                                      This post did not contain any content.
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                                      toomanypancakes@lemmy.world
                                      wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:55 last edited by
                                      #34

                                      Super Metroid is still the first that comes to mind. Amazing experience from start to finish.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      6
                                      • W weirdbeardgame@lemmy.world
                                        27 May 2025, 22:30
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                                        emb@lemmy.world
                                        wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:56 last edited by
                                        #35

                                        Super Metroid

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        11
                                        • S saltsong@startrek.website
                                          27 May 2025, 23:47

                                          Portal 1 was flawless. Portal 2 had a crucial flaw.

                                          Specifically, it was not Portal 1. Everything else was perfect.

                                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                                          C This user is from outside of this forum
                                          capuccino@lemmy.world
                                          wrote on 27 May 2025, 23:59 last edited by
                                          #36

                                          Are you saying that Portal 2 is not perfect due is a sequel?

                                          S N 2 Replies Last reply 28 May 2025, 00:03
                                          7
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