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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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)

Nobody can answer that question objectively.

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...

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.

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.

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.!<

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.

Yeah, but my point is that it's apparent from scene 1 when "Simon" wakes up the first time. Just cause he doesn't get it doesn't mean the player doesn't have to deal with the same concept getting rehashed over and over.

There was no build up of the concept or iteration on the idea. It's just the same arc from the first 10-15 minutes of the gameplay playing out again and again. Except they swap it up at the end to try to make it hit harder, but to me it just felt played out.

I get why people like it, but it just didn't have the pay off for me.