What Games Do You Consider Masterpieces

RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
404
394
63
Italy
Doesn't necessarily have to be your favorite game. Just a game that is a master class of what it sets out to do. Lives up to it's renown.

Disco Elysium- No game nails that tabletop rpg feel like DE. And the writing and story are great to boot. As well as all the wacky situations you can get into.

Portal 2- Funniest game ever. Lemons.

God of War 2k18- There wasn't a single moment there wasn't something that had me absolutely engaged in the game.

Super Mario Bros. 3- Perfected the 2d platformer

Planescape: Torment- Literary prose in a video game? Yes, please!

The Witcher 3- Proof that even all the jank in the world can be overcome by great writing.

Persona 5- One word: Cool.
 

Vadicta

Greenish ooze weeping like tears out a butt ulcer
May 10, 2020
52
118
33
Resident Evil 6: It's like Capcom was making a game where Bruce Lee fights zombies, but they lost the rights and decided to repurpose it into a Resident Evil game to recoup the cost. I don't know what says masterpiece more than that.
 

Meursault

New member
May 11, 2020
10
22
3
Hyper Light Drifter. One of the few games I would consider perfect in what it sets out to do.

Even my favourite games like Bayonetta or Dark Souls I would admit have flaws.
 
  • Love
Reactions: RiffRaff

D-Volt

Haruspex/Menkhu
May 10, 2020
50
59
18
Pathologic 2. There's nothing else like it. It's one of those games you should go into blind and just get swept along by it...or bounce right off of it due to its uncompromising difficulty and cryptic writing. Either one means you've experienced what the game wanted you to.

It's a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
fb2fd36f67e09357086e9dadf0692770676f98026a68e5e87d9725c8b005a079_product_card_v2_mobile_slider...jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiffRaff

Lex

Custom title:
May 11, 2020
8
7
3
Germany
Well ... Crysis tried to not run on any PC and it archived that masterfully. A true Masterpiece of crap optimizing.

Other than that ... I'm not sure I would call a single game a masterpiece... some do impressive stuff ... some reinvent the wheel ... some are even fun to play.
But not one comes to mind that is so perfect that I would call it a masterpiece.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiffRaff

✨ Matt ✨

Garbage Pail Kid
May 10, 2020
106
150
43
Well ... Crysis tried to not run on any PC and it archived that masterfully. A true Masterpiece of crap optimizing.
To be fair, if Nvidia hadn't been lying to Crytek about the clock speeds of their upcoming GPU line it probably would have ended up much more optimized.
 

Xeo

Active member
May 10, 2020
176
199
43
Chrono Trigger: There is zero wasted space in Chrono Trigger, in a genre known for even it's best examples often having at least a little bloat or filler. Chrono Trigger wastes nothing. It's about as close as I can personally consider a game to be perfection.

Final Fantasy VI: A strong contender for my favorite game of all time, but not quite. Some truly amazing characters and it was so far ahead of the curve when it came to narrative and writing for it's time that it's honestly mind-blowing. Truly a next-level game for it's genre from it's era.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Another game that I consider at least close to perfection. This particular game also happens to feature my favorite soundtrack ever. I still think this game features the best narrative in the entire Final Fantasy series, personally.

Bloodborne: As a major fan of the Soulslike formula and of cosmic horror and horror in general this game was a match made in heaven for me. And it delivered on every front. Deep, rich lore and complex world building combined with rock solid combat and levels drenched in atmosphere and detail. This is hands down my favorite game of the past decade, without a doubt.

God of War 2018: There's little I can fault this game with. It looks great, sounds great, plays great, had me hooked from start to finish. Made me actually want to platinum it and even made me shed a tear. It hit me on personal levels that I didn't even think a video game could at this day and age.

The Witcher 3: Take an already excellent series based on an excellent book series and turn it up to 11. The Witcher series continued to climb in quality and excellence since it's original game, but the jump from 2-3 is a massive one. One of the most engrossing and well written games period, let alone of the decade.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215: This is the game that made me fall in love the the visual novel genre, even though to call it that is to do it a disservice. It's art style alone is worth taking note of, but it's well-written and believable characters are the star of the show. A fantastic adventure that doesn't hinge of a giant world-saving event or anything quite so dramatic, but a much more realistic mystery to unfold. Hotel Dusk also features one of my favorite video game soundtracks, and arguably the one I listen to more than any other in a given year. Truly a shame it has never truly gotten the recognition it deserves, even among fans of it's genre.

Stardew Valley: Take the familiar concepts of Harvest Moon, amp them up and wrap them into a bigger, better written game with more realistic characters all created and updated regularly by an extremely passionate developer. I've bought this game three times across multiple platforms and I'd buy it again just to support it. The game is the very definition of "chill" in video game form. Enjoy this one however you like.

Earthbound: A game that has plenty of obvious faults right off the bat, but it doesn't matter. A game where the nails the definition of the term "Better than the sum of its parts." If there's one word to describe Earthbound it would be "Charming". Although "Weird" might work, too. It's one of the silliest overall games I'll probably ever play that still manages to evoke emotion. Even just thinking about this game now gives me warm, fuzzy feelings.
 

Boxman214

World's Okayest Chef
May 10, 2020
78
93
18
Oh there's so many!

Halo 3: on eif the best first person shooters of all time. Insanely tuned gameplay. Fantastic campaign. And then you add in Forge for customization. And the ability to save and share films of what happened during a match. It was just an endless playground of fun and expression.

Super Mario World: I don't think there will ever be a better 2D platformer. The gameplay is literally perfect. The art and music are incredible.

Ocarina of Time: Completely transported me into a 3D world that was living abd breathing. It was the first game to so completely take me somewhere else.

Portal: A succinct, practically flawless experience. Mind bending puzzles. Incredible writing and world building. Has basically a near perfect difficulty curve. And it knows exactly when to end.

Tetris: I mean, it's Tetris.

There's many others. But those are the first that came to mind.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: RiffRaff and Roager

Roager

Rogue Ogre
May 11, 2020
55
61
18
A couple that haven't been mentioned yet:

Devil May Cry 3
  • The cutscenes are disgustingly well directed, and pull off both wicked action stunts and actual emotion.
  • The ending is excellent. The intro is excellent.
  • A lot of attention to detail and a well-constructed story, with character arcs and motivations playing off of each other in interesting ways.
  • Top-notch combat system, supported by some of the best enemy design in any beatemup ever. From grunts to bosses, it all works and works together.
  • No rival character has ever been done as well as Vergil. Gary Blueballs wishes he could be this good.
  • The player's path through the tower is interesting and surprising throughout the game, even if I wish parts of it were communicated better.
  • That second-to-last boss fight is awful but also kind of fascinating, and the presentation of it is a pretty brave and interesting choice.
  • That final boss fight is sublime. There's a dramatic push-pull dynamic baked into the combat design, and it matches the narrative perfectly.
The Stanley Parable
  • Great writing and narration, it's immediately charming as hell.
  • Only works as a game, and is built specifically for the unique qualities of the medium.
  • No game ever put me through such a wide range of emotions in such a short time.
  • Twists the relationships between player, game, and developer, and it's fascinating.
 
Last edited:

D-Volt

Haruspex/Menkhu
May 10, 2020
50
59
18
Chrono Trigger: There is zero wasted space in Chrono Trigger, in a genre known for even it's best examples often having at least a little bloat or filler. Chrono Trigger wastes nothing. It's about as close as I can personally consider a game to be perfection.

Final Fantasy VI: A strong contender for my favorite game of all time, but not quite. Some truly amazing characters and it was so far ahead of the curve when it came to narrative and writing for it's time that it's honestly mind-blowing. Truly a next-level game for it's genre from it's era.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Another game that I consider at least close to perfection. This particular game also happens to feature my favorite soundtrack ever. I still think this game features the best narrative in the entire Final Fantasy series, personally.

Bloodborne: As a major fan of the Soulslike formula and of cosmic horror and horror in general this game was a match made in heaven for me. And it delivered on every front. Deep, rich lore and complex world building combined with rock solid combat and levels drenched in atmosphere and detail. This is hands down my favorite game of the past decade, without a doubt.

God of War 2018: There's little I can fault this game with. It looks great, sounds great, plays great, had me hooked from start to finish. Made me actually want to platinum it and even made me shed a tear. It hit me on personal levels that I didn't even think a video game could at this day and age.

The Witcher 3: Take an already excellent series based on an excellent book series and turn it up to 11. The Witcher series continued to climb in quality and excellence since it's original game, but the jump from 2-3 is a massive one. One of the most engrossing and well written games period, let alone of the decade.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215: This is the game that made me fall in love the the visual novel genre, even though to call it that is to do it a disservice. It's art style alone is worth taking note of, but it's well-written and believable characters are the star of the show. A fantastic adventure that doesn't hinge of a giant world-saving event or anything quite so dramatic, but a much more realistic mystery to unfold. Hotel Dusk also features one of my favorite video game soundtracks, and arguably the one I listen to more than any other in a given year. Truly a shame it has never truly gotten the recognition it deserves, even among fans of it's genre.

Stardew Valley: Take the familiar concepts of Harvest Moon, amp them up and wrap them into a bigger, better written game with more realistic characters all created and updated regularly by an extremely passionate developer. I've bought this game three times across multiple platforms and I'd buy it again just to support it. The game is the very definition of "chill" in video game form. Enjoy this one however you like.

Earthbound: A game that has plenty of obvious faults right off the bat, but it doesn't matter. A game where the nails the definition of the term "Better than the sum of its parts." If there's one word to describe Earthbound it would be "Charming". Although "Weird" might work, too. It's one of the silliest overall games I'll probably ever play that still manages to evoke emotion. Even just thinking about this game now gives me warm, fuzzy feelings.

Chrono Trigger AND Hotel Dusk: Room 215?

BlueQuaintBobcat-small.gif


My man. God tier taste.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boxman214

Parismio

Lemon Zinger
May 11, 2020
25
24
18
Noneya
Undertale- Its such a perfect RPG. Mixing RPG and bullet hell concepts together is very ingenious. Not only that, it's pacing is perfect and I am grateful that its isn't some 50 hour epic. It is indeed my favorite game in the world.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiffRaff

RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
404
394
63
Italy
Chrono Trigger: There is zero wasted space in Chrono Trigger, in a genre known for even it's best examples often having at least a little bloat or filler. Chrono Trigger wastes nothing. It's about as close as I can personally consider a game to be perfection.

Final Fantasy VI: A strong contender for my favorite game of all time, but not quite. Some truly amazing characters and it was so far ahead of the curve when it came to narrative and writing for it's time that it's honestly mind-blowing. Truly a next-level game for it's genre from it's era.

Final Fantasy Tactics: Another game that I consider at least close to perfection. This particular game also happens to feature my favorite soundtrack ever. I still think this game features the best narrative in the entire Final Fantasy series, personally.

Bloodborne: As a major fan of the Soulslike formula and of cosmic horror and horror in general this game was a match made in heaven for me. And it delivered on every front. Deep, rich lore and complex world building combined with rock solid combat and levels drenched in atmosphere and detail. This is hands down my favorite game of the past decade, without a doubt.

God of War 2018: There's little I can fault this game with. It looks great, sounds great, plays great, had me hooked from start to finish. Made me actually want to platinum it and even made me shed a tear. It hit me on personal levels that I didn't even think a video game could at this day and age.

The Witcher 3: Take an already excellent series based on an excellent book series and turn it up to 11. The Witcher series continued to climb in quality and excellence since it's original game, but the jump from 2-3 is a massive one. One of the most engrossing and well written games period, let alone of the decade.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215: This is the game that made me fall in love the the visual novel genre, even though to call it that is to do it a disservice. It's art style alone is worth taking note of, but it's well-written and believable characters are the star of the show. A fantastic adventure that doesn't hinge of a giant world-saving event or anything quite so dramatic, but a much more realistic mystery to unfold. Hotel Dusk also features one of my favorite video game soundtracks, and arguably the one I listen to more than any other in a given year. Truly a shame it has never truly gotten the recognition it deserves, even among fans of it's genre.

Stardew Valley: Take the familiar concepts of Harvest Moon, amp them up and wrap them into a bigger, better written game with more realistic characters all created and updated regularly by an extremely passionate developer. I've bought this game three times across multiple platforms and I'd buy it again just to support it. The game is the very definition of "chill" in video game form. Enjoy this one however you like.

Earthbound: A game that has plenty of obvious faults right off the bat, but it doesn't matter. A game where the nails the definition of the term "Better than the sum of its parts." If there's one word to describe Earthbound it would be "Charming". Although "Weird" might work, too. It's one of the silliest overall games I'll probably ever play that still manages to evoke emotion. Even just thinking about this game now gives me warm, fuzzy feelings.
I can agree on almost all of those! And the ost for FFT is my favorite FF soundtrack and up there as overall best soundtrack!
And love the props to Hotel Dusk. Such an underated gem. I really wish a PC version were available for conservation's sake.
 

RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
404
394
63
Italy
A couple that haven't been mentioned yet:

Devil May Cry 3
  • The cutscenes are disgustingly well directed, and pull off both wicked action stunts and actual emotion.
  • The ending is excellent. The intro is excellent.
  • A lot of attention to detail and a well-constructed story, with character arcs and motivations playing off of each other in interesting ways.
  • Top-notch combat system, supported by some of the best enemy design in any beatemup ever. From grunts to bosses, it all works and works together.
  • No rival character has ever been done as well as Vergil. Gary Blueballs wishes he could be this good.
  • The player's path through the tower is interesting and surprising throughout the game, even if I wish parts of it were communicated better.
  • That second-to-last boss fight is awful but also kind of fascinating, and the presentation of it is a pretty brave and interesting choice.
  • That final boss fight is sublime. There's a dramatic push-pull dynamic baked into the combat design, and it matches the narrative perfectly.
The Stanley Parable
  • Great writing and narration, it's immediately charming as hell.
  • Only works as a game, and is built specifically for the unique qualities of the medium.
  • No game ever put me through such a wide range of emotions in such a short time.
  • Twists the relationships between player, game, and developer, and it's fascinating.
Been doing a DMC series play and finished DMC3 the other day. What a ride! My only real complaint was it was rather dark visually (which 4 is seeming to be fixing). I kinda want the Switch version of DMC3 so I can use the style switching.
 

RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
404
394
63
Italy
Undertale- Its such a perfect RPG. Mixing RPG and bullet hell concepts together is very ingenious. Not only that, it's pacing is perfect and I am grateful that its isn't some 50 hour epic. It is indeed my favorite game in the world.
Undertale is one of those games I wish I had only played once. I replayed it when it came out on Switch and, idk, I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first time around.
 

RiffRaff

Human Person, Maybe
Robot
May 11, 2020
404
394
63
Italy
Here's another one; Ys VIII.

Falcom has refined the ever-loving crap out of the core Ys combat system, and the end result is something that simply feels excellent to play. It helps that combat and exploration are the main things you'll be doing, as Ys is an action/JRPG series with a heavy emphasis on the first part.

Movement, too, is simply satisfying as heck.

This is without even mentioning the soundtrack. Really, what can I say other than that Falcom can do no wrong in this department? Just listen to this:



While the Ys series isn't usually focused on its stories, Ys VIII manages to tell one that's legitimately compelling. Especially once Dana becomes a more active part of it. She's easily the best part of this one.

Visually, it looks like an upressed PS Vita game. But hey, Falcom manages to build a nice, diverse set of locations to visit with its more limited budget. It's not that technically impressive, but it's by no means ugly. It's very much a game that knows what to prioritise, and it does so expertly.
I remember playing a Y's game I got from a Humble Bundle and really enjoying the gameplay. Don't know why I never looked more into the series. Might give this one a go if I find it cheap enough.
 

Sp_Testure

Earl of Cactuar's
May 11, 2020
19
21
13
44
Portland,OR
Oh boy, time to show my age. Let's see, Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights ,Master of Orion 2, Planescape Torment,Total Annihilation,Starcraft,Soulbows mum,Angband,KotOR, Final Fantasy 4, Final Fantasy 6, Phantasy Star 4, EarthBound and Lufia 2. Just to name a few :p
 

Dreggsao

Member
May 11, 2020
16
27
13
Berlin
The Witcher: Because it was the first game to have your decisions fuck you over story wise when it was way too late to reload your save and still be considered sane.

GTA IV: The Lost and Damned: Sure it was just GTA IV again but with more motorcycles and a story written so badly that even after finishing it most people still thought that the protagonist was supposed to be a cool guy that actually follows his ideals BUT it was the first mainstream game that showed a dick.
 
  • Love
Reactions: RiffRaff

✨ Matt ✨

Garbage Pail Kid
May 10, 2020
106
150
43
Man, that's tough. I'd have to say my top five games of all time would be like, RE2 Remake/RDR2/Portal 2/Terraria/STALKER CoP, personally. I know they're not perfect, but to me being perfect at everything isn't what makes something a masterpiece. It's more about being a beacon of what games are capable of being, flaws and all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiffRaff