So I think it’s actually really important that the games that would be considered objective masterpieces would have to overcome any language barriers and be an experience approachable by anyone. You can learn the mechanics to enjoy the gameplay without words
So:
Portal
Journey
Binding of Isaac
Shadow of the Colossus
Metro 2033 (which I have sat on and I believe even if it was entirely in Russian you would still get it )
DOOM (original you don’t need words you shoot)
Super Mario Bros. 3
Katamari Damacy
Then there are dialogue option stories that are fantastic stories that I could consider greats but shareable masterpieces is hard to say as they rely on you speaking the language both literally and then gameplay wise:
Story-driven: The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, Halo, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted, HL2, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Splinter Shock, The Walking Dead
Platformer: Braid, Ori and the Blind Forest, Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Limbo
Action/roguelike: Bastion, Hades
RPG: Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect
Puzzle: Lumines, Puzzle Quest, World of Goo, You Must Build a Boat, Reigns, Threes, Meteos
Oooooh I like that question. I feel like it would have to be some kind of Call of Duty, right? Some absolutely mediocre slop that still has enough mechanical satisfaction and mind-numbing explosion-and-cliché-filled story to keep you somewhat entertained, yet still remaining completely forgettable.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
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Honestly, many of them you know full well, but that’s because yes, they are that good:
Completely deserve their legendary status
Portal 1 & 2 were the first to my mind as well. I really like this list, actually.
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.
So I think it’s actually really important that the games that would be considered objective masterpieces would have to overcome any language barriers and be an experience approachable by anyone. You can learn the mechanics to enjoy the gameplay without words
So:
Then there are dialogue option stories that are fantastic stories that I could consider greats but shareable masterpieces is hard to say as they rely on you speaking the language both literally and then gameplay wise:
What’s left of edith finch.
Such an amazing game. Absolute masterpiece.
This is the game I used to convince my film nerd friends that games can be art too. They really enjoyed playing through it!
Minesweeper.
Simple, endlessly playable.
Well, none because favorites are super subjective, but I’ll shout out my favorites because no one else did:
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.
Immersive sims: Prey, Dishonored, Deus Ex
Story-driven: The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, Halo, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted, HL2, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Splinter Shock, The Walking Dead
Platformer: Braid, Ori and the Blind Forest, Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Limbo
Action/roguelike: Bastion, Hades
RPG: Fallout: New Vegas, Mass Effect
Puzzle: Lumines, Puzzle Quest, World of Goo, You Must Build a Boat, Reigns, Threes, Meteos
Other: Desert Golfing
I always forget how absolutely awesome Escape From Butcher Bay is until I’m reminded of its existence and its shockingly unfair to that game.
I’d kill for a new Riddick game!
I still think the series is actually the best Space Opera and I do mean opera. But they have some great stories.
I’d love another Riddick game too. I’ll settle for the 4th movie I guess for now
RDR2. Witcher 3. Fallout New Vegas.
Fallout 2
Wasteland 3.
In this case, Jagged Alliance 2 (with 1.13 mod).
I’d say games that have set the standard for their genre, and have not been surpassed, would be the only ones that count.
Spec Ops: The line
Basically the “committing war crimes isn’t funny after all” game
This is your fault, god-damnit 🫵
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?
Hell I’d make that a separate post!
Pong.
It’s that or tetris
Oooooh I like that question. I feel like it would have to be some kind of Call of Duty, right? Some absolutely mediocre slop that still has enough mechanical satisfaction and mind-numbing explosion-and-cliché-filled story to keep you somewhat entertained, yet still remaining completely forgettable.
The McDonald’s of videogames.
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
Team Fortress 2
The best teamshooter game to date, endless copy cats that suck ass.
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.
And the character trailers are hilarious.
“That thing … It scares me,” Pyro shooting bubbles and lollypops in his mind actually causing pure death and destruction
Elden Ring
SOMA was great
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
Edit: Fixed formatting