People ask me "Alexander, what is your favorite game of all time? What is the best game of all time" I don't know how to answer. So I say Bugdom for the Mac G3.
There maybe one of the best games of all time, there may even be the best games of the genre but there will never truly be the best game ever really.
This list is ridiculous https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time
Sure, there may be the one game that may that may define gaming as a whole. An action game where you defeat lots of bad guys on an epic adventure through time and space. You know the one. But there will never be the best game ever.
It's just not possible. There have been many games that tried to scratch that itch and failed. Because many games that do that are flawed and over-complicated.
@Alexander2cents: agreed. and that list - witcher 3 and mass effect 2 are better than half life 2? i guess it's all just opinions but come on, seriously.
after gaming for 35 years or so i find it impossible to rank favourite games. i could list them, probably, rank them? no chance
I can rank my Top 100 games without any trouble. It comes down to personality and psyche. Some people like to organize their opinions with numbers and rankings, and others do not. To many, it just seems pointless, or they get caught up in the little details and cannot justifiably put one item above another on a list. If you look at my blog, you will see my Top 100 Games of All Time. That list will look a little different these days. I will update it in the future, but many games, particularly the ones near the top, will stay in the same area, most likely.
Also think "best game ever" never existed. It's too debateable to be considered for someone with rational thought.
Those who wail and screech the claim are usually the type to be very transparent. They have to make it known that they're choices are validated and that's-that. I view these creatures simple but they are free to continue seeing the world in black and white.
After all everyone has the right to believe whatever they wanna believe. Doesn't mean I'll unplug my brain and be strung along too. I play games because I like core mechanics and considerate gameplay, pacing, and all the elements creating a fun but rewarding experience.
For some a game is about looking pretty (any form of presentation) and story; that last part is very loose to me as many video game stories are usually horrible even many the ones praised with high regard.
I recall when Dragon Age 3 was 'winning' every award and being labelled "the greatest RPG of all time". When I walked away from completing the game on the highest difficulty it was one of the most horrible experiences I have had with an RPG. I've also listed the flaws too much to repeat on this forum. This is why 'critics' only matter as far as I can throw them. I have no issue with games being praised, but it's usually misleading and simply a popularity contest of who sold and advertised the most.
Anyway long rant gone I just try to look at games for what they are and go in attempting to judge a game for what it's aiming to achieve and if it's a game worth investing time into.
Once I put a game down what I like to do with any game is look at it as objectively as possible: what did the game do well, what did it do poorly, and most importantly am I having fun?
Heck I find it difficult to narrow down favorite games in a single genre. It is usually five to ten in a genre I consider peak games, but have different pros and cons.
Also if someone only looks at a games quality out of metacritic and game awards I think they're simply dumb as shit. If one cannot voice their own opinion don't bother having a discussion with someone about games.
Finally I simply don't like to pass judgement on games I've never played, something I see fairly often on these forums.
@RSM-HQ: You’re playing role of critic when you criticize Dragon Age 3, though. If you can only narrow down favorite games in certain genres to 5-10, why can you logically not continue the process of elimination? The process of narrowing down games through comparison and contrast is the exercise of determining “the best _________ of the year, of all time” etc. You just don’t like completing the process, and that is okay. People have different cognitive functions with which they operate. We all have different operating systems.
It’s interesting that you have so much vitriol towards someone who can categorize their opinions in a way that is satisfactory to them, while you completely accept your categorization.
In the end, it’s really not THAT serious either way. They’re games.
@The_Deepblue: Your process of elimination is flawed in a few key areas, as my last statement notes I have not played every game in existence, and I do not pretend that I have.
The remaining pans down to viewing pros and cons, then value if the game is fun and worth continuous play. Made that very apparent. And I have found games in the same genre to have equal merit for all these factors. I love playing them all evenly. I don't even think this is a tough concept to understand, it is actually that the general public are told, no you can only like one. But why?
If I value ten to fifteen games in a genre as good as each other from this estimate I can, and it's certainly something I've found to be a good system to use. "Oh no he likes playing more than one game get em" (Electronic Arts probably)
One above all only exists to those who don't wish to think of 'what ifs'. Namely because Big Fat-Cat Capitalism doesn't want you to think, and I know this as someone who works in marketing.
This is why live service kicked off so smoothly, if you just believe Grand Theft Auto V is the greatest game of all time, ask no questions, you can just invest a lot of money and play that one game forever, or at least a decade or two. That's how Rock Star likes it baby.
In the end, it’s really not THAT serious either way. They’re games.
I mean. . sure. Yet, what has that got to do with validating games with a less transparent metric catering to simpletons. The thread is about 'best game' mentality being a flawed concept. And I just pitched my harsh but honest take on the matter. You don't have to agree with it, but it's how I feel on the matter.
My key rant (which I even openly admitted to being a rant) is, many are openly being manipulated to enjoy what they're told to enjoy. And your opinion should matter, if not, exceed what the media spoon-feeds everyone as 'Must Plays', think for yourselves not what IGN or Game Awards tells you what to play if you prefer that form of phrasing.
I once just shrugged and played a lot of AAA marketing garbage. That ended with Dragon Age 3, I'm sorry for all those who defend the game, but to me it was 100% dogshit. It was a pretty game with a beautiful musical OST, outside that it is such a mess that even after all these years do not understand how everyone just agreed it was the best thing ever. I have absolutely zero gameplay pros to give that game. It's such a tacky respawning, MMO fetch quest, glitch fest, sack of vomit.
For **** sake Game Awards called Sifu a Fighting Game in 2022. Imagine taking recommendations from a dumb show that doesn't even categories games correctly.
Pardon if anyone looked at this as a personal attack either. This is more of a hard reality slap, wake up and smell the coffee. People are better than this, I want to read peoples favorite games, and feelings towards those games, good and bad, have a nice chat about gaming.
Not favorite game IGN told you to play and call the GOAT.
Perhaps I'm just fed-up with one-note mentality on games. It's becoming difficult to have a decent conversation on these forums.
@RSM-HQ: I always disagree with those publications’ lists too. However, they provide a general view of what the consensus is on “best game of ________.” Whether you find that important or not depends on how much you value the opinion of the tribe, which is determined by your own personality. I’m somewhere in between. I use public opinion to discover new things, and then I assess those things through my own lens. I assumed that you knew that when I mentioned “My Top Games of _________,” it was a comparison of the games I have played, not some arrogant statement as to what are “objectively the best games ever.” Obviously, “new” games enter my favorites lists all the time. My opinion is always changing, and I claim not to be an authority on “the best ________ ever, for that would be foolish.
Determining which game ranks above another in my mind depends on a game’s mechanics and gameplay loop first and foremost. It’s obviously subjective, but one of the reasons ranking games is easier for me than ranking songs is that I consider games to be more of a science than an art. Other factors are intuition and gut, qualities that do not fit into “rational thought” but are still valuable in an individual assessment of one’s own experiences. It obviously has no bearing on YOUR personal experiences, and I do not expect it to. However, another’s opinion can set expectations high or low.
Someone set your expectations high for Dragon Age 3, or else you would not have reacted so strongly with disappointment. It is really not completely rational to let the individual opinion or collective opinion of others tint your expectations, but you allowed it to happen to you, it seems.
I will say that I cannot rank my favorite songs of all time because, while I examine the technical aspects of music as important in my critique, I cannot fairly lump so many kinds of songs across centuries and cultures together for comparison’s sake. So maybe that’s how you are with games. Games, to me, just hit differently.
So, to summarize, I would agree that “rational thought” in ranking games is not what primarily determines it for me but the gut instinct and feeling/experience with playing it, “having fun” as you put it earlier. “Having fun” looks different depending on the person.
I respect how you think, though. You helped me consider how to look at games differently, and that comparing them isn’t a logical action. I can concede to that for the most part.
Edit: I never liked GTA, and I don’t like many “critically acclaimed” games.
I can rank my Top 100 games without any trouble. It comes down to personality and psyche. Some people like to organize their opinions with numbers and rankings, and others do not. To many, it just seems pointless, or they get caught up in the little details and cannot justifiably put one item above another on a list. If you look at my blog, you will see my Top 100 Games of All Time. That list will look a little different these days. I will update it in the future, but many games, particularly the ones near the top, will stay in the same area, most likely.
how does it come down to personality and psyche? it's age for me. ranking streetfighter 2 which i adored when i was 11 vs, say, elden ring which i adored at 39 is nigh on impossible. too many factors at play. cant see what personality and pysche have to do with it. tell us your how you do it
@Macutchi: If I gave you a choice to travel anywhere in Europe, Asia, or Africa, for free which continent and country would you choose?
When it comes to psychology, I use Jungian Analytics, a field in which I am still a novice and may not be able to explain without confusing people. Check out C.S. Joseph on YouTube. He’s better at explaining it.
Whenever I play a game, one of my default thoughts constantly in my mind is “Where does this game stack up with the others I have played?” I’m 33 and completed my first game when I was four.
I also know I have preferences/biases. A fast paced platformer will have an advantage over a turn based role playing game for me. It’s just a matter of either simplifying your method or just going off what you feel or your “gut” when comparing games.
Ultimately, it’s an exercise I don’t recommend even bothering with if it’s not important to rank and to organize these things your mind like I do. I also try to write about my gaming/reading experiences, connecting the ideas to my personal beliefs to add value. That is something else I do besides ranking and organizing games to make the act of playing games feel more meaningful. I’ve grown to the point where, if I just consume media to consume it, I feel as though I am wasting my time. Again, that’s a personality trait that I don’t think is applicable for everyone.
@The_Deepblue: probably asia (always wanted to go to thailand), why you ask?
interesting you think consuming media is a waste of your time without additional work. for me it's just an experience. some experiences (whatever the medium) are one and done, some are much more meaningful and ill reflect, re-read, re-watch, replay and generally dig in deeper through interest and curiosity. but that doesn't personally help me unequivocally rank media, it's just a natural reaction to something ive enjoyed
I think the best game ever is the one you're currently playing (unless you're ironically playing a crap game 😋 ).
I know that's a non-answer, but whatever. There's so many good games coming out all the time, big budget and small budget, AAA and not, it's a lot of fun.
What is my favorite game ever? I honestly don't know, but I've had a blast trying to find out over these past 30 years or so.
@pyro1245 said:
It's Factorio. Let's look at the facts:
You can always come up with new goals and ways to play the game ('beating' the game is just the beginning)
Well-programmed, stable as heck, and runs on almost anything
Devs have supported the game for almost a decade
Extremely good mod support with dependency management and repo integrated right into the game
Dedicated server app with effectively unlimited player count
That's just my 2 cents tho.
Yeah Factorio is up there though, not gonna lie. Looking forward to the expansion coming out, too, even if we know next to nothing about it haha
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