Most Stupidly Perfect Game Ever Played

[kasperbbs]

I'll be a copycat and say Portal 1/2, it's not my favorite game, but i can't think of anything being wrong with it, except that it has little replay value.

 

[hazabaza1]

Gonna have to go with Resi 4 or Metal Gear Rising. Both have absolutely idiotic plots that while making sense, require the brain of about a 6 year old with schizophrenia to write, and will make up anything on the spot just because it seems cool as shit. They're also really well designed, play incredibly well and kept me playing for hours on end.

EDIT: Oh, I skimmed through and just saw the title and EDF and I guess I was going more for Perfectly Stupid than Stupidly Perfect.
The above games still apply of course, but a few more can be added into the mix. The Walking Dead, for example, is this thrillingly tense game that even while you're away that the choices you make and your competence in the action segments don't effect all too much it just doesn't matter because it's full of characters you care about and fantastic writing.

 

[Raine_sage]

Ah so many.

Okami: Probably the best adventure/platformer I've ever played. The wolf is a joy to control, the fights were fun, the art direction was amazing, and the music was incredible. Plus I still cry like a sap at the ending, every damn time.

Tales of Symphonia: This is probably mostly nostalgia talking but goddamn was this game so much fun. But mostly it was the story that got me. It was the very first game I ever played where the plot did a complete 180 halfway through and everything you thought you knew got turned on its head. Experiencing something like that for the first time was probably the most awesome moment of my preteen years. While I still adore the Tales Series no other game in it has given me that same "Wow" moment.

Odin Sphere: I love love love everything about this game. The setting, the art, the gameplay, the story. It's all so wonderful and melancholy and you get a real sense the world is beginning to come to an end all throughout.

 

[COMaestro]

Closest thing that is occurring to me right now is Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game was just so beautifully put together with a fantastic combat mechanic, good use of gadgets, nice environments and a great story. While the ending boss fight was a little disappointing, everything before that overshadows any dissatisfaction that might be had.

Also, going back a ways, Wing Commander 4. A fantastic space flight sim with a very engaging story and tight controls. A game that I played over and over again and enjoyed every time.

 

[sageoftruth]

God Hand:
The first '3D Battle Toads/Double Dragon' game that WORKED for me.

Humor, combat, enemies, difficulty.
ALL worked out.

Speaking of which, a friend of mine has been thinking of how great it would be to make a Battle Toads game with the engine and mechanics of God Hand. It would probably need cell shading to match the cartoony look of Battle Toads, but I agree that it would be fun to send enemies flying from an anvil to the face in the same fashion as any of Gene's moves.

 

[Evil Moo]

As many people have already mentioned Portal, I'm going to throw in my other favourite first person puzzle game, Antichamber. It was a game that challenged me to rewire how I thought about navigating the world. The puzzles were occasionally difficult, but I never felt frustrated by the time I'd worked them out. It felt very well tailored to my tastes and abilities, and I can't recall having a bad time with it at any point. Maybe there are some things it could have done better or differently, but I can't really think of any specific way that I would choose to change it.

 

[sageoftruth]

Right now, I'm torn between God Hand and Persona 4. Both satisfy my gaming needs in such polar opposite ways, better than any other game that I play, and if I had no responsibilities, I could probably play through either of them in one sitting without getting tired of it.

I'm still trying to decide which game best suits my stealth needs. I've played Tenchu, Mark of the Ninja, Dishonored, Thief 2, and Splinter Cell.

 

[sageoftruth]

Persona 4 /thread gg wp ez game

But seriously, it's hard for me to describe why it's so perfect because it lies in every single little piece of the game. I can't just point to one mechanic and go "this is why it's good" like say, the Arkham series can point to its combat engine.

The Social Links serve as both character development and an anti-grind mechanic so you can advance a particular character's story instead of grinding for EXP and still end up on track in levels, the characters are great, for example, in what other game would I be able to say "Yosuke is a sexist, homophobic, judgmental bellend but he's still the best friend a guy could hope to have" and actually be accurate? (that camping trip yo') The Shadow theme is fucking brilliant and the murder mystery actively makes you solve it yourself instead of waiting for the characters to do it for you.

It outright gives you a list of every single character you have ever met and doesn't let you move on with the game until you've picked out the murderer and the True Ending even hinges on you noticing a small hanging plot thread being the only thing not tied up in the epilogue and knowing where to go to deal with it.

So true. I couldn't have described it better myself. I love anti-grinding mechanics, and shadows are such a neat concept. The game has had me wondering what my shadow would be like and how I'd react to others seeing it. I just wish it was easier to get into (long tutorial), so I could get friends and family to try it.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Shadow of the Colossus.

Gorgeous, artistic visuals. A soundtrack that can range from anywhere between soothing and epic. The gameplay is comparably simple and easy to get the hang of - you start off with all the tools you need to get the job done. All of the enemies are bosses that all rely on a bit of problem solving to defeat, with several of the encounters being absolutely kickass. All of this falling in line with a relatively simple plot that also manages to leave one wondering.

 

[jamail77]

Resident Evil 4

snip

RE4, you are the king!

snip

While retrospectively people who complained about it now praise it, I'd argue the escort missions with Ashley prevent RE4 from being stupidly perfect. Part of the OP's definition of stupidly perfect means any flaws are so minor they serve to just highlight the good parts even more. Escorting in that game was too painful to be minor. And, the only reason people backtrack and say it's great now is because somehow despite getting more advanced video games the escort concept has somehow regressed. So, telling Ashley to hide in a trash bin or something like that just looks good by comparison; it still isn't good though. I'm sure there's a few more things that were wrong with that game, but I only say that because, as I said in my OP on this thread, my standards are higher than that of snobs and I might be more nitpicky than Yahtzee. So, it's more out of desperation to find something wrong with the game than actually having a gut feeling that there was more wrong than I can remember. Trust me when I say that's not something to brag about either; I wish I could enjoy games more easily.

I'll be a copycat and say Portal 1/2, it's not my favorite game, but i can't think of anything being wrong with it, except that it has little replay value.

I don't know, little replay value is a big enough flaw to disqualify Portal from being stupidly perfect if you ask me. Little replay value is not a minor flaw to me, which is part of the requirement to be stupidly perfect. Great games despite that though.

Arkham City may be the closest thing to a perfect game I've played. It's (almost) everything I could have wished for.

Closest thing that is occurring to me right now is Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game was just so beautifully put together with a fantastic combat mechanic, good use of gadgets, nice environments and a great story. While the ending boss fight was a little disappointing, everything before that overshadows any dissatisfaction that might be had.

The Arkham series is 1 of my favorite franchises and while it certainly has given me a lot of what I asked for I just don't have the same opinion as you two. None of the Arkham games are difficult enough to satisfy my need for challenge and I was always disappointed how the AI never adapts to you sufficiently.

Let's take Origins for example. What if when you shot your remote claw there was a random chance the AI could stop it? They could be programmed to hear it coming and move out of the way or, if it manages to latch onto them anyway, they cut the cable with a knife or pull it off them with their bare hands (the games certainly make them look bulky enough to make me believe they could pull them off easily despite the strength I assume the claw has in its gripping potential). I single out the remote claw specifically because it was cheap and made stealthing too easy even though it was fun to use. By adding this element of chance, stealth encounters could be easy or hard and you wouldn't be sure going in which it would be. They'd certainly always be different in a good way, at the very least if not any harder. And, that's just the remote claw. Imagine if AI were sophisticated enough to react to every gadget you use and every attack you do in a similar manner? I see a lot more replay value in the series' future if that concept went into the game design. Then again, Origins was a low effort, obligatory copy/paste of Arkham City with a few interesting ideas that never fully get capitalized on. I always wished the scope of the countering counters system had been expanded and made more complex for example. So singling out 1 of its gadgets is probably doing the series a disservice and makes it not the best example to illustrate my point. It's the only example I could think of though, for some reason.

The point I'm trying to make is that the charm of the stealth and combat system wears off when you realize the AI is too stupid to react to you realistically and present any real challenge. Put that together with the derivativeness and exhaustion I got from doing the same thing over and over again (fighting a huge battle royale's worth of goons with a Titan or skilled goon to mix it up slightly or stealthing with too few new interesting things added, once you've progresses satisfactorily, to justify doing the same thing once again) and the lackluster boss fight and the games don't quite reach stupidly perfect for me. They're wonderful games, but missed a spot while polishing the car.

I know Batman has always been power fantasy, but even in The Animated Series he had his money cut out for him when presented with average goons who decided to do the smart thing for once in their otherwise stupid lives or an average goon who was lucky that day. Batman is only human after all. If you've seen The Animated Series that's why "Almost Got 'Im" and "The Man Who Killed Batman" are such great episodes. Batman is still portrayed as an amazing individual, but they still manage to show that he's fighting people who can be just as clever as him or get just as lucky as he gets. "The Man Who Killed Batman" is a particularly great example of somebody who just got lucky. Batman didn't die, but even Batman admitted that was a rare instance he was almost a goner by some ordinary goon. Best part was Batman didn't feel ashamed in admitting an average guy almost did him. Other super skilled, almost never lose, heroes would feel ashamed. Batman is a better person for being more humble about it. The games never convey this well enough for me though and I've always considered that a big flaw of the franchise among everything else I stated.

 

[The_Darkness]

RE4- Oh, ninja'd.

Well, in that case, I'll go for RE4 IN SPACE. Also known to some as Dead Space 2. It lacks the corniness of RE4, but the gameplay is tight, the characters all feel human, and the entire thing feels beautifully paced. And tense. Very tense. Stupid Hardcore Mode, why do I love you so...

Also - the forgotten gem that is Second Sight. Possibly the best and twistiest plot I've yet seen in a video game, kickass psychic powers, a decent stealth system, and lots of loving little touches. Just, well, perfect.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I'd have to go with Portal 1 and 2.

Saying that though Mass Effect 1 is one of my absolute favourite games of all time. Say what you will but I really loved the combat mechanics, it just felt incredibly sci fi, add to that all the sound assets (including music), the writing and most of the voice acting was good. The only bad things I have to say about that game is that the world design felt bland and that one stupid elevator bug that broke the game that they never fixed.

Mark of the Ninja is also one of those pretty much perfect games (for me). I always loved stealth, but hate not being able to see the entire situation meaning you have to rely on guess work a lot of the time. Just watch the Design Club episode from the Extra Credits guys if you've never played it.

Spec Ops: The Line is simply amazing. Pretty good gameplay mechanics, nothing special, but phenomenal storytelling, amazing characters, amazing twist, amazing ending, memorable moments. Just amazing.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Great graphics that still hold well to this day, great combat that's well paced, not just button mashing all the time. Most importantly good story and amazing puzzles.

Borderlands 1. Loot, enemy variety, loot, bajillions of guns, loot, funny and interesting characters, and did I mention loot?

 

[scorptatious]

Shadow of the Colossus.

Gorgeous, artistic visuals. A soundtrack that can range from anywhere between soothing and epic. The gameplay is comparably simple and easy to get the hang of - you start off with all the tools you need to get the job done. All of the enemies are bosses that all rely on a bit of problem solving to defeat, with several of the encounters being absolutely kickass. All of this falling in line with a relatively simple plot that also manages to leave one wondering.

Quoting for emphasis.

To me there is very little wrong with Shadow of the Colossus. It's just so damn good.

 

[Luke O'Neill]

For me its Oblivion. It has a world that you can emerge yourself in and really enjoy. The mechanics fit the world around them and it feels okay that its glitchy because the game world's graphics are just homely enough that glitches fit. Its a very simple game and you can replay all the storylines without it feeling overdone. The arena was always the first place I rushed to because it allowed me to go nuts with whatever skills I chose for my character and just have fun with them crushing the competition. Theres plenty of nitpicking that you csan do if you want to get lost in stats or you can just hack at things until they die. For me thats the dream. Its not the best game out there but it fits stupidly perfect perfectly

 

[Solbasa]

I would say Portal or Persona 4, but since they've been said already I'm not going to.

Instead, assuming I'm understanding correctly what OP means by "stupidly perfect", I'm gonna say Half-life 2. I feel stupid for not getting it prior to last year. It's just so perfect - tight and intelligent level design that open themselves to multiple strategies and position major events so you're naturally looking at them instead of being having control taken from you, an engaging plot, great puzzles, well-built shooting...the points in its favor just go on and on, and I feel dumb for not hearing about it earlier than I did.

Another one is Worms Armageddon. This game was a big part of my childhood and early adolescence, so naturally I have a lot of nostalgia for it, but going back and playing it again it's just as much fun as I remember it being. It's kind of stupid, but it's the fun kind of stupid, and there's a reason that the game still has new patches and updates being released after 15 years.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Far Cry 3. I'm honestly hard pressed to think of a single thing I really disliked about this game. It did a great job of making the "your guy starts out barely being able to shoot a gun, and by the end he's Rambo on steroids" elements feel smooth and organic, the environments are gorgeous, hunting and crafting is a great addition, and the shooting is fun. Can't ask for much more than that.

X-Com reboot (I know, it was already mentioned). This game DOES have some issues I could point out, but I can't think of any game in recent memory that I just had so much damn fun with while at the same time being 'chew your fingernails off' tense and suspenseful.

Also already mentioned, but Mark of the Ninja. I seriously can't think of a single criticism for this game, it basically just did everything right. It's amazing that the Ninja game that most made you feel like an actual Ninja ended up being a side-scrolling 2D platformer instead of some whiz-bang AAA game that cost $50 million to make. Huge kudos to Klei entertainment for pulling it off.

 

[And Man]

I'm gonna have to go with Portal. That game is so amazingly well done, and I didn't get around to playing it until over a year after its release.

I agree that Portal is a magnificent example of all that is good about gaming.

I'm also struggling to find any kind of fault with South Park: The Stick of Truth - as a game, it's engaging and refreshingly bug-free; there is tonnes of stuff to do, see and buy; the writing is top-notch and refreshingly sick and twisted for an industry under a lot of scrutiny.

Stick of Truth was a great game, but I did run into some bugs and glitches in it (which I wasn't too surprised about; it is an Obsidian game after all). I encountered a text glitch at one point that made all text unreadable, which was fixed easily enough by exiting and restarting the game. I also ran into a glitch regarding a chest: I saved the game, a little later I opened a chest and received an item, and after that I died in a boss fight. When I reloaded from the save point, I couldn't open the chest to get the item. Had to fix it by reloading to an earlier save point (which wasn't too far back, so it thankfully didn't erase too much progress).

 

[pilouuuu]

I have to agree about Half-Life 2 and Portal. Valve are so amazing that it's a shame they don't seem to be making games anymore, especially games with 3 on the title.

I'd also like to add this little game called Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons. The game has a unique control that and lasts the exact time it should to give an amazing emotional experience. It tells an engaging story without any need for dialogues and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

I have also to add Monkey Island which can be an engaging experience until this day. You just feel immersed in this slightly anachronic Caribbean place and its humour is unique.

And finally Hearthstone. I never had something free that is so good an entertaining. Winning a match always bring a smile to my face and there are not many games which I can say that about. This game is free and perfect!

 

[Danny Dowling]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Every level is awesome, large, and interesting. The game is able to tell a story without a single line of text and next to no cut scenes. The Chaos Emerald stages are amazing. The music... oh god the music is just... it's a great soundtrack.

Yeah, I don't think there's anything I'd change about the game other than the ability to play it on my Vita and PS4.

 

[TristanBelmont]

Saints Row IV. Lots of fun and lots of content and lots of making me laugh and just lots of lots of goodness.