320°

The Word 'Masterpiece' Has Lost All Meaning In Modern Gaming

The Gamer:

We are obsessed with replicating film and patting ourselves on the back, praising predictable ideas and throwing aside innovation in fear of potential change. This is where the definition of a masterpiece becomes so warped, filled with the same selection of games that penetrate the mainstream again and again because that’s what we’ve come to settle for.

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thegamer.com
masterfox554d ago

atm imo only Playstation Exclusives can actually receive such honor in calling them Masterpieces(PS games are really damn Stunning!), not sure all of them but most of them that's for sure, also why they put Requiem in the article title pic?, that game is an unoptimized mess, and boring looking game too, it seems some website is looking for attention, well I ain't clicking your nonsense website boi! :D

Software_Lover553d ago

Huh? Have you even played Requiem?

Rimeskeem553d ago (Edited 553d ago )

Requiem was good but I don't think it was a masterpiece. A lot of the aspects of the game clashed a bit for me. I wanted to listen to the soundtrack and explore more but there was so much dialogue and the exploration was rather pointless.

The biggest difference between Requiem and games like God of War and Elden Ring is the presentation of the game imo. Everything about God of War and Elden Ring felt polished and the experience was exactly what it was supposed to be. Requiem felt like it had the ingredients to make a masterpiece but failed to mix the ideas as well as the other games.

Father__Merrin553d ago

Requiem is a dog mess of a game artiscally it's nice but the way the title is made it's wasting resources. Ie you have huge huge draw distances which are total overkill akin to Arma reforger it's just running well

553d ago Replies(3)
frostypants553d ago (Edited 553d ago )

The problem is a lot of games these days rely too heavily on narrative, and it gets to the point that narratives that would be b-grade schlock in film or television get called masterpieces only because relative to other game narratives, they're well done. Meanwhile, actual gameplay often suffers, or at least isn't all that innovative...but people are blind to it because narrative narrative narrative. "This game has mature themes and therefore is IMPORTANT!"...never mind how cringe and meatheaded it actually is. It's lazy thinking and it lets hackish devs off the hook, with critics falling all over themselves to heap praise on them because even the critics forgot the "game" in "video game". Too many game developers want to be film writers/producers...they'r e just not good enough to be successful in that industry.

This doesn't mean all such games lack great gameplay. See: the Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West. Sure they were narrative-heavy...but the gameplay is amazing and like nothing else.

gangsta_red553d ago

Absolutely agree, tropes and cliches that would have anyone roll their eyes to the back of their heads in movies are now deep and profound when they're in video games.

I found in a few games that the gameplay is dragged out longer than it should be in order to pad out a story with over dramatic scenes, unnecessary dialogue and other wanna be narratives found in movies.

Crows90553d ago

Absolutely false. This is why there is a divide in the tlou2 story. If it was as you say then everyone would agree regarding the story in that game. But just like in movies you may like one that someone else doesn't, some people hated the story and others loved it.

If the narrative isn't good then it wouldn't be enjoyed. Ryse son of Rome had the typical gladiator story...and that story was good regardless of if it was told before. Tropes and cliches are not bad....they're in the best movies out there.

babadivad553d ago

I bought Forbidden West at launch and still haven't touched it yet.

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isarai554d ago

What's with all these articles trying to downplay and guilt trip everything regarding Playstation 1st party games lately?

SeTTriP553d ago

The same reason why ps exclusives that should be scored higher are not (horizon forbidden west is the lastest) because they charn out to many hits while the competition is lacking .
If the media tell the objective truth then m$ would be in a pr nightmare 24/7 it's a way to keep the competition in play even though m$ isn't even in the same league as ps.

goldwyncq553d ago

The main image is Plague Tale and you're crying about PS exclusives getting called out here?

isarai553d ago

And what are the other two? 🤔

Ra3v3r553d ago

Did you read the article cos there's a lot more mentioned than just PS 1st party? It's unfortunate that it's mainly some parts of the PS community that do over use it but I see it everywhere right now and the word is losing all meaning.

shinoff2183553d ago

Not quite. I think it has gotten hyped up because it's slim pickings to be honest. Yes I know what your thinking im definitely more into ps. I do play on Xbox one and have gamepass. I've owned every Xbox since the og and in fact I owned the og Xbox before I had a ps2. Truth is pentiment just isn't that good and from obsidian(which I've liked about all their games) I expected better.

I also go by the same name across ps Xbox and nintendo

553d ago
Rocosaurus553d ago

It is seriously a fantastic game. One that subverts expectations. A 2d game set in 16th century Bavaria about the daily struggles of German monks snd peasents sounds boring as shit. But it is not, and i couldn't put it down after the first hour. I have also probably never felt as much as fuckup in a game as towards the end of chapter 2.

548d ago
Kekewei553d ago

The story is great, I agree. but other than that, it's just a plain point & click game, the puzzles are even a little boring...

shinoff2183553d ago

Superlink520

I think more of the issue I had was it being called a masterpiece and I swear every review I seen most coming from Xbox type sites giving it a 10 or 9 out of 10. I just don't see it. I van respect opinions to a point but I still feel about it being hyped up due to slim pickings. I can't ever remember a point and click game getting 10s and the master piece label.

553d ago
548d ago
Crows90553d ago

For you. User score is where you can see if it's actually a masterpiece. Not sure what the score is.

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jambola553d ago

lol
thegamer trying to make commentary on quality
sure

SullysCigar553d ago

Next up: Tweaktown.con "how to avoid clickbaiting"

Then: Screenrant "how to form a well-respected opinion"

Honestly, these 3 sites are quickly flushing N4G quality levels down the toilet.

lellkay552d ago

they called their page "the gamer" looool

goldwyncq553d ago

"Try not to let glowing reviews and overblown marketing campaigns dictate your feelings towards a game and how much it means to you, but make that determination yourself and don’t be afraid to fall outside the box or make observations that actively protest the status quo."

The author says while trying to arbitrarily define what a Masterpiece should be like just earlier in the very same article.

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90°

15 Great Games Where Every Minute of the Experience Feels Earned

GB: "We take a look at 15 amazing games that had the perfect length."

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gamingbolt.com
9d ago
coolbeans8d ago

Pretty good list. Botany Manor would be the newest addition that encapsulates that title.

400°

Anyone else not blown away with graphics these days? Me neither

Talal writes: "I'm talking about having that rush of excitement - that feeling you get when you know you've just made a memory for a lifetime."

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videogamer.com
OptimusDK11d ago

There are different games. Some have gamplay at it highest priority, some have the story, some have the replay value and choices... There are a lot of different game experiences.

It is laughable that just now graphics does not have anything to do with that experiene. We have had many games of that type over time. This is just the one that have come closest to feel like playing an actual movie. Just look the the Digital foundry walkthrough it is a masterpiece in that perspective and hence wrth trying. But yes do not do it for the gameplay - but that was never the goal of this experience.

GamerRN11d ago

It's because it's on Xbox. When Xbox has amazing graphics, they don't matter. When PlayStation does, it's a game changer!

Lightning7711d ago

Pretty much my thoughts. They were technical marvel's on PS and still are. The moment Xbox puts out a graphically intense game is doesn't matter suddenly.

4 years ago this month would the UE5 tech demo debut with the girl flying (tech demo said it was only possible on PS5 because of the SSD. Glad to finally see it in its glory.

fr0sty11d ago

FFS, gaming journalism has really gone downhill. At least hire people with a basic grasp of grammar... "Me neither" means the exact opposite of what the "author" is trying to say. That's like saying "I could care less"... lol.

S2Killinit11d ago

Maybe because the gameplay being dull allowed it to have the amazing graphics and people are not as impressed by graphics alone anymore? I mean there is a lot of sites saying the story and the gameplay are lackluster. So what are we supposed to enjoy then? Cgi graphics are beautiful but since they arent interactive, they dont impress me as much as they used to. Thats an extreme example, but you get my drift.

Terry_B11d ago

When Playstation (Sony) does it..its usually a great game and not a cinematic experience..or at least something new at the time..like Until Dawn back in 2015.

1Victor11d ago

@gamer:” It's because it's on Xbox. When Xbox has amazing graphics, they don't matter. When PlayStation does, it's a game changer!”

The game looks as good as any other PlayStation game in my eyes why can’t you and the other hardcore Xbox be happy about it and drag PlayStation into every conversation and force PlayStation hardcore to look into the game and find flaw that most games have in one way or another.
@light: “ 4 years ago this month would the UE5 tech demo debut with the girl flying (tech demo said it was only possible on PS5 because of the SSD. ”
Yes at that time it was only possible on PlayStation SSD how ignorant of you to think that after 4 years the technology wouldn’t evolved and move to a industry standard 🤦🏿I wish your mentality wasn’t so naive and narrow to post stuff like that 😩 in a year or 2 a new game will come out that might look better, it’s the nature of the industry.

Now that the distraction is gone I feel that is a good thing that the graphics in games are starting to hit the rooftop and hopefully the developers will put more thoughts into story and gameplay mechanics than just the next shiny oily skin of old.

Reaper22_11d ago

So true. Not surprised by all the negativity. It's a really good game and looks better than any game I've ever seen. GOTY nominee for sure. Like I said before, sony screwed up big time by not purchasing Ninja Theory.

Asplundh10d ago

Pretty much. It's like how the Switch and Steam controller using haptic feedback in their controllers wasn't a big deal but then Sony did it and it was then a "game changer".

fr0sty10d ago

The game runs at as low as 21fps... That isn't much to brag about no matter how good it looks.

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MajorLazer11d ago (Edited 11d ago )

We've had graphical gamechangers before, such as Crysis but those games still had gameplay to compliment it. Hellblade pretty much has none, and only achieved such graphics through being incredibly linear and having very small, closed off environments where very little is happening.

Vx_10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

GFX does not mean anything if the game is boring. It is simple like that and these major companies need to understand this simple concept.

Games are like your lady, she may be beautiful to look at for a while but then it gets boring if her character isn't interesting and fun to be with.

11d ago Replies(7)
Kneetos11d ago

Mario kart 8 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Sonic188111d ago

Horizon forbidden West has great graphics and great gameplay

GamerRN11d ago

Yeah but graphics don't matter, remember?

anast10d ago

@RN

I've been pretty consistent in saying that we need both.

GamerRN9d ago

So until dawn, too human, or whatever those series of games were... Graphic masterpieces it garbage with no gameplay?

VincentVanBro11d ago

I agree and I actually think Forbidden West looks better than Hellblade 2. I easily prefer looking at it at least.

Sonic188110d ago

It does look better in my opinion as well. I don't know why it looks better but there's something about the Decima engine or that guerrilla games is using tricks that we don't know of

Abear2110d ago

Can you fly a mount under water in Hellblade 2? I think not! One of the best moments this Gen

Show all comments (111)
90°

Two Decades Later, the Original Splinter Cell is Still a Masterpiece

They don't make games like this anymore.

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gamingbolt.com
vgvill20d ago

Too dated in my book. The AI is way too unpredictable to be acceptable today. It's definitely a game of its time.

Jingsing20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Agreed with those sentiments. The quality of the CPU controlled characters make or break a stealth game and they are pretty poor in all the Splinter Cell games by today's standard. This is what led me to playing Spies vs Mercs all the time in later games just to get a better stealth experience from a real person. Arguably Sony are making better stealth games albeit not Tom Clancy stuff.

TheProfessional19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

You should stick with fortnite or one of the countless bloodborne style games then. What a joke.

rlow119d ago

I had a good time with the game. It is a product of its time. But when it came out it was a must have game for a lot of people. I wish Ubisoft would make another game in the series or at least a reboot.

vgvill19d ago

They are making a remake, I think. I loved the original game when it was released, but I tried to play it again in recent years and just couldn't get on with it. The same with the older Hitman games.

PrecursorOrb19d ago

Yeah chaos theory still holds up though I gotta say. If you’re a fan of the series I highly suggest you go back to that one. Ubi has said they are remaking sc for “modern audiences”. I don’t have a lot of faith for the future of that company

Chocoburger19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Due to the lack of modern stealth games, and me constantly playing the MGS series, I've been looking for alternative stealth games to play, and went back and re-played the SC series recently. I wouldn't call SC1 or SC:PT masterpieces, there are AI issues, they're very much trial-and-error games, and that can lead to a lot of frustration. I also found the stories in this series to be boring, uninteresting, and just sloppily told. Cinematics are also of poor quality for both in-game scenes and CG cut-scenes, the soundtrack didn't leave any impression on me either.

Chaos Theory is better, but there was still a lot of room for improvement, and Double Agent (old gen ver.) was a sloppy mess that ended up a regression from CT. But still, at least they tried back then, these days Ubi-junk doesn't even try to make good games!

HvNzSoul11d ago

Everyone needs to quit with all of the unnessacery Ubi-hate. SC Conviction and Blacklist are both still good games.

HvNzSoul11d ago

Everyone needs to quit with all of the unnecessary Ubi-hate. SC Conviction and Blacklist are both still good games, they just weren't 100% focused on stealth with Conviction and they remedied that in Blacklist. The only thing they have released recently that I was disappointed with was Watch Dogs Legion, and Skull & Bones. Everyone seems to be salty about the misleading trailer for the original Watch Dogs and The Division. Which are also, both good games, and actually Watch Dogs seems like it was ahead of its time even with all the trailer drama (having gone back and played recently, can say the game didnt deserve all the flak). Yeah the misleading E3 trailer that had better graphics than release is understandable to a very small degree, when most Teaser Trailers, or Game Demo's only have that portion of the game developed so they use the highest quality assets of w/e they have being showed, or what they are showing was made purely for the showing, allowing for extra polish . As to the gripes about minor game design changes, or cut features upon a games release just goes to show how unknowledgeable most gamers are in terms of how game development works or to even understand what what the hell a WIP, let alone titles still in early development.

Good games from Ubi since 2014 (Year that SC Blacklist Released) include:

Watch Dogs 1 & 2
The Division 1 & 2 (Although I had a hard time getting into The Division 2 at first)
R6 Siege
Ghost Recon Wildlands & Breakpoint
Immortals Fenyx Rising
AC Origins, Odyssey, MIrage (Haven't finished Valhalla games too damn long)
Far Cry Primal, and 5 (6 also has a length issue)
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown

Haven't played a couple of titles those being For Honor (played at launch but didn't honestly give it an actual go), The Crew, R6 Extraction and at the time of writing this xDefiant.

Even if you absolutely hated any of the above titles, they aren't inherently bad games, they're just good, but not always top quality either.

I say give Ubi credit where credit is due, they at least fix games post launch if they start out rough, Breakpoint is an excellent example this and is such an enjoyable experience now compared to it's launch.