Gaming excellence.

[Tanthalos]

I just had my first experience with a game I couldn't find flaw in. This shining light in the gaming industry that will most likely eat my sould, my health and all my free time.
For me personally this is the closest to perfect I have seen in a game ever. Though I know people will disagree with me I am still be awed and planning to build a temple for worship for this game.
This game for me is "Dark Sector".

What the point behind this topic is "What game do you believe is in your personal opinion the best, most well crafted, near perfect game?"
(Nothing can be perfect so near perfect is as good as it gets.)

Also please don't just say "Portal" or "Call of Duty 4" and nothing else. Give some reason (any reason) as to why you think it is near perfection.

While I expect to hear Portal a half a million times, sprinkled with some "Call of Duty 4" and a dash of "Halo 3" or "Gears of War". I am still curious.

(Oh by the way if you want to know why I said Dark Sector please read the review I posted. I don't wanna say the same long thing twice in 2 different threads.) http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.56646

 

[rusty_cage]

Grim Fandango, fantastic story, interesting visual style, excellent dialogue.

Mario 3, great level design and fun items.

Super Mario World, great level design and fun items.

Final Fantasy 3, excellent story, interesting characters and lots to do.

Deathworm, addictive gameplay.

 

[MrDom]

Punch Out Starring Mr. Dream

The only flaw was that Mike Tyson couldn't bite your ear off.

 

[JakubK666]

Worms 2 and Armaggedon for all the hours I spent battling my mates.

 

[WingedFortress]

Sonic 2. It's probably just pure childhood fondness, but I genuinely enjoy every level in that game. They all have a unique tone, and it is in this one that I think Robotnik's bosses were at their best.

Portal. For the first time since the 90's, did I play a game that I felt represented the new direction that all games would inevitably take.

 

[Frapple]

I loved a shooter released about 2 years ago called Rogue Trooper, played the single player twice through in the first day, it was amazing.

I would have said portal, but by the time my copy arrived, the Internet had already ruined most of the game for me.

Honourable mention - Chrono Trigger, I despise JRPGs with a passion, but this game was excellent, great characters, weapons, art work and story.

 

[yonsito]

Sins of a Solar Empire is pretty much perfect in my opinion, a beautiful mixture of empire management and starship battle with a solid interface and very few annoying things.

 

[Bling Cat]

Dead Rising. so many hours of gory fun.... Whats that? save system? AI? *sticks fingers in ears* LA LA LA LA LA LA

 

[JakubK666]

Dead Rising. so many hours of gory fun.... Whats that? save system? AI? *sticks fingers in ears* LA LA LA LA LA LA

Imo save system was good considering what kind of game it is.

 

[Duck Sandwich]

Mega Man X. I've beaten that game at least 20 times, and I still play it every once in a while.

 

[Quistnix]

System Shock 2. It's got story, atmosphere, scares, atmosphere, tactics, scares and atmosphere.

The only downside to that game is that it got so damn scary I never managed to complete it.

 

[Kayevcee]

What finally did you in, Quistnix? A mate of mine is arachnophobic and still has nightmares about that third sim unit. Me? I can't stand jellyfish. When I encountered Korenskin's 'final form' I just about filled my pants.

I'd say Secret of Mana for the SNES. It's a J-RPG... with real-time combat. What a difference it makes. The sequel didn't have the same magic, somehow. It felt like they added too many bells and whistles such as the day/night cycle with specific monsters and objectives. Bleh.

Anyway, yes. Secret of Mana. Also, Portal

-Nick

 

[hailmagus]

chrono trigger
one of the best rpgS ever made, and i think still to this date. accidentally get thrown back in time at the millenial fair 1000 ad, and much later after you get thrown into the post- appocalyptic future find out the reason behind the worlds destruction. and even though the end wouldn't happen anywhere near you and your friends life time, you (or rather the game... makes you) travel from epoch to epoch in order to stop it from happening... classic.
(fyi: even if your one of those people out there that can only enjoy the newest and best graphics out there, you still owe it to yourself to atleast play this game once in your life, and maybe you'll discover that you can have a brilliant game with some of the most basic of graphics(even though at the time these graphics were the shit), and it will open your mind to a whole new world of titles to explore... unless your just a snob or something

 

[hailmagus]

don't get me started on "skies of arcadia"

 

[Mstrswrd]

Twilight Princess: It was like Ocarina of time, but without the ability to abuse the system to get stuff (I also have a personal attachment to the game, so I'm biased).

Devil May Cry 3: The combat was perfect, fast, fluid, and varying with the different styles and weapons. The cut scenes were great, the music fit and was good, the voice acting was solid, overall, a great game.

Metal Gear: The original, on the Nintendo. it was just great, had really good AI for the time, great gameplay, an actual story, and was funny with the Engrish.

 

[stinkypitz]

Perfect game? The closest thats come to it for me is Kotor. I just had so much fun and got into the characters

 

[Easykill]

I haven't actually played it yet because I don't have money, but I saw someone playing No More Heroes for a while, and I see no flaws.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Four words - Day Of The Tentacle. For me this represented the zenith of all point and click adventure games. Many have come close but few can touch the humour, the wacky puzzles and the slew of interesting characters that DotT has.

Honourable mentions:
KotOR - The first game I'd played where the twist sat me on my arse and left me speechless

Streets Of Rage 2 - Took an already great game and made it possibly the greatest side scrolling beat'em'up of all time. The only negative is the repetitive bad guys, but that is more a drawback of the genre rather than anything else.

Bioshock - a perfect example where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Sure there are games that have done similar aspects better, but they haven't pulled it off with such consistent excellence as Bioshock.

 

[yonsito]

System Shock 2. It's got story, atmosphere, scares, atmosphere, tactics, scares and atmosphere.

The only downside to that game is that it got so damn scary I never managed to complete it.

"The Polito form is dead, insect. Are you afraid?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFZ5fv_pb8
Absolutely brilliant.