Vapourware RPGs that can legitimately be called masterpieces

[Incendax]

I don't believe you. I actually think my life has an incredible amount of joy. I just don't trust that it will last, so I refuse to get caught up in it. Now tell me about your wellspring of joy.

Sure! If we spend the same amount of time playing something and you hate it, while I like it, then I had more fun than you. Having bad taste is an advantage in this industry.

 

[Tavernking]

I've only really watched let's plays of these, but here's my list anyway:

Ultima Underworld
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Underworld Ascendant
World of Warcraft
Fallout 3
Diablo III
Disco Elysium
Life is Strange
Undertale
Oblivion

And those are still pretty shitty when compared to the average JRPG.

Nostalgia goggles much?

 

[anvi]

I've only really watched let's plays of these, but here's my list anyway:

Ultima Underworld
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Underworld Ascendant
World of Warcraft
Fallout 3
Diablo III
Disco Elysium
Life is Strange
Undertale
Oblivion

And those are still pretty shitty when compared to the average JRPG.

Is that a joke wtf?

 

[Heroic Liberator]

I've only really watched let's plays of these, but here's my list anyway:

Ultima Underworld
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Underworld Ascendant
World of Warcraft
Fallout 3
Diablo III
Disco Elysium
Life is Strange
Undertale
Oblivion

And those are still pretty shitty when compared to the average JRPG.

Is that a joke wtf?

With that mention of Life is Strange, I certainly hope so.

 

[NJClaw]

Hoe the fuck do you watch a let's play of Diablo 3?

 

[luj1]

Check this game, Lilura. It seems interesting.

Don't bother, that game is pretty barebones

 

[Morality Games]

Knights of the Old Republic 2

Planescape: Torment

The game is a major mess. Masterpieces are never messes. Thus, PS:T is easily eliminated from the equation.

A flawed masterpiece (like most of Dostoevsky's novels) is still a masterpiece inasmuch as a flawed diamond is still an example of a diamond.

 

[Squid]

No one has mentioned Fallout 4 yet? How? It's obviously the pinnacle of what we will get from Fallout so far. I can only imagine how good Fallout 5 will be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grotesque]

Theme Hospital


yes, it's an RPG

 

[Falksi]

Lilura, is Phantasy Star 4 a Masterpiece to you?

 

[Sweeper]

Replayed PS:T after a long time.
It's a masterpiece. When a combatfag brainlet such as myself can appreciate it, you know it's good, especially when the game's combat feels like a last minute addition they decided to include.

Spoiler

Falls apart at Curst though, then picks up at Pillar of Skulls.
The move from go after Ravel to Trias to Transcendent One is jarring. Which, wouldn't you know it, happens right around Curst. I'm guessing budget/time constraints?
A more logical choice of primary antagonist would have been Lady of Pain.
Still, Morte and Dakkon are probably the greatest companions of any I've seen, in fact they put most others to shame (Go for the eyes Boo!) and TNO is incredibly well written. As you get to know his previous incarnations you really start to hate him.
And you could write volumes and tomes on the setting itself.

Certainly the best written game I've ever played, and one I'd consider to be objectively a masterpiece.
inb4 that's subjective bruh

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

A more logical choice of primary antagonist would have been Lady of Pain.

The Lady of Pain exists as a symbol of the campaign setting and, in extremis, as a means to preserve Sigil against threats, whether external or internal, but is not an NPC that can be interacted with in any meaningful fashion:

"Bluntly put, as far as a PLANESCAPE campaign's concerned, the Lady of Pain's little more than an icon that crystallizes the mood of the campaign setting. Player characters should never deal with her. She doesn't give out missions, she never grants powers to anyone, and they can't rob her temples because she hasn't got any. If she ever does make an appearance, it should be simply to reinforce the wonder and mystery of the whole place.

On the other hand, the Lady of Pain, just by being there, makes all things possible. She's the one who gets the credit for several effects that make Sigil (and the entire PLANESCAPE campaign setting) what it is. She's the one who makes Sigil safe for characters of all experience levels. She's the one who blocks the powers from Sigil. She's the one whose influence prevents gate spells from working and shields Sigil from the Astral Plane. She's the one who creates the Mazes that trap Sigil's would-be conquerors."
- Planescape Campaign Setting Box Set, 1994

 

[Lilura]

I like how PS:T breaks down and throw these at the storyfags:

Other pics from my updated retrospective:

 

[eXalted]

Lilura talking so much about JA2 because she never played XPiratez. Shame.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Lilura talking so much about JA2 because she never played XPiratez. Shame.

I think she said some time or another, that she hasn't played vanilla X-com either.

 

[fantadomat]

I like how PS:T breaks down and throw these at the storyfags:

What about them? Just send Morte. Or you could just run past them if you are that kind of loser.

 

[RNGsus]

I like how PS:T breaks down and throw these at the storyfags:

Or you could just run past them if you are that kind of loser.

I am.

 

[Lord_Potato]

I like how PS:T breaks down and throw these at the storyfags:

What about them? Just send Morte. Or you could just run past them if you are that kind of loser.

Yeah. The second part of Planescape: Torment is kind of combat heavy, but most of it is very easy. I remember only one particularly difficult battle, with some big ass demon in Curst, who had tons of hp and hit like a truck. Other than that it was a stroll. My wizard TNO went through Fortress of Regrets killing all the baddies in melee. I didn't even have to use magic.

 

[Lilura]

Lilura talking so much about JA2 because she never played XPiratez. Shame.

I think she said some time or another, that she hasn't played vanilla X-com either.

I called X-Com a masterpiece ITT.

I only play the authoritative version, though:

 

[anvi]

Xcom is alright but JA2 is much better.

 

[Lilura]

Overworlds: Jagged Alliance vs. Jagged Alliance 2:

 

[Ryan muller]

A masterpiece?

For western devs
Closest thing would be Kotor 1, but still not quite there

Cant give it to fo2 due to its big ammount of flaws even tho its quite close either

I love ultima underworld but its closer to a 7/10 rather than an outright masterpiece

Fo1 is good, but it doesnt come close to masterpiece levels, Deus ex is ok altought highly overrated in comparison to HR

Etc...


For japanese devs only game deserving the title of "masterpiece" is Chrono trigger. Mother 3 and suikoden 2 are close contenders but not quite there

 

[anvi]

I don't think there's been an RPG masterpiece. The best RPGs are great in spite of obvious problems.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Closest thing would be Kotor 1

 

[PapaPetro]

Closest thing would be Kotor 1

Yeah there's the dated graphics problem.
A criteria for timelessness should be mastery of a medium. Kotor 1 may of had excellent writing and production, but ultimately the graphics were pretty mediocre even for its time 20 years ago.
Compare to the detailed hand drawn graphics of say the Infinity Engine games or FF7 as "masterpiece" contemporaries and you see the glares.