It wasn't meant to be about "groundbreaking." We really did feel a strong emotional reaction to what I posted- back when it came out especially. Time matters much, like the impact Princess Leia's ship being chased by that Imperial Star Destroyer had on us in 1977, or on my late friend when he saw King Kong appear out of the jungle in 1933. There really was a magic about it. When I first played "The Legend of Kyrandia" or "Inherit the Earth" I was lost in those worlds for a time. Solving the otters' puzzle in the latter felt like a true accomplishment, as was finally figuring out what the coin was for in the former (especially as it was an unfair puzzle!)
The Most Profound Video or Computer Games Made
- Thread starter Husky_Khan
- Start date
It wasn't meant to be about "groundbreaking." We really did feel a strong emotional reaction to what I posted- back when it came out especially. Time matters much, like the impact Princess Leia's ship being chased by that Imperial Star Destroyer had on us in 1977, or on my late friend when he saw King Kong appear out of the jungle in 1933. There really was a magic about it. When I first played "The Legend of Kyrandia" or "Inherit the Earth" I was lost in those worlds for a time. Solving the otters' puzzle in the latter felt like a true accomplishment, as was finally figuring out what the coin was for in the former (especially as it was an unfair puzzle!)
It's fine. Going from what else was just posted in this thread it's pretty clear that when making this thread, I had a very different concept regarding what I thought 'profound' meant and even though I thought I made it pretty clear, twenty plus posts in that's just not the case.
If people want to list Pong and Quake and Diablo as profound emotionally resonant and impactful storytelling for them, more power to them. I'm probably the smug one here.
AnimalNoodles
Well-known member
Disco Elysium honestly belongs here. Despite the obvious communist sympathies of the author, its a good game with real introspection that brought back the more vertical play style.
Disco Elysium hits me in in a way that Planescape: Torment did since both deal so heavily with philosophy, especially moral philosophy. Kind of like what made Fallout: New Vegas so popular in many regards. But Disco Elysium had a really strong emotional component to it. The other two games I mentioned did as well, but I felt a far deeper emotional impact from Disco Elysium I feel.
Planescape: Torment was good and some of the plot twists and how the overall storyline was handled, I actually think the way the story developed was one of the most exceptional ones in storytelling as earned plot twists go with how well developed it was. The scale of the revelations in Planescape: Torment left me going... 'Whoa... Wow... What a well constructed mystery and story." I don't know if anything in gaming matched it.
But Disco Elysium, that final dream sequence, and the deep personal revelations that arose from what likely made our protagonist so mentally broken... that was a real punch to the gut. The one moment in gaming that seemingly relates to that scale IMHO... was the ending of Soma. That had a beautifully crafted rough ending as well.
I feel like... when I'm thinking of profound moments... there are several categories I think of.
There's the plot twists/relevations like you'd see in a thriller type of movie or novel. That's what we have with Planescape: Torment and Arcanum for example or Knights of the Old Republic, but you also see it in Soma and Disco Elysium etc.
Then there's the emotionally impactful stuff that just leaves you feeling... some sort of strong emotions. And it doesn't necessarily have to make you feel bad. But something that stays with you a bit. And that's what something like the Silent Hill 2 ending or Disco Elysium and Soma, which upon reflection, all can have positive endings as well. Or something like the death of Aerith in Final Fantasy VII or the final words of Malak for example really hit me at the end of Knights of the Old Republic.
Then there's just the games that make you think about things. Fallout: New Vegas kinda does that (Ironically it's the DLC's that have some really strong profound moments, but none of them are really as philosophical as the main game except for Lonesome Road... which had mixed reception). But like Kreia's ramblings in the Knights of the Old Republic II is another good example. I'm not really into Metal Gear and I actually didn't find it too profound myself, but this sort of moral philosophy bantering is something that the YouTuber Max Derrat, whose video I posted in the OP, seemed to find far more profound then I did.
TheRejectionist
TheRejectionist
Uh? Husky this stuff is bonkers and I am honestly don't know wth was going on when I played it.
Partially agree but the previous two shocks should be here because there would not be Bioshock without the 1 and 2
Same applies here.
Ok.
The first trilogy is deep.
Ok this one could stand on its own merit.
Can't say I played.
Number 1 should be here. I can't stand Raiden.
Definitively
Maybe not 1 but definitively profound.
Well he explained it in the video. But I never played it myself.
His video actually covers both of the Bioshock games.
In the video he said any of the Soulsborne games could go there but chose the first one.
Agreed. I think Silent Hill 4 wasn't that bad either. Some people actually consider it one of their favorites even. The YouTuber states that he cheats and considers both Silent Hill 1 and 2 are in his list.
I'd agree on Soma. It might even be higher for me.
Neither have I. He states that The Talos Principle is apparently one of the most underrated games of all time and says its like Portal but far more cerebral, and like Soma but with a minimalist style storytelling akin to the Soulsborne stuff.
Hahaha. I actually don't consider the Metal Gear games quite as profound as the YouTuber does. Different tastes and emotional impact I suppose.
I never played it myself but my partner played it. I felt unlike other games it kinda lost impact on me because of it. Which might be a tragedy. I think the conspiracies take too much of the attention off of it and people miss out on the potential inevitability of the future that we see in Deus Ex.
I actually never played this game either.
Yeah I would imagine that is right in line with what I was intending by the term 'profound.'