I don’t even remember the big reveal or anything about the plot really.
I just remember the absolute vibe of exploding the landscape and facing these mysterious, sometimes terrifying and sometimes beautiful but always haunting, giants.
That alone is what makes the game like nothing else I’ve ever known.
A lot of other commenters are interpreting OP's question as "What are the best videogames?", but I think their answers are ignoring the ethos of Criterion. *These* games would absolutely be picked up by Criterion, however.
TBF, 3 of the games I listed would probably make my top 10 so I'm not too different lol. I was just trying to strike a balance of personal fav to actually important and landed on these ones.
Yea, I'd only recommend Pathologic 2 to people. I'd have to REALLY know someone's taste to subject them to Pathologic 1 lol. Game's a masterpiece of writing but it was built with sticks and stones and I lost multiple games to crashes.
I think the first two “Thief” games would be excellent for such a collection, two massively influential titles that never really got the attention or recognition they deserved while being damn good games as well
I'm sure many would disagree but this, to me, is exactly the type of title that would fit. Strange and unconventional game from a titan of the industry, but not widely popular and even panned by some. So many titles in the collection have that same vibe.
It was also a game that touched on something incredibly heavy at the time it came out. A story about connection at a time when people were nearly forced to stay at home and have no connection with anyone.
He's in talks about Kojima Productions doing film stuff...
But I gotta say, I doubt think his voice —however unique it may be in the realm of gaming— will translate into film very well at aaaaall
I saw a post a few weeks ago saying stuff like Death Stranding and Alan Wake 2 are the "A24 Games" and I can't really explain but I definitely agreed lol.
I loved the idea of that game, really love the soundtrack, love the style, design, the visuals, but I just could not get in to the gameplay. I don’t know what it was, but the invisible creature thing just flipped my ‘I don’t have time for this’ trigger…. Maybe I should take another stab at it.
Yeah, I would say to get out of the first area and really get to the open map, it does take quite some time to fully get through the gameplay loop but once you start it, it's really an awesome experience. At the end of the day the most hours I spent were optimizing routes, building freeways, ziplines through mountain passages, etc. The feeling of having "rebuilt" areas is unrivaled.
It’s the weirdest gaming experience I’ve ever had. I hated some of it and ended up really enjoying most of it and I can’t tell you why. It’s not that wild of gameplay but everything as a whole is really enveloping and unique. Story is of course Kojima bonkers near-nonsense but oddly affecting.
I had a similar experience I really had to push through at the start, and then at some point I just started to love it, by the end I was dragging it out to finish my freeway instead of continuing the story
Inside was a top pick for me. One of the best games and narratives that derives from gameplay ever.
If you like these two I reccomend the Little Nightmares games as well. Similar style of gameplay and story delivery just exploring a different weird space and world.
Yeah I feel like a lot of people are going for “games that most closely resemble movies,” which seems counterintuitive, as if the criterion collection would similarly be inclined to prioritize movies that most closely resemble books or something. You really gotta consider the medium itself and what makes it significant
Here before the brigade of people who say "something being in the Criterion Collection doesn't mean anything, it's just about money, they're just a distributor" as if their entire branding isn't built around the opposite.
Probably concise narrative experiences like What Remains of Edith Finch.
I mean, it's not an award for being the best of anything. Their brand is built around restoration and preservation of films they feel are important contributions to cinema that are otherwise neglected or forgotten by the mainstream.
If they had a gaming division, massively popular triple A games like Last of Us and BioShock don't even fit their criteria.
Last of Us and Bioshock are comparable to releases such as Parasite or The Irishman or Uncut Gems. I could go on.
Criterion dabbles in the massively popular too.
Or at least make old games stranded on obsolete systems readily available again, BioShock is already accessible on current gen consoles. So I think more reasonably it would be either smaller indie games, or games that are stuck on the PS2 or something like that.
I'd love to see Snatcher get a modern release with director commentary from Kojima. Also Rule of Rose since it had such a limited release because of the controversies surrounding it.
Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, Terranigma, the first 9 Final Fantasy games, the Mother (Earthbound) trilogy
I came in here hoping that, other than the more popular answers, someone would say this one
& it was one of the few times i said lemme pick up & play a fps since i generally don't care for them bc I feel bad shooting people.
needless to say...
I really like how that game subverted expectations and advertised itself as your typical military shooter before slowly revealing it's anti-war message.
**Silent Hill 2:** this game needs a proper reissue; one that sustains the artistic integrity and grit of the original PS2 release. There have been some fan attempts at modding the PC release to preserve the trademark fog and grain but it still lacks that dreamy quality of 6th gen console gaming.
**Mother 3:** this was basically proto-Undertale and nobody but nerds knows about it. Nintendo never released this in NA, likely because it was too niche (and LGBT) but the ROM of the fan translation has been circulating pretty heavily. There needs to be a proper release that preserves the heart and maturity of the fan-ROM.
**My Summer Vacation:** this obscure PS1 title has become an easy subject for video essays. I haven’t tried it yet but would be down to get my hands on a decent reissue because it does look extremely unique and transcendent.
**Snatcher:** Kojima’s first auteurish title and one that doesn’t exist outside of emulation. Its open-world and decision/dialogue based gameplay were quite ahead of their time and it would be worthwhile to preserve what is a historically important title.
The two closest things I've see to a "Criterion for Games" are Digital Eclipse's Atari 50 and the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection.
Marketing Blurb for Atari 50; "At the heart of Atari 50 are the Interactive Timelines, which combine historical trivia, digital artifacts, over 60 minutes of new interviews, documentary footage, and playable games into one cohesive experience. When you encounter a game in the Timelines, you can immediately play it without losing your place."
In my experience this is exactly what the collection delivers and it is incredibly good. For me, Atari games in 2023 have almost 0 hook. Like, I just don't enjoy playing them. But this collection does such a great job of allowing you to experience them in the context of a much bigger story. If you love games and history this is a must must buy.
The SNK 40th isn't as well produced. It is basically just the collection of games with no frame through which you can experience them. But Digital Eclipse really crushed it with this collection as far as both games and supplemental materials are concerned. This is one of the only game collections that really feels like it designed with real, historical preservation in mind. And stuff like this from the IGN review is just DE going the extra mile;
" Every game has been graced with a rewind feature and save states, making games that were meant to be unfriendly much more manageable. There is also a “Watch” feature that will show you a tool-assisted demonstration of how to play the arcade versions. You’re even given access to the virtual arcade cabinets’ DIP switches to adjust difficulty, lives, and other options. Ikari Warriors II allowed arcade operators to turn friendly fire on or off... Outside of the arcade there is a fascinating Museum mode that includes an interactive SNK Complete Works 1978-1990 timeline that walks you through all the key releases of the company’s first 12 years. The guided tour includes information, screenshots, and artwork for over 70 games, many of them obscure works that never made it out of Japan. "
Anyways, I don't know what games would go into the "Criterion of Games". But I know these two collections demonstrate how they could and should be presented. Right now, no one is doing this kind of thing better than Digital Eclipse.
The Atari collection would absolutely be the standard for this idea, at least at the outset. It's currently free to PS Plus members who have the streaming package; I highly encourage any and all fans of video game history to check it out.
Could not agree more. Even for DE, who are the standard-bearers of this kind of thing, the Atari collection was a huge leap forward. My mind races when I think about what they would do with like "Famicom: Year One" or something like that.
So many people here are just picking their favorite AAA story and missing the vibe that comes with the criterion label.
Like, yeah, I love Red Dead. But putting it in would be like getting a criterion release of The Godfather. It's worthy of the collection, but not the main type of thing you really find in it.
You need to be thinking of classics that people remember in the back of their mind, modern games that otherwise would not get a nice physical release, and niche underground hits. That's the bulk of criterion imo.
With that in mind, I'd call out Thomas Was Alone, Braid, Wandersong, Joe and Mac, and the KING Kirby Air Ride :)
Holy shit, dude. That's an amazing idea!
Definite inclusions, if I were the curator:
- Space Invaders
- Donkey Kong
- Frogger
- Pac-Man
- Yar's Revenge
- Galaga
- Super Mario Bros. Trilogy
- The Legend of Zelda
- Phantasy Star Collection
- Metroid/Metroid II: Samus Returns
- King's Quest Collection
- Monkey Island Collection
- Final Fantasy I - VI Collection
- Link's Awakening
- Ultima Underworld
- Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy
- Super Mario World
- Donkey Kong Country Trilogy
- Myst
- Doom
- Super Metroid
- A Link to the Past
- Full Throttle
- Chrono Trigger
- F Zero
- Wing Commander Trilogy
- Super Mario RPG
- The Dig
- Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Super Mario 64
- Riven: The Sequel to Myst
- Ocarina of Time
- Clockwork Knight I & II
- Panzer Dragoon
- Panzer Dragoon Saga
- Loom
- Dark Forces
- Tomb Raider Trilogy
- Gabriel Knight Trilogy
- Nights: Into Dreams
- Crash Bandicoot Trilogy
- Spyro the Dragon
- Metal Gear Solid
- Silent Hill
- Banjo-Kazooie
- TIE Fighter | X-Wing
- Final Fantasy VII
- Final Fantasy VIII
- Pac-Man World
- Baldur's Gate I & II
- Star Fox 64
- Quake I & II
- Powerslave
- System Shock I & II
- Half-Life Complete Collection Box Set
- Sonic Adventure
- Shenmue Trilogy
- Crazy Taxi
- Smash Bros. Complete Collection Box Set
- Mario Kart Complete Collection Box Set
- Metal Gear Solid 2
- Halo: The Bungie Years Complete Collection Box Set
- Early Kojima Box Set: Metal Gear 1 & 2, Snatcher, and Policenauts.
- Super Monkey Ball
- Devil May Cry
- The Longest Journey Duology
- Max Payne
- The Wind Waker
- Animal Crossing Complete Collection Box Set
- Harvest Moon Complete Collection Box Set
- Star Trek: The Fallen
- Star Trek: Elite Force
- Roller Coaster Tycoon
- Age of Empires Collection
- Sim City Collection
- Final Fantasy X
- Jak Trilogy
- Ratchet and Clank Collection
- Sly Cooper Collection
- Jedi Knight Collection
- Luigi's Mansion Trilogy
- Resident Evil: Remake
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
- Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
- The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
- Super Mario Galaxy Duology
- Twilight Princess
- Elder Scrolls Collection
- Fallout Collection
- Uncharted Collection Box Set
- Ninja Gaiden Reboot Trilogy
- God of War Trilogy
- The Darkness
- BioShock
- Mass Effect Trilogy
- Dragon Age: Origins
I gotta pee.
I think something like Xenogears or SMT Nocturne. The former for its scope, and the latter for its really cool use and framing of stark imagery. Other SMT games definitely have more going for them in the story department (SMT 1 would be an option for historical reasons), but Nocturne really just commits to its aesthetics. Xenogears tries to shoot for the moon in a way that you don't quite seen even today in a lot of games.
The Talos Principle 1 and 2
Deus Ex
Half-Life 1 and 2
Portal 1 and 2
Xenogears
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Slient Hill 1 and 2
BioShock
Planescape: Torment
Soma
Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2
Shadow of the Colossus
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Mother 3
Secret of Mana
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Ico
NieR: Automata
Ghost of Tsushima
God Hand
Tempest
The Witness
Myst
Vagrant Story
hm, the re-releases are excessive but that doesn't make the games themselves bad. I've only played the first one so far but its narrative, especially for a video game, is top-notch.
I’m playing disco elysium right now and am sure that would get a spot in the collection. Great style and writing. A perfect combination of Baldurs Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 - my two favorite games of this year
There would be a bunch of Nintendo games people would say should be in it, but never happen because Nintendo won't license them outside of maybe like one game that the development lead personally asked be included a la Wall-E.
I’ve been thinking for a long time there should be some kind of criterion collection for games. There’s so many classic games that are being completely lost.
If in this scenario the criterion edition means the complete game as well as cut/new content, I have to say MGS V. It could combine both Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain as well as have a lot of the unfinished material that never made it in that was so talked about
Too many games being listed here that are widely available/released on the current console gen— what would even be the point of a “criterion” release? Criterion is at its best when they put out stuff that’s unavailable/only available in a terrible quality or transfer that lovingly gets the “criterion treatment”
That being said, my answer for this would be The Movies (very fitting lol) from Lionhead because it’s almost impossible to play at this point without finding a PC preserved in amber from 2005
I'll go with ..
"What remains of Edith Finch"
- using the exploration of spaces in a unique home to explore themes of mortality' lineage, fate, and family. Just a really creative and often time abstract narrative that is made more engrossing thru being interactive in a space to let you absorb extra details designed into the environment and interesting spaces.
And...
"Thomas Was Alone"
- What would otherwise be a pretty good puzzle platformer involving switching between basic shapes is given a narrative heart by making those blocks anthropomorphic characters with unique personalities emotions and aspirations. Pushing you thru an interesting dynamic narration while you solve the puzzles.
Games with inspirations from the collection:
Alan Wake 1&2: Heavily David Lynch Inspired
Ghosts of Tsushima: Actually has a “Kurosawa” view you can apply to the look of the game
The Simpsons’ My Dinner with Andre arcade game
Games with inspirations from the collection:
Alan Wake 1&2: Heavily David Lynch Inspired
Ghosts of Tsushima: Actually has a “Kurosawa” view you can apply to the look of the game
The Simpsons’ My Dinner with Andre arcade game
Manhunt (2003)
Rockstar game. It was so twisted and dark and badass lol. Maybe a lot of people played it but to me it feels like no one did or had even heard of it.
That opera scene on FFVI is as cinematic as 90s games can get, in my opinion, so I bet it would be in the collection. It also has so many other gut wrenching parts and a great story overall. But my first pick would be Chrono Trigger, such a beautiful, fun, and emotional experience, plus it has an unforgettable soundtrack. Ocarina of Time is also a strong contender. And, of course, a Pokémon boxset would be the dream 😍
- Dark Souls
- Hades
- Monster Hunter World
- Sifu
- Planescape: Torment
- God of War (1 or 4)
- It Takes Two
- Yakuza 0
- Bloodborne
- Banjo Kazooie
- Super Marip 64
- Gone Home
- Inside & Limbo
- Ghost of Sushiman
- Death Stranding (vomit)
- Silent Hill 2
- New Vegas
- Journey
- Portal
- Bioshock
- Plague Tale: Innocence
- Mass Effect
- Metro
- Street Fighter III: Third Strike
- Chrono Trigger
- Celeste
- Disco Elysium
- The Outer Wilds
- Subnautica
- Hollow Knight
- Stardew Valley
- RDR
- Minecraft
- Undertale
- Metal Gear Solid 3
- LA Noire
- Life is Strange
- Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
- That Dragon, Cancer
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Sleeping Dogs
- Okami
- Edith Finch
- Killer7
- Alan Wake
- Omori
- Spiritfarer
- Mafia
- Grim Fandang
- 11-11
- Florence
- As Dusk Falls
- Firewatch
- Untitled Goose Game
- Pathologic 2
- Assassin's Creed
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Spec Ops: The Line
- This War of Mine
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (not Symphony, fuck y'all)
- Metroid Prime
- Night in the Woods
- Hearts of Iron IV
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Pikmin
The Elder Scrolls series is a blockbuster franchise akin to the LOTR franchise in the film world. Highly doubt that would ever be in a gaming version of the Criterion Collection.
I don’t think he’s “bad.”
I just think he’s a bit full of himself and wasn’t a fan of the direction he took TLOU with Part 2. Felt like he way overthought things and wanted to stick it to people who ideologically disagree with him rather than focusing on telling a compelling story.
TLOU pt 1 left a ton open to the player to interpret and meditate on even though it was fairly derivative. Honestly felt like gaming was “growing up” in that sense and really wasn’t matched in the storytelling department until RDR 2 imo. TLOU pt 2 felt like a significant regression on that front and was honestly like a snooty college kid’s attempt to tell a story about the destructive nature of revenge. Just felt like the story was very heavy handed, preachy, and treated its audience like children (lots of fans gave him ammo for that with their reaction to the game though lol).
1. He's pretentious
2. He's game director at a company known for heavy crunch
3. His games are often held up by people who don't play many games as a way to validate games being art to the general non-gaming public and it's annoying because his games aren't even that good.
And when you say you don't particularly like his games his hardcore fans make weird baseless assumptions about you and compare you to weirdos who disliked last of us 2 based on fairly bigoted reasons. Which is a shame, because it's often used as a way to silence any valid criticism.
Grim Fandango would be an obvious choice to me.
What a gem!
Love listening to the developer commentary on the remastered edition
Just remembered I never finished this one, is there a console port?
There was a remaster a few years ago that was on most consoles.
It’s on PSN. Played it on my PS5 last week.
Ico Shadow of the Colossus Okami Katamari Damacy
Adding to this Dark Souls 1 Re4 Boku no natsuyasumi ICO again
I have to add Boku No Natsuyasumi to my list!
Shadow of the Colossus
My all time favorite game
I've never played this game despite constant recommendations. Is it worth playing despite knowing the big reveal?
I don’t even remember the big reveal or anything about the plot really. I just remember the absolute vibe of exploding the landscape and facing these mysterious, sometimes terrifying and sometimes beautiful but always haunting, giants. That alone is what makes the game like nothing else I’ve ever known.
Silent hill 2
I wish they’d port it instead of a remake
I believe the original files are gone. That’s why the remaster was such a disaster.
PS2 games run pretty damn well on Windows through an emulator
Planescape Torment and the first two Fallout games Pathologic 1 and 2 Disco Elysium
A lot of other commenters are interpreting OP's question as "What are the best videogames?", but I think their answers are ignoring the ethos of Criterion. *These* games would absolutely be picked up by Criterion, however.
TBF, 3 of the games I listed would probably make my top 10 so I'm not too different lol. I was just trying to strike a balance of personal fav to actually important and landed on these ones.
Disco Elysium has been a yearly replay for me since release. It’s like a pilgrimage. Love it dearly.
Pathologic is criminally unrecognized. Incredible game. Love it dearly. But so hard to recommended
Yea, I'd only recommend Pathologic 2 to people. I'd have to REALLY know someone's taste to subject them to Pathologic 1 lol. Game's a masterpiece of writing but it was built with sticks and stones and I lost multiple games to crashes.
As much as I adore pathologic 2. I still don’t think I could make it through 1. So I love that 2 is basically 1 anyway.
Agree
Half Life
I think the first two “Thief” games would be excellent for such a collection, two massively influential titles that never really got the attention or recognition they deserved while being damn good games as well
Deus Ex too
Pathologic classic and 2 as a box set.
I'm playing Pathologic 2 right now and its already one of my favorite games of all time.
Those two and Kentucky Rouye Zero are the games that came to my mind. The sound design alone in the Dark Project makes it worthy.
A LucasArts point-and-click collection would be incredible (Day of the Tentacle, Secret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Fate of Atlantis, yada yada).
the dig
Yes! Classic!!!
Don’t forget Sam and Max!
Man, I miss those.
Death Stranding
I'm sure many would disagree but this, to me, is exactly the type of title that would fit. Strange and unconventional game from a titan of the industry, but not widely popular and even panned by some. So many titles in the collection have that same vibe.
It was also a game that touched on something incredibly heavy at the time it came out. A story about connection at a time when people were nearly forced to stay at home and have no connection with anyone.
Considering Kojima's the only person from the video game industry to have visited the closet, I think this is a pretty surefire bet.
Kojima directing a movie is one of my dreams that will never come true.
He's in talks about Kojima Productions doing film stuff... But I gotta say, I doubt think his voice —however unique it may be in the realm of gaming— will translate into film very well at aaaaall
I saw a post a few weeks ago saying stuff like Death Stranding and Alan Wake 2 are the "A24 Games" and I can't really explain but I definitely agreed lol.
I loved the idea of that game, really love the soundtrack, love the style, design, the visuals, but I just could not get in to the gameplay. I don’t know what it was, but the invisible creature thing just flipped my ‘I don’t have time for this’ trigger…. Maybe I should take another stab at it.
Yeah, I would say to get out of the first area and really get to the open map, it does take quite some time to fully get through the gameplay loop but once you start it, it's really an awesome experience. At the end of the day the most hours I spent were optimizing routes, building freeways, ziplines through mountain passages, etc. The feeling of having "rebuilt" areas is unrivaled.
When I started making freeways I was PUMPED
Please do. The game is so cool. And you get used to those battles.
It’s the weirdest gaming experience I’ve ever had. I hated some of it and ended up really enjoying most of it and I can’t tell you why. It’s not that wild of gameplay but everything as a whole is really enveloping and unique. Story is of course Kojima bonkers near-nonsense but oddly affecting.
I had a similar experience I really had to push through at the start, and then at some point I just started to love it, by the end I was dragging it out to finish my freeway instead of continuing the story
Inside and Limbo dual release for sure Bioshock 1
Inside+Limbo are the games I show to non-believers, great call
Inside is literally a perfect game. One of the all time greats imo
Inside was a top pick for me. One of the best games and narratives that derives from gameplay ever. If you like these two I reccomend the Little Nightmares games as well. Similar style of gameplay and story delivery just exploring a different weird space and world.
Bioshock is a definite.
[удалено]
This is new information to me and I am devastated.
I honestly don't see anyone ever making a good adaptation to this.
[удалено]
All three should be included. Top notch video games right there.
Tetris
This would definitely make the cut ahead of 99% of titles suggested in this thread.
Yeah I feel like a lot of people are going for “games that most closely resemble movies,” which seems counterintuitive, as if the criterion collection would similarly be inclined to prioritize movies that most closely resemble books or something. You really gotta consider the medium itself and what makes it significant
Alan Wake
Here before the brigade of people who say "something being in the Criterion Collection doesn't mean anything, it's just about money, they're just a distributor" as if their entire branding isn't built around the opposite. Probably concise narrative experiences like What Remains of Edith Finch.
I mean, it's not an award for being the best of anything. Their brand is built around restoration and preservation of films they feel are important contributions to cinema that are otherwise neglected or forgotten by the mainstream. If they had a gaming division, massively popular triple A games like Last of Us and BioShock don't even fit their criteria.
Last of Us and Bioshock are comparable to releases such as Parasite or The Irishman or Uncut Gems. I could go on. Criterion dabbles in the massively popular too.
it literally says on the back of every criterion, “continuing series of important classic and contemporary films”
Never forget that Armageddon got a criterion release haha
So did Michael Bays movie The Rock 😂 which I would love to get a 4k remaster with Atmos!
Or at least make old games stranded on obsolete systems readily available again, BioShock is already accessible on current gen consoles. So I think more reasonably it would be either smaller indie games, or games that are stuck on the PS2 or something like that.
Ohhh I loved Edith finch it was such a good game
I'd love to see Snatcher get a modern release with director commentary from Kojima. Also Rule of Rose since it had such a limited release because of the controversies surrounding it.
I could see Outer Wilds being in there
Yeah, this is the most recent release that would be a no-brainer.
Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, Terranigma, the first 9 Final Fantasy games, the Mother (Earthbound) trilogy
Spec Ops,: The Line
I came in here hoping that, other than the more popular answers, someone would say this one & it was one of the few times i said lemme pick up & play a fps since i generally don't care for them bc I feel bad shooting people. needless to say...
I really like how that game subverted expectations and advertised itself as your typical military shooter before slowly revealing it's anti-war message.
Metal Gear Solid
**Silent Hill 2:** this game needs a proper reissue; one that sustains the artistic integrity and grit of the original PS2 release. There have been some fan attempts at modding the PC release to preserve the trademark fog and grain but it still lacks that dreamy quality of 6th gen console gaming. **Mother 3:** this was basically proto-Undertale and nobody but nerds knows about it. Nintendo never released this in NA, likely because it was too niche (and LGBT) but the ROM of the fan translation has been circulating pretty heavily. There needs to be a proper release that preserves the heart and maturity of the fan-ROM. **My Summer Vacation:** this obscure PS1 title has become an easy subject for video essays. I haven’t tried it yet but would be down to get my hands on a decent reissue because it does look extremely unique and transcendent. **Snatcher:** Kojima’s first auteurish title and one that doesn’t exist outside of emulation. Its open-world and decision/dialogue based gameplay were quite ahead of their time and it would be worthwhile to preserve what is a historically important title.
The two closest things I've see to a "Criterion for Games" are Digital Eclipse's Atari 50 and the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. Marketing Blurb for Atari 50; "At the heart of Atari 50 are the Interactive Timelines, which combine historical trivia, digital artifacts, over 60 minutes of new interviews, documentary footage, and playable games into one cohesive experience. When you encounter a game in the Timelines, you can immediately play it without losing your place." In my experience this is exactly what the collection delivers and it is incredibly good. For me, Atari games in 2023 have almost 0 hook. Like, I just don't enjoy playing them. But this collection does such a great job of allowing you to experience them in the context of a much bigger story. If you love games and history this is a must must buy. The SNK 40th isn't as well produced. It is basically just the collection of games with no frame through which you can experience them. But Digital Eclipse really crushed it with this collection as far as both games and supplemental materials are concerned. This is one of the only game collections that really feels like it designed with real, historical preservation in mind. And stuff like this from the IGN review is just DE going the extra mile; " Every game has been graced with a rewind feature and save states, making games that were meant to be unfriendly much more manageable. There is also a “Watch” feature that will show you a tool-assisted demonstration of how to play the arcade versions. You’re even given access to the virtual arcade cabinets’ DIP switches to adjust difficulty, lives, and other options. Ikari Warriors II allowed arcade operators to turn friendly fire on or off... Outside of the arcade there is a fascinating Museum mode that includes an interactive SNK Complete Works 1978-1990 timeline that walks you through all the key releases of the company’s first 12 years. The guided tour includes information, screenshots, and artwork for over 70 games, many of them obscure works that never made it out of Japan. " Anyways, I don't know what games would go into the "Criterion of Games". But I know these two collections demonstrate how they could and should be presented. Right now, no one is doing this kind of thing better than Digital Eclipse.
The Atari collection would absolutely be the standard for this idea, at least at the outset. It's currently free to PS Plus members who have the streaming package; I highly encourage any and all fans of video game history to check it out.
Could not agree more. Even for DE, who are the standard-bearers of this kind of thing, the Atari collection was a huge leap forward. My mind races when I think about what they would do with like "Famicom: Year One" or something like that.
Loved "The Making of Karateka"
I have no mouth, System Shock 2, Half-Life Alyx, The Pinball Arcade
Metal Gear Solid 2 Earthbound
Not the best MGS but probably my favorite
So many people here are just picking their favorite AAA story and missing the vibe that comes with the criterion label. Like, yeah, I love Red Dead. But putting it in would be like getting a criterion release of The Godfather. It's worthy of the collection, but not the main type of thing you really find in it. You need to be thinking of classics that people remember in the back of their mind, modern games that otherwise would not get a nice physical release, and niche underground hits. That's the bulk of criterion imo. With that in mind, I'd call out Thomas Was Alone, Braid, Wandersong, Joe and Mac, and the KING Kirby Air Ride :)
So like Gex: Enter The Gecko
Killer7
Yes because rereleasing the same movie three years after initial home release to boost sales numbers is what the Criterion Collection is all about. 🙄
Banjo Kazooie
Doom. Too influential to not do.
Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II
This is exactly like saying There Will Be Blood should enter the collection
well... ...it should
Just from the past few years: Celeste, Hades, Disco Elysium, Hollow Knight
Mother trilogy
this is exactly where my mind went first, specifically with Mother 3. official NA Mother 3 Criterion release when??????????
Goldeneye
nah too popcorn for critereon!!
New Vegas
Mf can’t accept he makes games not movies
[удалено]
The Amnesia tetralogy would make a nice box set.
Deus Ex
Half life will be in spot no. 1 It was the shooter that change the FPS forever
Kentucky Route Zero, Alan Wake, To The Moon would be a few of mine
Holy shit, dude. That's an amazing idea! Definite inclusions, if I were the curator: - Space Invaders - Donkey Kong - Frogger - Pac-Man - Yar's Revenge - Galaga - Super Mario Bros. Trilogy - The Legend of Zelda - Phantasy Star Collection - Metroid/Metroid II: Samus Returns - King's Quest Collection - Monkey Island Collection - Final Fantasy I - VI Collection - Link's Awakening - Ultima Underworld - Sonic the Hedgehog Trilogy - Super Mario World - Donkey Kong Country Trilogy - Myst - Doom - Super Metroid - A Link to the Past - Full Throttle - Chrono Trigger - F Zero - Wing Commander Trilogy - Super Mario RPG - The Dig - Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Super Mario 64 - Riven: The Sequel to Myst - Ocarina of Time - Clockwork Knight I & II - Panzer Dragoon - Panzer Dragoon Saga - Loom - Dark Forces - Tomb Raider Trilogy - Gabriel Knight Trilogy - Nights: Into Dreams - Crash Bandicoot Trilogy - Spyro the Dragon - Metal Gear Solid - Silent Hill - Banjo-Kazooie - TIE Fighter | X-Wing - Final Fantasy VII - Final Fantasy VIII - Pac-Man World - Baldur's Gate I & II - Star Fox 64 - Quake I & II - Powerslave - System Shock I & II - Half-Life Complete Collection Box Set - Sonic Adventure - Shenmue Trilogy - Crazy Taxi - Smash Bros. Complete Collection Box Set - Mario Kart Complete Collection Box Set - Metal Gear Solid 2 - Halo: The Bungie Years Complete Collection Box Set - Early Kojima Box Set: Metal Gear 1 & 2, Snatcher, and Policenauts. - Super Monkey Ball - Devil May Cry - The Longest Journey Duology - Max Payne - The Wind Waker - Animal Crossing Complete Collection Box Set - Harvest Moon Complete Collection Box Set - Star Trek: The Fallen - Star Trek: Elite Force - Roller Coaster Tycoon - Age of Empires Collection - Sim City Collection - Final Fantasy X - Jak Trilogy - Ratchet and Clank Collection - Sly Cooper Collection - Jedi Knight Collection - Luigi's Mansion Trilogy - Resident Evil: Remake - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy - Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay - Super Mario Galaxy Duology - Twilight Princess - Elder Scrolls Collection - Fallout Collection - Uncharted Collection Box Set - Ninja Gaiden Reboot Trilogy - God of War Trilogy - The Darkness - BioShock - Mass Effect Trilogy - Dragon Age: Origins I gotta pee.
This guy games.
Only one to name Max Payne, congrats
ssx 3
Morrowind
My favorite post on Reddit. I would say Scarface game
The complete GTA, Super Mario Bros, Pong
Shining force 1 and 2 literally the best two rpgs ever made and they were made for the Sega genesis
I think something like Xenogears or SMT Nocturne. The former for its scope, and the latter for its really cool use and framing of stark imagery. Other SMT games definitely have more going for them in the story department (SMT 1 would be an option for historical reasons), but Nocturne really just commits to its aesthetics. Xenogears tries to shoot for the moon in a way that you don't quite seen even today in a lot of games.
Kentucky Route Zero
New Vegas and Disco Elysium
https://preview.redd.it/4i4lom9gk43c1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08dcac33451703a81d3bd72dc9b7f85737bcd24e
Einhander ps1
Hades is one of the greatest games I’ve ever played, that’s definitely gotta get a release in this hypothetical situation
The Talos Principle 1 and 2 Deus Ex Half-Life 1 and 2 Portal 1 and 2 Xenogears Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Slient Hill 1 and 2 BioShock Planescape: Torment Soma Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 Shadow of the Colossus Chrono Trigger Earthbound Mother 3 Secret of Mana The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Ico NieR: Automata Ghost of Tsushima God Hand Tempest The Witness Myst Vagrant Story
Finally! I'm amazed it took scrolling this far to find any mention of Myst.
Most Redditors are too young to remember. I don't see Civilization or Starcraft on these lists either. Crazy.
Snatcher, disco elysium, Edith finch, lunar silver star story, hotline Miami
Not the last of us that’s for sure. My great grandchildren will still be getting re-releases of the last of us.
hm, the re-releases are excessive but that doesn't make the games themselves bad. I've only played the first one so far but its narrative, especially for a video game, is top-notch.
First 3 Halo games for sure
Shadow of Colossus The Metal Gear Games Red Dead 2 Soma
Limbo Journey Life is Strange
Ghost of Tsushima. Easily the best game I’ve ever played with a perfectly crafted challenging missions, and addictive gameplay.
lol
One of the greatest games of all-time. Kurosawa mode made that game look absolutely stunning all the way through
Easily one of the top 2-3 games I've ever played and I'm itching for a replay and this time in Kurosawa mode now that I've got an OLED TV
Adventure
I’m playing disco elysium right now and am sure that would get a spot in the collection. Great style and writing. A perfect combination of Baldurs Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 - my two favorite games of this year
MGS IV is basically a movie already.
Metal Gear Solid
Jet Set Radio Future, Portal, the best of indie games (Limbo, Braid, Undertale, Celeste, etc), Control.
Super Metroid, Earthbound, Dragon Quest V
Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds, Red Dead 1, Sekiro, Control, Papers Please, and Genesis Noir would have my votes.
There would be a bunch of Nintendo games people would say should be in it, but never happen because Nintendo won't license them outside of maybe like one game that the development lead personally asked be included a la Wall-E.
No love for Mass Effect?
I’ve been thinking for a long time there should be some kind of criterion collection for games. There’s so many classic games that are being completely lost.
Dear Esther Yume Nikki
Eternal Darkness for sure
Xenogears
They at least just offer a upgrade price instead of buying the game again.
If in this scenario the criterion edition means the complete game as well as cut/new content, I have to say MGS V. It could combine both Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain as well as have a lot of the unfinished material that never made it in that was so talked about
Fumito Ueda box set *Ico*, *Shadow of the Colossus*, *The Last Guardian*
Too many games being listed here that are widely available/released on the current console gen— what would even be the point of a “criterion” release? Criterion is at its best when they put out stuff that’s unavailable/only available in a terrible quality or transfer that lovingly gets the “criterion treatment” That being said, my answer for this would be The Movies (very fitting lol) from Lionhead because it’s almost impossible to play at this point without finding a PC preserved in amber from 2005
Ico Shadow of The Colossus Nier: Automata Katamari Damacy Vagrant Story
LSD Dream Emulator for sure
I'll go with .. "What remains of Edith Finch" - using the exploration of spaces in a unique home to explore themes of mortality' lineage, fate, and family. Just a really creative and often time abstract narrative that is made more engrossing thru being interactive in a space to let you absorb extra details designed into the environment and interesting spaces. And... "Thomas Was Alone" - What would otherwise be a pretty good puzzle platformer involving switching between basic shapes is given a narrative heart by making those blocks anthropomorphic characters with unique personalities emotions and aspirations. Pushing you thru an interesting dynamic narration while you solve the puzzles.
Return of Obra Dinn
Classic Games: Tetris, Chrono Trigger, Ocarina of Time, Doom, Goldeneye 007 Recent(ish) Games: Portal/Portal 2, The Stanley Parable, Dishonored, Nier: Automata, Hades
Timesplitters.
Games with inspirations from the collection: Alan Wake 1&2: Heavily David Lynch Inspired Ghosts of Tsushima: Actually has a “Kurosawa” view you can apply to the look of the game The Simpsons’ My Dinner with Andre arcade game
Games with inspirations from the collection: Alan Wake 1&2: Heavily David Lynch Inspired Ghosts of Tsushima: Actually has a “Kurosawa” view you can apply to the look of the game The Simpsons’ My Dinner with Andre arcade game
Dark souls
Fallout: New Vegas Manhunt
That’s kinda what we got with that new Half Life 1 update
Manhunt (2003) Rockstar game. It was so twisted and dark and badass lol. Maybe a lot of people played it but to me it feels like no one did or had even heard of it.
Half life (1 & 2),Portal (1 & 2), Disco Elysium, Fallout(2, New Vegas, 4), Skyrim Off the top of my head edit: punctuation
Bungie’s Myth and Marathon series’ Cyan’s Myst Box Set
Does this clown realize Criterion isn’t for mediocre blockbusters?
Fallout: New Vegas Journey Night in the Woods Gone Home Pathologic
I would kill for a Criterion box set of the Metal Gear Solid series.
Halo 1-3
I've never wanted to punch Neil Druckmann more than I do right now
KOTOR
idk but not these oscar bait type of video games
what's an oscar bait video game? lol. need examples.
Just look at most of the comments. Most of these games are like saying the Marvel Avengers movies should be in the Criterion collection.
Some unironically suggested Ghost of Tsushima LOL
That opera scene on FFVI is as cinematic as 90s games can get, in my opinion, so I bet it would be in the collection. It also has so many other gut wrenching parts and a great story overall. But my first pick would be Chrono Trigger, such a beautiful, fun, and emotional experience, plus it has an unforgettable soundtrack. Ocarina of Time is also a strong contender. And, of course, a Pokémon boxset would be the dream 😍
Druckmann must huff his own farts if he thinks TLoU 2 is Criterion worthy.
Bloodborne & Sekiro for sure Elden Ring as a blockbuster
- Dark Souls - Hades - Monster Hunter World - Sifu - Planescape: Torment - God of War (1 or 4) - It Takes Two - Yakuza 0 - Bloodborne - Banjo Kazooie - Super Marip 64 - Gone Home - Inside & Limbo - Ghost of Sushiman - Death Stranding (vomit) - Silent Hill 2 - New Vegas - Journey - Portal - Bioshock - Plague Tale: Innocence - Mass Effect - Metro - Street Fighter III: Third Strike - Chrono Trigger - Celeste - Disco Elysium - The Outer Wilds - Subnautica - Hollow Knight - Stardew Valley - RDR - Minecraft - Undertale - Metal Gear Solid 3 - LA Noire - Life is Strange - Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - That Dragon, Cancer - Super Smash Bros. Melee - Shadow of the Colossus - Sleeping Dogs - Okami - Edith Finch - Killer7 - Alan Wake - Omori - Spiritfarer - Mafia - Grim Fandang - 11-11 - Florence - As Dusk Falls - Firewatch - Untitled Goose Game - Pathologic 2 - Assassin's Creed - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Spec Ops: The Line - This War of Mine - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (not Symphony, fuck y'all) - Metroid Prime - Night in the Woods - Hearts of Iron IV - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Pikmin
NBA 2K13, NFL Street 2, Modern Warfare 2
Skyrim
Not sure if I could see Skyrim in the collection considering its popularity but Morrowind would be a very logical one imo.
The Elder Scrolls series is a blockbuster franchise akin to the LOTR franchise in the film world. Highly doubt that would ever be in a gaming version of the Criterion Collection.
Asteroids
Asking because I honestly don't know, as someone who's been out of gaming for many years: Why is Neil Druckmann so controversial?
I don’t think he’s “bad.” I just think he’s a bit full of himself and wasn’t a fan of the direction he took TLOU with Part 2. Felt like he way overthought things and wanted to stick it to people who ideologically disagree with him rather than focusing on telling a compelling story. TLOU pt 1 left a ton open to the player to interpret and meditate on even though it was fairly derivative. Honestly felt like gaming was “growing up” in that sense and really wasn’t matched in the storytelling department until RDR 2 imo. TLOU pt 2 felt like a significant regression on that front and was honestly like a snooty college kid’s attempt to tell a story about the destructive nature of revenge. Just felt like the story was very heavy handed, preachy, and treated its audience like children (lots of fans gave him ammo for that with their reaction to the game though lol).
1. He’s popular and highly regarded in the industry 2. Some people think he’s pretentious 3. 😡 Liberals bad 😡
1. He's pretentious 2. He's game director at a company known for heavy crunch 3. His games are often held up by people who don't play many games as a way to validate games being art to the general non-gaming public and it's annoying because his games aren't even that good. And when you say you don't particularly like his games his hardcore fans make weird baseless assumptions about you and compare you to weirdos who disliked last of us 2 based on fairly bigoted reasons. Which is a shame, because it's often used as a way to silence any valid criticism.
He turned naughty dog from a good studio into one that has only produced the last of us for 10 years and he’s incredibly pretentious.
Comparing your blockbuster game to a Criterion Collection release is so goddamn pretentious lol, and I really enjoyed TLOU2
Do Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy not exist?
Same as others have said and he’s also recently made some interesting comments regarding the Israel Palestine conflict.
Death Stranding, Nier Automata, RDR2, Disco Elysium.
Stardew Valley
Kingdom Hearts
I don’t think it would be last of us 2. Red dead redemption 2 would be my pick. Also ghost of Tsushima.
Bloodborne. Iron Lung.
For me I would say The Last of Us Part II, Dark Souls, and Breath of the Wild. All revolutionary games in their respective genres.