While there are many games out there that are commonly considered to be masterpieces, it’s only inevitable that they would harbor at least one or two glaring issues that hold them back from being as great as they could have been. Still, because of how high-quality the gameplay, story, and characters are in these specific titles, it can make it easy to ignore these flaws to see the bigger picture of why so many people regard the game as such a groundbreaking achievement.
It does, however, make it easy to wonder how incredible these games could have been had these problems been ironed out during development, but that shouldn’t take away from how much time and effort the developers still poured into the game in question to make it as fun and innovative as they possibly could. With that being said, these are the biggest examples of games that suit the description of being a ‘flawed masterpiece’.
Resident Evil 4
The Escort-Missions With Ashley Can Be Very Hit Or Miss
It’s easy to see why Capcom decided to remake Resident Evil 4 when looking back at how immensely successful the original game was when it was released in 2005. With a brand new over-the-shoulder camera angle, ferocious enemies who are much faster than the average zombie, and a charismatic new iteration of Leon in the driver’s seat, there’s a lot to love about the game that many credit for breathing new life into the Resident Evil franchise. However, there is still one aspect that many fans took issue with, and that’s the escort missions featuring Ashley.
After Leon rescues Ashley from the church near the beginning of the game, there will be several sections where players must not only protect themselves from the lightning-fast Ganado enemies, but also keep an eye on Ashley at the same time, who can easily be killed or dragged away if Leon isn’t paying attention. While this does add some tension to the core gameplay, it can also be a little irritating, especially when Ashley refuses to move and instead cowers down in one spot, making her a sitting duck. Thankfully, Capcom made sure to make Ashley a little more bearable in the remake by removing her health bar entirely, but it definitely still stands as the biggest problem with an otherwise incredible game in the case of the original, which is the version that makes this list.
Perona 3
An Engaging Story, Lovable Characters, But A Lackluster Dungeon
It’s not uncommon to hear Persona fans say that their favorite game in the series is the third entry, and to be honest, it’s not hard to see why. With its mature and thought-provoking story, alongside the incredibly memorable party of characters, Persona 3 is an extremely innovative JRPG that ushered the franchise into the mainstream, but despite that, the game has one big problem that even the remake struggles to overcome that being Tartarus.
While there are many JRPGS out there that will use similar assets and design schemes for their dungeons, Persona 3 takes this to a whole new level. Tartarus is essentially a giant blue maze that contains hundreds of floors that players will need to get through in order to progress with the game. The combat itself is extremely stylish and fun, but having to traverse through more than 100 floors, which all look almost identical, is one major area where Persona 3 holds itself back. Thankfully, though, new mechanics such as the Social Links ensure that there’s still a lot for players to look forward to after a grueling session in the Tartarus dungeon.
Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian’s Cult Classic Is In Desperate Need Of A Remake Or Remaster
It’s remarkable how the world of Fallout: New Vegas will mold itself around the player’s actions throughout the story. Because of this, the Mojave Wasteland always feels like a living and breathing area that is constantly changing depending on who the player allies with and which characters they decide to kill in their hunt for the Platinum Chip. The writing of Fallout: New Vegas has been applauded by gamers over the last few years, but there’s no doubt that the game has aged somewhat poorly for one reason.
Fallout: New Vegas isn’t a pretty game to look at, featuring the signature dull brown filter that was synonymous with games that released during the 2010s. Pair this with the fact that it’s running on the clunky Gamebryo engine that always brings with it an abundance of bugs and glitches, and means the game is desperately in need of a remake or remaster, which unfortunately may never happen. Despite that, though, if players can get past the ugly visual aesthetic, they can find a diamond in the rough, which is one of the best Fallout games ever released, thanks to its clever writing, lovable characters, and intriguing dialogue choices that can affect the entire Mojave.
Alpha Protocol
If Alpha Protocol’s Gunplay Was More Refined, The Game Would Be An All-Timer
Alpha Protocol may not be as well-known as games like Fallout or Persona, but that doesn’t mean it deserves to be ignored. In truth, many people look back on this fairly niche third-person shooter as an underrated gem that primarily stands out for its dialogue system. In between each chaotic gunfight, players will be able to talk with NPCs through a selection of three to four speech options. Rather than just being the average dialogue tree designed to extract as much information as possible, the player’s words will actually have a massive impact on how the character views the protagonist, Michael, and also how they treat them, whether that means allying with him on the mission or even betraying him in the near future.
Players will need to think a lot more about what they’re about to say to avoid being stabbed in the back later on, or, if they want to roleplay as a merciless killer, they can do just that by being aggressive to the people they meet on their adventure. The downside to this is the actual gunplay, as while it’s more than serviceable, it can get a little bland the longer the game goes on, as there’s not really any fun mechanics that make it stand out.
Shenmue
An Ambitious Title That Feels Like It Came Out At The Wrong Time
Shenmue
Released
December 29, 1999
ESRB
t
When talking about the most ambitious games ever made, Shenmue should always be involved in that conversation. Before the open-world genre was even a thing, SEGA attempted to create the most immersive and believable game possible at the time, and they achieved this in a few different ways. Not only does time in Shenmue go by naturally, but players will also be able to pick up a few jobs, which will only become available at certain parts of the day. At the heart of Shenmue is a compelling story of revenge, where protagonist Ryo seeks to avenge the murder of his father, which is the catalyst that kicks off his epic journey.
Considering the game came out in the late 90s, Shenmue is a game that was ahead of its time, resulting in there being a few issues that plague the experience. The most noticeable drawback is the voice acting, which is lackluster and bizarre, but the graphics have also aged poorly over time. Nonetheless, these are minor issues that are easy to ignore when exploring a vast open world that is full of fun activities to partake in.
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Exploration Isn’t Quite As Fun As The Combat And Classroom Sessions
Intelligent Systems had been impressing fans more and more with each Fire Emblem game after the success of Awakening on the 3DS, but it really does feel as though they struck gold with Three Houses. Not only was the tactical strategy gameplay even more enjoyable this time around, thanks to the challenging maps and improved graphics, but the developers also integrated a clever teaching system where players are able to instruct their students in between battles to help them achieve a specific job.
If Three Houses was centered around the battles and the classroom, there’s no doubt it would be considered one of the greatest strategy games, and maybe even one of the best games of all time, but it’s the exploration that drags it down a little. Garreg Mach is so massive that exploring it can be exhausting, and when all the key NPCs and collectibles are scattered around each corner of the map, it’s understandable that many players would get a little bored with it after a while.
Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition Blew Players Away; When It Was Able To Run, That Is
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Deadly Premonition is one of the strangest games ever made. On the one hand, the game is so poorly optimized that it can barely even run on most systems, and when the rain starts pouring down, you can guarantee that the frame rate will drop right alongside it. However, despite its litany of technical issues, there are many people who still consider the game somewhat of a masterpiece, and it all has to do with the writing and characters.
There’s a sort of deadpan humor to Deadly Premonition, which gives it this charm and style that is impossible to ignore. The protagonist, Francis York, is a detective who will constantly talk to himself in the middle of his mission, and the other characters he meets along the way are just as wacky and weird. It’s clear the writers got very experimental when crafting the setting, story, and dialogue for this oddball horror game, and while it really does stand out from the competition because of this, the game could have reached a whole new level of popularity and success if the glitches and bugs had been fixed before release.
