Nothing is perfect. Not really. Even the most widely acclaimed video games of all time have their critics. Legendary games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Soul Caliber, or Chrono Cross have often been rated by highly reviewers. GameSpot gave all three 10/10 scores. Yet, I only really like one of those games and I wouldn't give it such a high score. Many would disagree with me and I can even hear the mob preparing their pitchforks as I write this. But, there are those who do agree. So what is a perfect game?
I would argue that the definition of a perfect game varies from one individual to the next. It all depends on what someone is looking to get out of their experience while playing a video game and how well that game delivers on those expectations. Perfect games are those that players never get tired of and can continue to come back to over and over again. They are the games that a player instantly wants to replay upon completion, even if it's the 100th time they've done so. I would also argue that "perfect" does not equate to "flawless" in this instance. Allow me to explain.
When I think of my perfect game, there is one title that instantly comes to mind: Journey. For me, Journey sums up everything that I want in a video game. It is beautiful, emotional, story driven, and fills me with a sense of wonder and adventure that no other game has even come close to achieving. This is what I want out of a game. I want to be told a story and taken on an adventure that I could never forget. What is more, the game is designed to be played in a single one two to three hour sitting. So every time I play the game, I can enjoy it in its entirety. That and I think the music is so spectacular that I actually own the soundtrack and have watched the commentary video on youtube several times over.
Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of listening to me rant about Journey knows full well how much praise I heap upon this game. I am unafraid to recommend the game to anyone and I actively try to get other people to play it. I must have played the game a dozen times myself. However, I will just as easily recognize that the game has its faults.
Many people consider game's short length to be a detriment to its overall appeal. Plus the game has almost no difficulty to it nor does it possess any fail state. You can't die in the game. You can't even fight. Sure, there are some portions of the game where you have to try and escape from a threat; but even if you are caught you only get what amounts to a pointless and minor penalty. Even Kirby has more penalties for failure. Most of the game's difficulty comes from the platforming and what can only loosely be described as puzzles. The final nail in the coffin tends to be that Journey is a Playstation exclusive game and can only be played on the PS3 or the PS4.
However, the game isn't trying to be difficult. It isn't trying to stump you. Instead, the game is trying to tell the player a story and bring them through an emotional experience to help get its message across. I would argue that it succeeds beautifully in both regards. This is why Journey, to me, is perfect but not flawless. What is your perfect game?
