I’m curious what you guys have to say about this. Are there any games you consider perfect? Can a game even be perfect?
My example of a perfect game is always Portal 1. Portal 2 has more going on, but in 1 there just isn’t anything to shave off. From start to end, there is nothing I’d change about the game. It’s short, infinitely replayable, great pacing. I like Portal 2 a lot in concept, in concept it should be a perfect sequel, but it just doesn’t keep the extreme tightness of the original game.
I think that’s a great way to explain my feelings on it. Portal isn’t my favorite game of all time. I actually enjoy Portal 2 quite a bit more, it’s a richer and deeper game that gave us Cave Johnson and many other things that define the series. Portal 2 does things wrong because it ultimately does more. Portal 1 is just a perfectly concise slice of that universe.