What game will dethrone OOT?

[hsrob]

The problem with arguing about "The best game ever" is that often people aren't even arguing about the same thing.

One camp is entrenched on the idea of the game with the overall highest quality, the other camp is sure that it must be the most revolutionary game, and the problem is that there is no right answer. Even if you can decide on a particular definition there is still never going to be this 100% consensus that some people seem to think you need.

By the former definition I think you are looking at games from the 7th generation because the extreme refinement of gameplay norms long ago established, the technical capabilities of modern systems etc allow for a more polished experience than was possible in any previous generation. Galaxy, Uncharted 2 etc., pick your favourite.

By the latter definition i.e. games that stood head and shoulders above their peers, I think Ocarina has fair claim. It simply was so much better than everything else at the time. Fanboy wars aside, MGS on PSX might claim a few votes there as well, among several others. I'll happily concede that there are now better games than OOT, but there are very few that have separated themselves from their peers to such an extent.

The problem is that using the former definition there are more contenders, games that refine a particular genre or gameplay style a little more by increasingly smaller differences so in the end it really comes down to, often heavily divided, opinion which of these small refinements are the most valuable.

The problem with the latter definition is that as we get further and further away from a game's release there are fewer and fewer people who played the game in context and so many can't possibly appreciate how revolutionary a particular game might or might not have been at the time of its release.