Games can suck or be masterpieces at any level of budget. The concept of AAA and AAAA is a marketing ploy against the masses of people who are conditioned to see big budget as inherently better. On the other hand certain genres of game don’t really work without massive budgets, while for a most genres it doesn’t matter.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an obvious pick, but then I don’t think it really counts because it doesn’t do any of the heinous shit that AAA games are hated for. Sven Vincke may actually be a class traitor for how he looks after his workers and product quality. BG3 has made him a shitton of money but he could have raked in so much more with the usual post-launch enshittification and staff cutting the industry usually does. And yet he didn’t.
Games can suck or be masterpieces at any level of budget. The concept of AAA and AAAA is a marketing ploy against the masses of people who are conditioned to see big budget as inherently better. On the other hand certain genres of game don’t really work without massive budgets, while for a most genres it doesn’t matter.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an obvious pick, but then I don’t think it really counts because it doesn’t do any of the heinous shit that AAA games are hated for. Sven Vincke may actually be a class traitor for how he looks after his workers and product quality. BG3 has made him a shitton of money but he could have raked in so much more with the usual post-launch enshittification and staff cutting the industry usually does. And yet he didn’t.