No Right Answer: Gameplay vs. Story

[Falcon123]

Great gameplay but a weak story creates a game people enjoy for a moment but immediately forget exists when the next wave of new games comes out.

I beg to differ, and so does Notch. I'm sure people will remember Minecraft for a while.

You make an interesting point, but I tend to agree with Yahtzee's assertion that Minecraft isn't technically a game as it has none of the structural qualities associated with the medium. I agree Minecraft will last, but I'd consider it more of an incredibly improved version of Legos than a video game.

Despite that possible point on which we might disagree, I think it's safe to assume that Minecraft would be, if it is to be considered a video game, an outstanding exception to the rule, and that games following a traditional structure with great gameplay but a weak story are rarely if ever remembered as classics

 

[remnant_phoenix]

The conclusion reminds me of why I like Valve.

You can argue one way or the other, but the BEST games, the games that exemplify the medium, are the ones that synthesize gameplay and story into one. Case in point: Portal.

 

[draythefingerless]

this is simple enough

game without gameplay = movie

game without story/narrative/setting = still a game.

im sorry, i love my narratives and settings, and they ELEVATE games to a whole new level, but thats just it. they ELEVATE. they dont CREATE a game. a game is gameplay. first n foremost, and forever.

its like asking whats most important in a movie, the sound or the video. the video of course, otherwise it would be one of those recorded stories you play in your car radio.

attention that story is still a greatly important asset, and its what makes the best games in the medium.

 

[Hitchmeister]

The story in this is?

The gameplay in this is?

Which would you rather play?

Apparently, many modern developers seem to think people would prefer Dragon's Lair. After all, what it a quick time event other than a copy of Dragon's Lair's gameplay? When was the last time you saw a Pac Man maze incorporated into a modern game?

 

[Rakor]

The problem is the definition of "important." In one ideology, a "game" must have "gameplay" for it to be a "game." A "game" does not need a story to be a "game." Therefore, gameplay is the more innate and important part.

On a different ideology, one can think which element is more influential, which is likely more the point. I really cannot say for certainty myself. As was stated, crappy gameplay can thrive on a good story and crappy (or lack of) story can thrive on good gameplay. It's hard to put one before the other. I might lean towards story, but that's just personal preference, can't think of much solid reasoning.

As to repeating gameplay with continuing stories...(incoming anime reference)... .hack. I could not stop playing .hack and watching the anime series' even with repeating gameplay in the certain sets. Yay, story.

 

[Slashe]

As for me, I feel it ultimately boils down to story.

As been said before, if I had to choose between okay or good gameplay or story, I'd rather have a game with good gameplay and a okay story (eg: angry birds, most iOS games).
However, given the choice between good or great gameplay or story, I would always pick games with great stories and good gameplay.

A great story can do things to a player great gameplay mechanics cannot: they are able to inspire, to teach and to enlighten the player. Games like FF9 and Bioshock and Baldur's Gate are able to pull you into a whole new world, but still teach you relatable truths. In comparison, games like pac-man, TF2 and DotA just makes you feel empty after awhile. They're great to blow of steam and have a good time in stressful period, but the formerly mentioned games have the ability to touch and transform a player which I feel is what media (like games) should strive for in the end.

 

[Trucken]

In my opinion gameplay is more important than story. I can play a game with a non-existent story if I'm having a blast playing it. But if it's a great story and crap gameplay I will never know that the story is great since I would probably stop playing early in the game. A story might be able to keep me playing, but most likely I'm just going to stop if the gameplay makes me frustrated or just bores me.

 

[personion]

I'd like to see Games vs Movies, that would be great. Or games vs any other medium.

 

[mcnally86]

I have an idea for an episode. I really want to see an argument about which Mog is best.

Mog, a fictional hybrid of half man and half dog, as demonstrated by John Candy's character, Barf, in Spaceballs.

or

Mog, the moogle things from Final Fantasy.

I'm voting for Mog.

 

[SpaceBat]

It's a bit of a weird case with me. I find the most important factor for me liking a game to be the story, but I can acknowledge that gameplay is more important.

I can live with a game that has an excellent story, but bad gameplay (Planescape, Kotor 2, Alpha Protocol), but I have difficulties loving a game that has excellent gameplay, but an awful story (Bayonetta).
On the other hand, while gameplay can work perfectly with the absence of a story, the opposite is not true. The gameplay needs to flow effectively into the story section or otherwise it would just be harming the story. It has to fit into the narrative, make sure that you keep being immersed in the story so that gameplay sections don't become annoying parts in between the good stuff (MGS4).

There is a reason why Skyrim is loved, but Kotor 2 is generally disliked. The former has incredible gameplay by having an open world, tons of customization options and whatnot and this is what justifies the awful plot, characters et cetera. Kotor 2, even though it has a brilliant story and incredible characters, is not popular due to the gameplay being awful and buggy.

So in the end, it's kind of hard to say which one is best. A great game needs both in order to be a great game, but while a bad story doesn't harm great gameplay, bad gameplay harms a great story.

So gameplay is just a tiny bit more important than story.

 

[RTR]

Perhaps the most important debate you guys have had in a while.
If I could, I would buy you all a sandwich.

 

[Wuggy]

[EDIT]

 

[MorganL4]

I love story in games, I truly do, Elder Scrolls Fable KOTOR all have great story, and I love them for it.

That said, game-play wins the argument with two points:

1 Mario, the story is Bowser kidnaps Peach Mario goes to save her, with very very few exceptions that is the Mario story. BUT we all still play the games.

2. Minecraft........ Quite possibly the most popular game of 2010-2011 ( even though it was released in 2011 ) and yet there is quite literally no story, other than random dude finds himself in a world of breakable stack-able stuff infested with skeletons zombies and spiders, and must find a way to survive. GO!

 

[Starik20X6]

I'd say overall, yes, gameplay does win out. Without gameplay, you don't have a game. If the gameplay is crappy, controls are terrible or whatever, I'm going to get too annoyed to keep going through to the end, no matter how good the story is.

HOWEVER! Without the story to give context to the game, or a bad story, the game suffers. Heck, doesn't even have to be a bad story. For example, I've never really enjoyed GTA games; never particularly felt invested in their world. But I adore Red Dead Redemption, what many people will argue is almost exactly like a GTA game. Why? The context of it changes it. Being a modern day gangster? Not that appealing to me. Being a badass gunslinger? That sounds awesome.

 

[F-I-D-O]

Would I rather play
Borderlands or Bioshock
Minecraft or Braid
Saints Row 2 or Grand Theft Auto IV
Metro 2033 or Battlefield 3
Doom or Valkyria Chronicles
Frozen Synapse or Metal Gear Solid
World of Warcraft or The Old Republic
It's a damn good thing I don't have to choose.
Occasionally, you get the perfect mix like Portal or Half Life. Most of the time, the game isn't perfect. I didn't get Skyrim because I wanted to save Skyrim. I played Skyrim because I wanted to duel wield fireballs and swords, and I wanted to go hunt dragons.
KOTOR runs like crap on my computer. The framerate chugs, the character models are showing age, and sometimes it decides that it just doesn't want to recognize my keyboard input during a fight. I love that game for the story.
Yet, Gears of War is hindered by its story. I don't want to listen to Dom's motivations, I want to kill Locusts with a friend. Here, the gameplay is what brings me to the game.
Ultimately, what is a game without gameplay? What's a book without a story? Gameplay is what makes this medium special. But why can't I have a decent story that I can understand (Oh hi Bayonneta, didn't see you there) with my fun game? Hopefully as video game developers realize the importance of a good writer WHO KNOWS HOW TO WRITE FOR AN INTERACTIVE MEDIUM, the writing will improve. I agree with Kyle here, but as they said, they are both important.

 

[Erttheking]

To me, gameplay is steak and story is salt. I can have a game with no story and it'll be fine, if I have a story and no good gameplay, I feel like an idiot. If I get both, I'm in heaven,

 

[BrotherRool]

I can't think of a single of my favourite games that isn't my favourite game because of its story. I'm not interested as a game as a game and even with Rock Band, well actually it wasn't the gameplay but the story of you being a frickin' rock star that sold it. Its gameplay consists off hitting buttons at screen prompts. No-one likes that, in a game without Rock Band story we call that a quicktime event and we hate it.

Even with the Sims, the sell is the story, just you make the story yourself. It's gameplay is watching bars fill up and empty

But, despite, Deus Ex: HR, Uncharted 1, Uncharted 2, Max Payne 2, FFX, KotoR2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Solid 3, Heavy Rain, Valkyria Chronicles etc...

Gameplay wins. You can have a game that relies solely on gameplay, but not a game that relies entirely on story. Even Heavy Rain relied on the brilliantly integrated gameplay



Oh I just remembered, Rome:Total War, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift. Two games I liked in terms of gameplay. But just to show you how story focussed I am, I played Devil May Cry 3 for the cutscenes

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Which would you rather play?

Well that's not a fair comparison.

As fair as I can get it. Dragon's Lair has a great story, but QTE gameplay. Pacman has zero story, but great gameplay. Both are arcade classics.

Myst or Zork then?

Remember, story and gameplay work together, but if one's missing...how do you choose?

Bad Story includes Space Invaders, Duke Nukem, House of the Dead.
Bad Gameplay includes ET, Superman64...

You don't NEED a story beyond Get X back from Y, but you NEED gameplay.

 

[RooksEye]

For me, it depends on the genre.
RPG's? Story.
Fighters? Gameplay.
Adventure? Ideally, a mix of both.

If I had to choose, I would say story. The games I remember are the ones that had an excellent story and made me feel invested in the characters and plot line. Mass Effect, Final Fantasy (Pre-Square Enix), Bioshock, these are some games that I'll remember for years, because of the story.

Gameplay, however, is still very important to me, if not as much as story. Legend of Zelda, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, these games (to me) had mediocre stories, but had excellent gameplay.

 

[Gatx]

Chris's last point should've been a minus point, seriously how is that a good thing?