Poll: Gaming aspects

[Benn_Walden]

which of these is the most immportant aspect of a game for you ?
- story
- graphics
- characters ( how awesome their personality is etc )
- gameplay ( ease of play etc )
- blood and gore, grit , "realism"
- other ( please specify )
or list them in your order below .

 

[TH3_D15HWA5H3R]

i personally believe that gameplay and story should go hand in hand, i find that if a games story is lacking then the gameplay seems to as well and vice versa.

 

[Astalano]

All are important. It is just as important to have a well thought out, well told story with great characters and a well developed world as it is to have great gameplay and great presentation (visuals, music, sounds, etc.). They need to mesh together to make a great game. One can compensate for the other, but no single aspect is more important than the other. For example, I wouldn't play Sins of a Solar Empire if it didn't have the fantastic music and I wouldn't play Mount & Blade: Warband if the gameplay was bad. I wouldn't play Dragon Age: Origins if the story and world weren't developed as they are and I wouldn't play Metro 2033 if it didn't have great graphics that sucked you in and immersed you. I wouldn't play Starcraft 2 if the gameplay wasn't balanced and I wouldn't play Magicka if the story and world weren't as fun and ridiculous as they are.

Anyone who really thinks any one aspect is more important needs to seriously reconsider, because gaming will get nowhere if we continue to have stories and presentation that don't mix with the gameplay well.

 

[Smertnik]

For me it's mostly the story and characters. If the gameplay doesn't suit me I can still have fun playing it because of the interesting story or appealing characters. Planescape would be a good example.

Come to think of it, it works the other way as well, though. If I love the gameplay then the story becomes irrelevant, no matter how horrible it is, Painkiller and SR2 being the prime suspects.

If I had to choose I'd go with the story, though.

 

[DementedSheep]

It depends. Characters and story really go hand in hand. Tho I suppose I would rate having interesting, well done characters as more important than the overreaching plot. Gameplay of course is very important. Even a good story won?t excuse unbearable gameplay.
When I think of the games that are most memorable to me and that I think of first it?s the ones with a good story/characters even if the gameplay was horrible.
When I think of the games that I replay the most it?s the ones with good gameplay even if the story isn?t as good. No point replaying it just for story when I already know what happens (unless it has multiple paths but even then, once you have seen it all there is no point)

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Gameplay, obviously. But I voted Characters, since having good characters really really makes a game awesome.

 

[Ghaleon640]

I used to say story, and I think to an extent it still is.

But now I'm busy in college and don't have the time for an 80 hour jrpg... so I kind of stick with gameplay for quick 30 minute intervals. Character, however, is also really important for me.

 

[vxicepickxv]

It really does depend on the game. I don't play Minecraft for the story. I don't play Bulletstorm for the story. I don't play SMB Crossover for anything BUT the gameplay. I do play Fallout games for the story and characters. I played Mass Effect for the Story and Characters.

The answer is not the same from game to game, or from gamer to gamer.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

I would say gameplay. But like the guy above, I'd have to say it depends on the game. Not necessarily the aspect the developers decided to focus upon (maybe), i.e: some games I play for graphics even. However gameplay will always come first, because if the game is simply not fun, then I will have a hard time justifying spending my time on it. Why I'm having such a hard time playing Alan Wake, even though I love the story more than most games.

If it is an overall game which appeals to me, gameplay is sorted, the next is controls. The way this poll was set was that gameplay and controls are in the same category, which is fine, as controls *can* make or break gameplay. This is quite crucial for me, as is the feel of combat and can be such a subtle difference. For example, (ok I know it's a poor one), MW2 weapons feel a bit soft and clicky to me, however the movement and aiming feels a lot smoother than BlOps, but BlOps weapons feel nicer.

 

[Shade184]

Story and gameplay should not be considered seperate elements of a game.

 

[CyanideSandwich]

I think there's no one thing that makes a game great for me. I've never been concerned about graphics, so that can't be it. Although I do know one thing: In the next generation of consoles, this is what they should be focusing on: NO MORE LOADING SCREENS. It completely kills the momentum of a game. There must be a way to fix this, or maybe even just make loading a couple of seconds? That's the console I'd buy.