Poll: How important are graphics in gaming to you?

[xAFROMANx]

The story is the MOST important thing to me; if a game has a bad story, the gameplay has to be pretty damn good for me to like it. Graphics have absolutely no bearing on my opinion of it. I rank games like Majora's Mask and Super Mario World WAY above most of the bollocks out today, and not just in a 'respect the classics' way.

i'm with josh, i'd rather play any game from a previous gen console with a good story or good gameplay (or both) (in my case original sypros, crash bandicoot, tombi.) then play a boring game with a lousy story from todays consoles

Spoiler: Graphics from my favorite game in existence. I leave you to decide my feeling on graphics based on that. ;)

what game is that? it looks pretty good.

 

[-Samurai-]

"Who cares about graphics? It's about the gameplay! The story! The music!! Multiplayer!"

I've been playing Way of the Samurai 3. Looks like it came straight from PS2, but damn is it fun!

Story and gameplay are what I'm after.

 

[fogmike]

Graphics and animation are the MOST important thing for me. Unless its multiplayer than draw distance and framerate are most important. Games to me are technical programs for developers to impress me with. Only Mass effect and halo have been outside of that box for me. I loved the universe of ME and I loved the deep world of HALO. I guess graphically they were pretty good too.

Get on your bike, and buy yourself either FFXII, or FFX (Ten is more strategic turn-based, Twelve more fluid.) Good graphics, epic story. Games are great only if they have everything else great too. Graphics is one of the lesser things (though by no means unimportant). See, for example, Ocarina of Time or Kingdom hearts.

I don't really have the time to run through any RPGs I could do mass effect cause those take 8-10 hours, I spend most of my time in COD in 30 min sessions. I agree games need something else besides graphics, story just doesn't do it for me though. I played through ME 3 times and I still couldn't tell you much about the story but I know I loved the setting. Only thing where story actually meshed with me was Halo.

Hmmm. Kingdom Hearts? Good story, great gameplay, and a really nice art design? Course it is Disney....

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I wouldn't say games have to look 'realistic', realistic graphics don't equal good graphics. I personally thought Mirror's Edge was quite beautiful, although it was not realistic looking at all and not particularly graphically intensive, it was very vibrant and perfect-looking in a surreal way which was really nice to look at. I also think games like Beat Hazard and Audiosurf look great, just those constant explosions of different colors are fantastic to view, but Beat Hazard is basically a sprite game and Audiosurf has very simplistic graphics.

So I don't think games looking good means they have to be intensive on my hardware.

But yes they are fairly important because they help to add immersion. It's not a necessity that my game has to look good, but it does actually add to my enjoyment of a game. Much like great sounds and music will.

 

[apelsz]

I don't care for graphics, that's not why I game. I game to have fun. It pisses me off when people hate on systems because they have non-HD graphics. It's so stupid. Most of the crap that comes out today is because people want graphics based games. If we focused less on graphics, maybe there would be better games now.

 

[Koganesaga]

I love graphics, A game should always look perty of they can. Of course if it ever comes at the cost of performance they get turned right the fuck down, because I care more for smooth game play than the visual of it.

 

[Sora383]

I've always felt that story, music that sort of thing beats how great the graphics are. I've replayed games from the ps2 and n64 for era just for some of the great stories. And I agree with what lots of other people have said so far saying that they should focus less on graphics and more on the rest of gameplay.

 

[Nazulu]

It's important but not that important. It does help improve the over all experience and if it looks really cool and makes a special atmosphere like in Metroid Prime, then it will help immerse you into the game as well.

 

[Lrbearclaw]

Give me plot, depth and/or amazing lore and I am happy. Thus me playing EverQuest for the last 7 years and plan to until the servers are taken down.

 

[silasbufu]

Good graphics can be a great addition , sure , but it's not a criteria I look for when getting a game.
Heroes of might and magic 3, Diablo , Arcanum are the best examples I can think of right now.

 

[yoz13]

Although im fine with graphics being terrible (proof of this is that i love final fantasy 8) but i may alsoby a game just for its graphics to see how the technology is progressing.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

Old/bad graphics are absolutely fine, just as long as the game is playable.

It's bizzarre to be impressed by graphics from a game from an older platform nowadays.

"Holy shit! Look at me walk across the tower in Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts! It's like... the tower is actually there!"

 

[VanityGirl]

About as important as the multiple threads asking this same question, OH!
Only kidding.

A game could have poo graphics but still be fun, which is why I still play my old consoles.

Good graphics cannot cover up shoddy gameplay (GTAIV).


Yes, I have a personal vendetta against GTAIV because it sprinkled brown sugar all over my beloved colorful game and made it into a boring piece of junk.
The only good thing I could say is that it's fun to play with you friends, but then again, any game is fun to play with friends.

 

[qazmatoz]

Graphics are all well and good, but I'm fine with a game no matter how it looks, so long as there is a rich story and interesting characters underneath. Right now I'm going through Cave Story on the Wii and I'm loving the everliving shit out of it because the fun platformer/shooter aspects and the surprisingly deep, involving story.

 

[Xeros]

I don't give two shits about graphics. My favorite game of all time looks like crap in this day and age, in fact, it looked like crap back then.

 

[RYjet911]

I feel the gameplay is as important as any other aspect of a game, but it should never be put in front of gameplay, story, music, and any other feature involved in creation of the game. Certain games graphics can go hand in hand with the gameplay and overall feel of the game, where as others they seem either like an afterthought (in those games that look dreadful for their time) or the driving process for making the game (Many recent games).

 

[-AC80-]

i7 920 (oc to 3.5GHz), ATI 5970, asus rampage 2 exteme, 6gb 1600MHz ram, 10000rpm HDD, water cooled. Graphics means allot to me.

 

[ottenni]

They decide weather or not i can get a game. My laptop, struggles. So i can only run most games on the lowest settings.

Which is a pity because i do like me some nice graphics.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

See, I'd say that they don't really matter. I can happily go back and play older games without too much fuss.
However, I do appreciate high end graphics, I've just finished God Of War III and there were a few moments where I just sat there mouth agape. And watching the opening scene of Final Fantasy XIII last night I have a feeling that I'll have the same response to that game a few times during my play through. So I kinda voted in the middle ground.

 

[0BRiEX]

I think graphics need to be up to a certain standard, but they're not the most important part of the game. A good storyline that you can follow and enjoy is much more important than the graphics are, and also good gameplay is an important thing too. These days everyone's caught up over how good a game looks, when they should be thinking about a decent storyline etc.