Poll: Poll: gameplay or story

[SoranMBane]

If I had to choose between a game with mediocre gameplay but an amazing story or a game with fun gameplay and no story, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the former. But, ideally, gameplay should both be fun AND help to make the narrative deeper. Think about how awkward Wander from Shadow of the Colossus is with his sword for an example. It's because he stole that sword so he could use it to bring his girlfriend back to life, so he just doesn't know how to use it properly; a perfect example of gameplay helping to tell the story. Plus, sometimes good or unique gameplay just isn't enough to make a game interesting. After all, would Portal have been nearly as fun without GLaDOS? I think not. GLaDOS and the subtle narrative she helped provide accomplished something that no amount of clever puzzles would have been able to on their own; making one of the best games ever. Without a story, Portal would have been an interesting but otherwise kind of boring experience with hardly any replay value. So, story is king in my eyes.

 

[Tibs]

If I have to choose one then I gotta give it to gameplay.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I would like the story and gameplay to work together, but if I had to choose one it would have to be story.

I can forgive a game for having some crappy gameplay, but if they story is total shit then I won't bother to play more than I have to, or even finish the game.

 

[Cylibus]

This is a very hard choice for me. I believe that both gameplay and story are very important to any video game, actually the most important aspects, but if I have to choose between the two of them; I have to choose gameplay.

Gameplay is what the game is all about; it's what draws you to the game in the first place. When there's a game where you actually go looking for a fight in them, or can't wait to get to the next piece of action such as a boss fight; then you know that this game has amazing gameplay, and that can sometimes, but not always be good enough for some people.

Storyline is what catches you in a game. A good plotline can get you emotionally absorbed into the story and characters. For example, if you were to play Mass Effect 2, and a character who is always at your side dies; you would get upset about this; you actually felt attached to them. And it's not just about the characters; there could be a plot twist or a simple line someone says that just sends chills down your spine. As for the regard of "If I wanted story, I'd read a book or watch a movie"; storyline can actually work better for a videogame than it could for a book or movie. This is simply because, interacting with a story gets you more easily attached to it, so that little comment does not apply at all.

I don't believe that a truly great game could exist running on either gameplay or storyline, and that they both need to come together to make a game worthwhile, however there are some very rare cases when a game can have good gameplay and a crap story, but still be average and not totally awful, and in that sense; gameplay is just a tad more important than storyline.

 

[Inkidu]

You know, I can't stop thinking about this. Yes, it's subjective, but I think Blizzard games give the most credibility to the "Story V. Gameplay" argument. When I think fantastic story I don't think Blizzard (I don't think fantastic gameplay either, but this is an example). In fact, if you had to ask me top ten best storytellers Blizzard ain't on my top five, I doubt it would make ten.

Yet somehow people managed to get sucked into a void of what is generally condoned to be "good gameplay". Over ten million fanatics can't be wrong. Right?

 

[NickCaligo42]

Why do I have to pick one or the other? Why can't I have both?

 

[MoNKeyYy]

Neither should ever have to be sacrificed for the sake of the other. I'm 100% certain that's been said many, many, many times over the course of this thread but fuck it I'm repeating it anyways because it bloody needs to be said as many times as possible!!

Anyways, that being said I voted for story because I've put up with games that had god awful stories but still enjoyed them because they were fun and had good gameplay. Shit, mario and sonic had next to non existant stories (Just like many other old games) and I still enjoyed the hell out of them. For a more contemporary example, Modern Warfare 2 had a story that was absolutely bat shit retarded and I still enjoyed the campaign. On the flip side, even if a game has an amazing story I won't play it if I don't like the way it plays, and for a fine example of this see Dragon Age: Origins. I thought the sotry and characterization was excellent but I couldn't get into the gameplay.

 

[thewightknight]

Definitely both, but if forced to choose: gameplay. I love a good story, but if the gameplay is terrible then the game is simply terrible. If there isn't much story to it I'll be disappointed, but it's still playable.

 

[Zaik]

You can *usually* skip a bad story for good gameplay, but you can never skip bad gameplay for good story.

That pretty much makes the answer obvious, doesn't it?

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Always a fun question. Imo a game starts with gameplay. There could be a story, but in can do without. It cannot do without gameplay.

QFT.

I enjoy a good story, don't get me wrong. But it's a lot easier for a game to be fun when it has great gameplay and a less than stellar story.

Disappointed but not surprised by poll results. Many Escapists are very heavy on story.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Gameplay. I'll play Mario all the the time.

Stories only appealing if the gameplay can hold me. I'm not go through ass gameplay for a good story. I came to play a game, if I wanted a great story where gameplay doesn't matter I'd read a book.

 

[katsumoto03]

Games are games. I play games to have fun. If I'm dying for a story I'll read a book. Good stories are a bonus, but aren't necessary.

 

[Feralcentaur]

Gameplay, if I just cared about a good story, I'd read a book or watch a movie.