Poll: What do you like in a game?

[Chase Yojimbo]

It is an important question for any gamer. The ones who enjoy background and immersion go towards Story, FPS junkies towards Gameplay and/or Graphics, and... 'other' people towards Music.

On a personal note, I enjoy Story a lot more than anything else, Gameplay is a close second, and Music is the last, in reality, I really don't care about graphics, they are useless in my gaming experience.

My only thought is, what does The Escapist peoples like?

 

[delet]

Let me just list my requirements for a 'good' game...

1) Good gameplay.
2) Good story.

I can have point 1 without point 2, but not point 2 without point 1. I want to enjoy playing my game above all else. If I can have both, then that game is likely among my favorites.

 

[xxygizx]

1) Good controls
2) Entertaining gameplay
3) Creative and challenging level design
4) Legible graphics

You could have the greatest game ever, but if I can't control it, it sucks.

 

[Durxom]

1)Fun Gameplay
2)Unlockables and/or Bonus stuff

That's why I like so many Capcom games. Most of them have some many fun modes or ways to play the game, and they reward you with lots of stuff like additional costumes, super hard modes, extra items, soundtracks, gallerys, and such.

Most of the newer games I find, seem to be lacking in that department.

 

[Julianking93]

In all honesty, while I'd like to say I like a game for it's story, that's not the case.

A game with great story but horrid gameplay (Final Fantasy games) are intolerable for me but a game with no story or a shit story but with great gameplay (Demon's Souls) are some of my favorites.

Though, my 2 favorite games balance out great gameplay and great story evenly, it's not a necessity.

 

[Marter]

Varied Gameplay
Interesting Story
Shiny Graphics
Catchy Soundtrack

That's the order I like to have in my games.

 

[JPH330]

Dude, nobody is going to vote "graphics" or "music", why did you even put those in the poll?

 

[likalaruku]

I love reading, so story is very important. But in a game, I think my favorite thing is theraputically smashin & looting anything that can be smashed or looted.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Since I am the pretentious artz gamer, I will forgive horrid gameplay for good narrative, though I am inclined to go the other way.

 

[StBishop]

I voted Story because I would pick up a game that has "Great Story" over a game with "Great Gameplay".

This is simply because usually the one with story still has decent gameplay where as the game sold on it's awesome gameplay will have a shitty, plot-hole ridden story.

I will play a game with shit story however, but I won't play a game which is not fun to play (ie. Damnation).

 

[Save us.A7X]

I tend to value gameplay the highest, although story is a close second. Not too bothered about graphics and sound, as long as a game doesn't make early 3D graphics look good in comparison then who really cares, not every game can be photorealistic.

 

[Chase Yojimbo]

Dude, nobody is going to vote "graphics" or "music", why did you even put those in the poll?

I figured that there might to stupid people who would vote for them, so far im proven mistaken.

 

[kidigus]

I can't realy pick one thing, so I'm just gonna say gameplay.

Stoy sucks? I'll get a book, if gameplay sucks then you realy find yourself between a rock, a hard place, an electric fence, and a yard full of attack dogs.

 

[baker80]

I'm always going to go with gameplay in a situation like this, mostly because there are no video games with a good story. Even the games that have a good story in comparison to most video games still suck compared to any book that's even halfway decent.

Plots in video games are like plots in porn: You expect them to be there, but if that's what you're actually looking for then you're doing something wrong.

 

[e2density]

Thank god so far has not chosen Graphics. I chose Gameplay, but storyline also makes a giant difference.

 

[Vorpals]

If I had to put it in order of preference, it would be:
1. Gameplay
2. Story
3. Sound
4. Graphics

I put Gameplay above story because gameplay is used to access the story. Since we are not watching a movie when we play video games, the time in between cutscenes needs to be acessible for the player to continue the story and be engaged in the game. You could argue that the story redeems or fufills the gameplay, but there are more good games that lack much of a story than the converse of games that lack gameplay and have a good story. Otherwise, we would be returning to the state of an interactive cutscene, and losing the "game" aspect of "gameplay". This is the reason why I love Mass Effect, but I also love Halo and Call of Duty. This is coming from a hardcore RPG fan.

Let me just list my requirements for a 'good' game...

1) Good gameplay.
2) Good story.

I can have point 1 without point 2, but not point 2 without point 1. I want to enjoy playing my game above all else. If I can have both, then that game is likely among my favorites.

Thus, I completely agree with this.

 

[Verex]

Gameplay and story. I don't care about the graphics, but I do get disgruntled when I'm trying to solve a puzzle or complete a mission and the music is something out of 'The Best of Strangled Kittens Album'.

 

[Dreey]

The funfactor, the possibility to goof around. For example: Make a tractor chain in San Andreas.

 

[spectrenihlus]

Gameplay above story because eventually the story ends but the gameplay lasts forever.