What do you actually ENJOY about games and why?

[Drummodino]

I enjoy a wide variety of different games for a wide variety of reasons. I think the two most important for me are gameplay and story (big surprise).

I love rich, immersive stories. Games like The Last of Us, Persona 3 and 4, Bioshock Infinite. Games like these have terrific characters, great dialog and interesting settings. I love it when a game's story can make me react emotionally, whether that emotion is rage, sadness or whatever.

Story can also be more subtle. Sandboxes where you're encouraged to explore, discover lore and find all the little side stories contained in a sprawling open world. I love that.

With regards to gameplay, I want it to just be fun. I love games like Vanquish, Far Cry 3 and Borderlands because those games are just so fun to pick up and play.

Thirdly visuals are very important to me. I can't play many retro games just because I can't stand the old style graphics. If a game has a distinct art style (e.g. The Walking Dead) or just looks gorgeous (e.g. Far Cry 3, Skyrim) I will at least be interested.

 

[gamernerdtg2]

Suggestions for the OP - you should really try Zeno Clash Ultimate on the 360. I'll come back here and comment more fully later on.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I like to overcome challenges within games. It's why I like games that have difficult boss battles, e.g. Dark Souls, SMT games, Final Fantasy optional bosses, Hack and Slash games etc.

I also like to immerse myself in different worlds, Like in Fallout 3 or Morrowind.

And I also like to compete against other people in games like Gears of War or Battlefield.

 

[Maxtro]

The number one reason why I enjoy games as a 32 year old man.

It's the best form of escapism from my life that I can find.

They are a relatively cheap way to pass the time and focus my mind on something.

 

[Mrkillhappy]

I enjoy a good well rounded characters such as the ones in Persona 4 just because it helps with immersion, an interesting plot because it can create a greater suspension of disbelief or just simply make me shrug off the stranger moments. Fun game mechanics because who doesn't enjoy a good platformer, good level design, and quirky humor can help out a game a lot I mean the humor just added so much charm to Earthbound and made it one of my favorite games of all time. Also adding in a bit of challenge is always welcome seeing as how I like games such as Battletoads, Castlevania, Demon's Souls, and X-COM.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Customisation and playing a game my own way/expressing my morals through my choices/roleplaying. Probably the main thing. Even in shooters and that sort of thing, the loadout and playstyle is enough. I will rarely be the most generic thing there is and simply can't play as classes other people have suggested. This is probably why Monster Hunter, Dark Souls and Armored Core are my three favourite games - lots of class fluidity and player agency.

 

[Alarien]

Fun.

Is there anything else?

Basically, the gameplay has to be interesting, or the story has to be engaging. Even just the execution of the game can be flawless.

Basically, the gamecrafters have to have made something that 1) appeals to me in some respect and is 2) pulled off in a reasonable way.

It doesn't have to be the next Mona Lisa. It doesn't have to have a story that rivals H.P. Lovecraft. It just has to be damned good at what it wants to do.

Case in point: my first impression of Super Meat Boy was "oh god, WHY?!!! I did this 20 years ago, why am I doing it again?!" But I kept playing. Seriously, I kept subjecting myself to the pain. Because I couldn't NOT do so.

Something has to make me want to play that next few minutes. That next hour. That next 40 hours. What that is, I don't care. So long as I'm having a good time.

 

[AlbertoDeSanta]

I love the Escapism of Games. It's the best method for that escapism, since you are the one controlling an aspect of it. It's great. Movies/books don't allow the level of control that gaming does.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

I love a good visual asethteic, even technical marvels that are "killing the industry", mainly because I know how it's done and how much work and skill it takes to make something look really nice.

Also custom characters, I'm a creative wanker so using the tools on hand to make something wicked looking with teh assets provided is always a nice motivator. Doesn't have to be incredibly deep so long as I can make something that I like the look of (hence why I prefer Sainst Row 3's character creator as opposed to SR2's, looking side by side SR2 looks like dog balls).

 

[Captain Sunshine]

Haha, oh I love this thread, nice to see some positivity!

Cor, it depends on the game. I think the main fantastic thing about the genre is variety. You can expect so many things of games and get so many different results, it's wonderful to look down the list of games you have and have arcadey fun hits or deep melancholy masterpieces or loud shouty war games.

I love stories in games! Really good ones. God, you are really in a game with a good story, making the choices and fighting for the next thing to happen and pushing it along. Getting involved with characters, feeling like it's your story as opposed to one being told to you. Glorious. Something very personal about games like that. I will love Final Fantasies 7-10 til the day I die.

But I also love beautiful design and creativity. Rayman Legends is probably my game of the year with The Last of Us. So beautiful, so FLUID, really pulls out that sense of rhythm and free spirit that I get from playing a song perfectly or running around like a little kid, and all that character blaring off the screen in every wacky voice and derp face and slick art.

AND CO-OP GAMES! I've never laughed harder than in Mario Kart or trying to play through something awful like Ghost Squad, or hankering down for real intense boss battles together, or devising strategies in your living room... Real sense of unity, it's wonderful.

Games are brilliant.