What's that one magic thing a game has to have to get your attention?

[King of the Sandbox]

For some, it's graphics. For others it's a genre. For even more, it's all about the unique gameplay. Some are attracted simply by the character design.

What is the one thing that you hear about an upcoming game that gets you most psyched?

For me, it's pretty obviously sandboxes. If I hear that a game is going to be open world, go-anywhere/do-anything type of deal, I'm definitely looking into it more. Just hearing 'open world' is enough to get me to check a game out.

Also, character creators. The more diverse and variable, the better. It's pretty much the reason I still play wrestling games. I can spend HOURS just making different wrestlers and gimmicks and whatnot.

So, yeah, again, what's that magic 'thing' that gets you interested enough to find out more about a game?

 

[JesterRaiin]

It's in your name.
I believe you know what i mean.

 

[enzilewulf]

I think OP's post just describes me actually... I love a world to be huge. Thats one of the reasons I a year of my life to WoW. The world was fantastically huge, with awesome cities every where. Thats (mostly) why I love Skyrim. Its a huge fucking world compared to any other sandbox and travel takes time if the area still needs to be discovered yet there is so much dungones to break up the travel time. Its brilliant really.

Another Sandbox I love is Saints row because of the level of customization. You really can be all you want in the game.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I don't really have one.

Every good game has an x-factor or a compilation of mechanics and designs that just complement eachother terrifically. But for me it's never one specific thing that grabs my attention, unless said magical thing is the actual game studio, like Valve or Team Ico.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

boobies But really there isnt any one thing that makes me want to get a game, I suppose character customization is a big draw for me

 

[blackdwarf]

a sense consequence. if the calls me out on my actions i am really drawed in the game. doesn't matter which game. even a game like vanquish, that has a really lame story. in the game there was a moment that i was outnumbered. i had to flee to a elovater, which i ofcourse did. but because the enemies were i such great numbers, i started the elovator to fast, so i left some of the npc's, that were part of my squad behind. the game then called me on that, by saying something like, "it had to be done" i felt really bad after that.

it really simple but for me really important.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

I enjoy sandbox games and games with choices that really effect stuff. For example sparing your enemy at the start of a game lets you have him as a companion later on and other stuff.

 

[geekRAGE]

Medieval or fantasy setting.

 

[PanYue]

A damn good musical soundtrack. It is the defining feature of a game for me. (Mostly. There are exceptions) I should elaborate - I hear the music in trailers or in gameplay trailers and if I like what I hear, I get psyched. Super Street Fighter IV had a bit of Dudleys theme in it which sounded absolutely AMAZING. It wasn't in the final product and that really killed me when I got the game in the end. XD

 

[CulixCupric]

Elder scrolls in the title. that's all i need to know a game is epic.

 

[moose49408]

Hot blue alien women?

No, seriously, a compelling story and characters. I can tolerate just about anything in a game being sub par if the story or the characters suck me in.

 

[AyreonMaiden]

Sometimes, the name of the director/developer is enough (If it's Miyamoto, Aonuma, Suda51, Katsura Hashino, Kojima, Tim Schafer, etc.)

Other times, the visual styling will do. El Shaddai hooked me from the start.

And, like you OP, if it's a big world with many things to do, I'll immediately look into it more. I love me a world to get lost in for long hours.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

I know this will make me sound like a Yahtzee disciple, but I think that best games are the ones that seamlessly blend story and gameplay like Portal, Bioshock, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, and Bastion.

Below that, story is what draws me in. I will put up with gameplay that sinks to the level of "merely functional" if the plot and characters are engaging. Case and point, the battle system in Xenogears and the melee combat in the Assassin's Creed series have been less than great, but I love those games' stories.

Below that, aesthetics. Not to be confused with "graphical power." I mean graphics and sound that are aesthetically appealing. I consider Okami and Braid to be two of the most aesthetically pleasing games ever made, yet they don't push graphical boundaries to their limits.

By elimination this leaves gameplay at the bottom, but that's because I consider decent gameplay to be a given. And, again, I'm willing to tolerate less-than-amazing gameplay for the above, as long as it works.

 

[Candidus]

High barrier to entry.

Ninja Gaiden. (you do get the occasional awful player in coop, only because some people can't take the NG's strong hint; if you can't beat the campaign, don't even think of searching online).
Fighting Games. (no explanation necessary)
Supreme Commander 1 and Forged Alliance. (how do I economy?! pffft, this game crap, i go play Supcom 2 now.)

Actually, there's one other thing; Forgotten Realms. Even though this IP fell out of competent hands ages ago.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

So, yeah, again, what's that magic 'thing' that gets you interested enough to find out more about a game?

There are a bunch of things that instantly get my attention. But most come down to uniqueness/originality.

examples:
An interesting art style. I bought Chantelise just because I loved the "sprite in a 3D world" stlye. I also love Minecrafts simple style.
Interesting gameplay: Sanctum mixed FPS and and tower defense, and looks fast and frantic. That made me buy it. Same reason why Knight in the Knightmare appealed to me.
Interesting story/world: This is what instantly got me hooked on morrowind recently. Once I started to learn about the world...BAM, I wanted to know EVERYTHING.

 

[satanslawer123]

single player,story, decent character design and game play, everything else like graphics aren't big things for me, sure i want the graphics to be good and all but i don't want them to overshadow the game

 

[sextus the crazy]

Quality. I don't want to waste my time on shitty games. Otherwise, i'm open to just about everything.

Although, co-op online is nice, too.