What Matters The Most In a Game?Storyline,Graphics or Gameplay?

I would say they are all important but from my pov the storyline is the most important in a game.It can even make you surpass the outdated graphics if it's really captivating and if the gameplay is acceptable.What do you think?

1) Gameplay

2) story

3) Graphics

that is my order from your selection.

gameplay, unquestionably - if a game is no fun to play, well, the reasons to play it become rather limited... that's why it always amazes me when people go apeshoite for goodlooking games, technology moves so fast that better looking games are almost always a few months away, so that "aaa" game you bought for all the fancy visuals, you know the one, the one with generic and stale gameplay that you only endured because the visuals got you horny, that game suddenly fades into obscurity and you're onto the next - i read on this forum yesterday that someone was thinking of buying a ps3 for killzone 2... remember killzone? the worst fps in the world?

but i don't exclusively belive this, right now for example, i'm playing psychonauts - a game that is so far pretty much a long string of tedious platforming with very 1994-style collect stuff gameplay mechanics and i'm almost suprised that i'm not jumping on enemies' heads to kill them... but the game has tons of character, and a near-unique quirkiness that is keeping me playing, despite gameplay flaws and general lack of fun

then there was everquest - a game that is pretty much fundamentally unfun in all ways, only i spent six thousand hours playing the damn game, because the act of character development from some naked little gnome who couldn't cast a spell to save his life into some all-powerful demi-god (not really) was rather like having my very own son who grew up to be the rich, popular and goodlooking guy i didn't turn out to be, it was satisfying - very satisfying

i can see playing a game exclusively for its story (though, most game stories are tripe anyway, so this is a rarity - read a book instead), or even for visuals (see: oblivion)- but when it really comes down to it, it's gameplay that makes a game worth playing, and more specifically, how much fun it is to play

i suppose it wouldn't be unreasonable to argue that some people derive some level of fun from having great looking games, i do myself, sometimes - but when the sex is over, and you're left with a great looking blank slate, you're probably gonna leave at 3am and not call him/her until you want some more sex, instead going back to the people you actually enjoy spending time with

1.Gameplay

2.Story

3.Graphics

1. Gameplay

2. Graphics

3. Story

What Matters The Most In a Game?Storylin ...

GRAY MATTER:question::P

as long as the gameplay is semi decent I would order it:

1. story

2. gameplay

3 graphics

Thats for a singleplayer game, for multiplayer you can throw story out the window.

Gameplay

Story (with a character to realte with)

Grahpics

Depends on the game type.

If its an Action game then,

1. Gameplay

2. Graphics

3. Storyline

If its an Adventure game,

1. Storyline

2. Gameplay

3. Graphics

Strategy Game,

1. Gameplay

2. Graphics

3. Storyline

Storyline and gameplay can both make a great game that you keep playing long after its 'out of date'. Consider a fairly obvious example, final fantasy VII. Ill still happily play that, despite it having very old graphics, very simple gameplay, and having beaten it a few times already. On the other hand, ill still play quake 3 from time to time, and i bring it up as an option to play when we have lans. It has no story, and again, its graphics are very old. Its still a heck of a lot of fun.

A really great game will most likely have strong elements of both, although few have them equal. Halo for example favours gameplay quite strongly (although its story is still good), while the half life series favour the narrative (although the gameplay is, at many times, excellent).

Good graphics, on the other hand, can only make a game better (even much much better) ; you still need a decent story or gameplay. Oblivion is my example here, with a story thats allright but ive never been bothered to finish it, and gameplay that again isnt bad, but prefers quantity over quantity. So why do i like it, why can i spend hours playing it? It looks so darn nice.

storyline

gameplay

graphics

C'omon guys, a game doesnt really need a storyline to be great, have u ever played battlefield 2 for example?

Id say graphics is what encourages somebody to play a game, gameplay makes it enjoyable and a good storyline makes you play it until the end, even if it isnt sooo fun to play

EDIT: Forgot to say that one of the things i like is to play atmospheric games such as bioshock

I'll gladly play a game with horrible gameplay if it had a great storyline, but I'll easily get bored with a game with great gameplay and a poor storyline.

So, for me, Storyline>Gameplay>>>Graphics.

*Edit* ^^To the above poster - Battlefield 2 is a perfect example: it has great gameplay, but I couldn't play it for more than a week without getting bored. I now haven't touched it since I bought it.

1.Story

2.Story

3.Story

4.Gameplay

You'll get used to graphics anyways.

Depends on the genre, but if you want a definite answer, I'd have to say a blend of writing and story. All my favorite games (Fallout, Planescape and the Marathon Trilogy) have one thing in common and that is that they all have far better dialogue and storylines than most other games out there.

GamePlay,Storyline,Graphics

Storyline > Gameplay > Graphics In the days of old, gameplay was paramount to everything else. You had to push gameplay in new directions because even a Doom clone with roleplaying elements was still considered just a Doom clone. But as technology has improved and the medium has matured over the years, it's a sense of cohesiveness, believability, and strong storytelling that make a game truly "great". Gameplay alone will no longer cut it, and graphics are a poor substitute for real immersion. Quake 4 is a good example; the gameplay was really well done, and the weapon upgrades were a very cool feature, but the storyline was dull and uninspired, and there wasn't a single memorable character. Because of these shortcomings, Quake 4 was nowhere near a "great" game. I won't even play a game anymore if the premise doesn't reach out and grab me. Why should I? These days, gameplay is hardly a sneeze. The industry has established plenty of universally-accepted and superbly functional standards for just about every genre, so innovation in gameplay is no longer as pressing an issue. Even downright bad or below average games are typically at least playable, but things like storyline, dialogue, variety and presentation are what really make a game worth playing. Someone mentioned Psychonauts earlier, and that is a perfect example of what I mean. Gameplay-wise, it's just a straightforward platformer with no surprises, but the wacky storyline, excellent voice acting and unique cast of characters make it a truly great game. I'll say it again: Storyline > Gameplay > GraphicsJN_Fenrir

I was going to say gameplay storyline graphics until I read this. Compare for me Quake 4 and FEAR and I see what you mean. I havn't yet finished Quake 4 but I've played through FEAR twice. The only real difference is story.

On graphics I don't care soo much though I like them. I'm playing back through Deus Ex and graphics aren't what keeps me going back. Also when things get hot and heavy in a firefight I don't have alot of time to see the roses so to speak.

Without good gameplay it is a total waste of time to play what it is, a game. A story is just something that drives you on to complete w/e it is, but it's the journey that matters in the end of the day.Graphics?Subjective opinion, like visual art in general, Graphics is only a tool to express what is happening in the virtual world, the meaning behind it all.

What i'm trying to say is, Gameplay is the NO.1 thing here.

All my opinion anyhoo... :roll:

Like some other posters said:

1) Story

2) Gameplay

3) Graphics