What's the most important aspect of a game to you?

So what's the most important part of a game to you? An engrossing storyline? Enjoyable gameplay? Beautiful graphics? Lots of replayability? Somthing else? Please share your opinions!

I would have to say for me it is gameplay. I had a hard time choosing between story and gameplay, but I think what ultimately decides whether I enjoy a game or not is how fun the basic gameplay is. A prime example of this is Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. The graphics were decent, the story was a bit shallow, but the gameplay was just insanely enjoyable. It also had good replayability with the different options of what kind of character you want to play. Sure it was very linear, but I've played through it 4 times and will continue playing it because of how good the gameplay is.

How about you guys?

the overall experience is the most importnat.

but too pick out one single element. the gameplay...no question. its the fundimentals of what makes a agme a game and defines whether itll be fun or not. if the devs dont have the gameplay right then the game is doomed.

When I look at this question, I look at a category, then try and think up a great game that doesn't have that category. I can think of great games that don't have a story (or the story is crappy), I can think of great games that have poor (or practically no) visuals, I can think of great games that I've only ever played once and have no desire to replay (not because of any lack of quality, but because once was enough).

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

On PC platform it will have to be Performance followed by Gameplay then Graphics,

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

fatshodan

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Story=Gameplay>>>Graphics for me.

For example I love ME and it's a pretty akward game, but it has an awesome story and decent graphics. U just re-installed it for the DLC, but I don't have my old saves and I can't really play it, because it's kinda boring. Awesome story games are good for one time, max two.

The Witcher has a decent story, not that great, but still pretty good, but the gameplay and graphics (for a game like that) are awesome, especially the gameplay.

Graphics don't matter much to me, all I meed are graphics that are decent, that don't disgust you, that are unbearable.

[QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

chesterocks7

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

Gameplay obviously. Doesn't matter how good of a story or graphics a game has, if the gameplay sucks, its no fun. Period.zomglolcats

what he said

[QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

GodLovesDead

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

[QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

chesterocks7

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

[QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

Vfanek

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

Yes they changed a lot from Morrowind in Oblivion, but the combat was the one area I thought they really did improve. But my whole point in giving that example was to show that gameplay isn't always what makes a game great.

[QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

chesterocks7

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

Or you can just use a weapon you have skill points in and you won't have any problems whatsoever. :P

It's none of these. For me it's immersion. I want a game to take me to another place and make me believe I'm there. You know you are playing an awesome game when you look over at the clock, and realize that you should have gone to bed hours ago.

Immersion is acomplished with graphics, sound, story, and gameplay. Good gameplay means you aren't fighting the controls...you think something, and you do it. The sound and graphics make you believe you are there. And a good story...I hope everyone has read a good book that you've got completely lost in. So a good story can do it all by it self.

But in general, I think games suck at story telling. When it comes to stories, for me it's books > movies > games.

[QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

GodLovesDead

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

Or you can just use a weapon you have skill points in and you won't have any problems whatsoever. :P

Have you even played Morrowind? Every time I've played through I played as purely a melee character, focusing on one weapon type, and even at the end of the game you can miss the enemy once or twice before they die. I highly doubt that someone who dedicated their life to melee combat would ever actually miss their opponent.

[QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

chesterocks7

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

Or you can just use a weapon you have skill points in and you won't have any problems whatsoever. :P

Have you even played Morrowind? Every time I've played through I played as purely a melee character, focusing on one weapon type, and even at the end of the game you can miss the enemy once or twice before they die. I highly doubt that someone who dedicated their life to melee combat would ever actually miss their opponent.

Morrowind is one of my favorite PC games. Hell, I don't even miss right when I start off let alone late in the game.

[QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="GodLovesDead"][QUOTE="chesterocks7"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

I cannot think of a single great game that does not play well. It's pretty obvious, really.

GodLovesDead

Well the gameplay in TES: Morrowind was pretty awful, but it was still an amazing game. Some may disagree, but I really don't like swinging a sword at something and having it hit 3 out of the 6 times I swing because my stats are low.

Morrowind has amazing gameplay. Just not great combat. But it still makes sense. If you never picked up a sword before, chances are if you're fighting someone you will miss a lot.

The combat is the main gameplay component. And if you've never picked up a sword before you probably wouldn't be very good with it, but I highly doubt you would miss a lot. My 4 year old brother can hit people with a stick more than I could hit people with a sword in Morrowind until about 3/4's of the way through. Oblivion was much better than Morrowind in that aspect.

Or you can just use a weapon you have skill points in and you won't have any problems whatsoever. :P

Have you even played Morrowind? Every time I've played through I played as purely a melee character, focusing on one weapon type, and even at the end of the game you can miss the enemy once or twice before they die. I highly doubt that someone who dedicated their life to melee combat would ever actually miss their opponent.

Morrowind is one of my favorite PC games. Hell, I don't even miss right when I start off let alone late in the game.

Right.

Gameplay, immersion and replayability. In that order.

Variation, I keep interest in a game as long as there is something deeper in the world to discover and explore. If a game is basically the same throughout, unless it is a short game, I will quickly grow bored of it.

I hate repetition; a game like Diablo 2 may seem repetitive but the settings changed and new abilities to strategies are unlocked, I need variation for a sense of progress. Even Crysis avoided repetition by encouraging you to use didn't strategies at different points in the game, infiltrating a base isn't like jungle combat and the freeze/alien assalt really shook things up later in the game.

But something like Oblivion which is basically the same throughout; chucking the same fireball with a different variable attached being the major difference between level 1 and 30 = meh.

Balance. An even taste of all that goes into the game. Gameplay and story are important but if its hard to look at its going to be difficult to get into. High end graphics won't make the game fun either. If you have to tone it down to the level of Guild Wars to be able to devote enough time to other elements then do it.

There are two important aspects that I look for in a game.

• First off, it needs to have a good compeling story.
• Second, the controls need to be good - no matter how well a game looks and how well a story might be, if you can't control the game at an enjoyable level, then there's no reason to frustrate yourself as you try to play through.

Generally a really good story will get people to replay a game more then once. In my case, I really like Advent Rising's story and I've played through the game 4 or 5 times now. I don't own any other game that I've played through that many times....

I always think a game with a great Storyline and decent Game-play can make up for lack or graphics, However a game with awesome graphics but no Storyline or decent Game-play would be a waste of time implementing such nice graphics.

On PC platform it will have to be Performance followed by Gameplay then Graphics,

OoSuperMarioO

We have a winner.