Gameplay or Story : if you had to choose ..

Which one matters the most to you? Average gameplay + extremely well crafted and spellbinding story - OR - Excellent (out of this world) gameplay + really really bad story

Also, do you consider quick time events in games like Heavy Rain, Uncharted, GoW (or the upcoming Beyond Two Souls) to be bad or good gameplay?

Gameplay obviously. I can deal with a mediocre storyline, but if the game is unplayable, you won't even make it to the end of the story. If the gameplay is  bad, you're not going to want to play it anymore, which makes the story irrelevant. At least with great game play, you'll continue to play it and hope the story gets better as you have fun.

A good example of this would be Kingdom of Amular: The Reckoning. The story is not the greatest, but the gameplay is fantastic.

Gameplay over story but not every game has to be Ninja Gaiden Black nor Heavy Rain.

That's the beauty of gaming for me. I love all kinds of games.

50u1r34v3r

What if it was between average gameplay + extremely well crafted and spellbinding story vs. Excellent (out of this world) gameplay + really really bad story

Also, which one you prefer, Ninja Gaiden Black or MGS4 ?

The fvck?

Always gameplay.   Oh and for the events, as long as I'm having fun it's good.

what do video games offer that no other medium offers? That's gameplay and it's far more important than story. If story wins the poll I will be quite baffled

If you're splitting it into two, I guess a lot would fall under the context of story. Such as the world, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the art style. Whereas gameplay is just the mechanics, how the game plays, how you progress the story etc. So yeah, story is much more important to me. I can finish a game with a great story and crappy gameplay, but not the other way round.RR360DD

As I hold video game stories to an incredibly low standard for the most part, I would easily take great gameplay. Don't have to think about it for a millisecond.

Gameplay. That's why I play games.

wii u

Gameplay. That's why I play games.

Michael0134567

Which one matters the most to you? Gameplay or Story?

Also, do you consider quick time events in games like Heavy Rain, Uncharted, GoW (or the upcoming Beyond Two Souls) to be "bad" gameplay?

Mystery_Writer

Long answer: If the game's focus is the story, i can excuse the gameplay if it doesn't hinder me to much. If the gameplay is a major focus, then i can easily excuse any story, no matter how horrible the plot is or how horrible the writting is.

Short answer: Thus gameplay matters the most to me.

If the QTE are designed well in the game, aren't exagerated and aren't tackled in without some major thought, then i don't equate them as bad gameplay design.

Gameplay. That's why I play games.

Michael0134567

Gameplay, even if the game had the most interesting story if it has awful gameplay i won't be in the mood to finish it.

Gameplay of course. What is great about this industry though is that we can have games with great gameplay and medicore/no story, games with mediocre gameplay but great and well-executed stories, and games with both or neither! 

In a perfect world every game would have the perfect blend of gameplay, art design, narrative, sound design, length, etc. But we have variety in where the focus is and I think that's a strength of the industry. 

Gameplay yo. But why are your poll choices so crap? 

Gameplay over story but not every game has to be Ninja Gaiden Black nor Heavy Rain.

That's the beauty of gaming for me. I love all kinds of games.

I'd pick great gameplay and non-existing story.

The story in most games in quite un-interesting anyway.

However, I do like a good, interesting story combined with some nice gameplay.

For example the Legacy of Kain series managed to do that. (let's hope a new one gets made, eh)

Story. Mass Effect 1 had IMHO medicore gameplay at best, but a gripping, exciting story I had to not only beat. but replay all the way through a second time just to do it differently. Gameplay is very very important, but if I am not engaged in the story i'll get bored and quit the game even if the gameplay is stellar.

I love story-driven games and all those games people here whine and cry about just being interactive movies. However, I have been playing games since consoles were first invented and some of my fondest gaming memories are of games with no story...Super Mario, Excite Bike, Donkey Kong and PacMan at the arcade which eventually led to WonderBoy and DOuble Dragon. I remember loving almost any game with a light gun at one point, especially that mech shooting game that came with that SNES lightgun bazooka they released.

Then I moved on to fighing games as I got older and spent a lot of time and money in arcades playing Street Fighter and then Mortal Kombat 1 and 2.

Hell, I would argue that games like Resident Evil 1 and 2, which got me into survival horror, didn't really have much of a story at all, let alone a "good" story. It was basically just Umbrella created zombies, get out alive.

So while story is good for a certain experience, it doesn't make the game great and isn't necessary to have a good, solid, fun gaming experience.

Honestly it dephends.

But to be honest, I would rather have most games just get rid of this story mumbo jumbo all together.

Story easily

There are games that have both btw.

I would really like that.

Just gameplay and no story? Go and play tetris like a robot non-stop.
Even angry birds has a plot.
The best games are the ones that have combination of both.
But these days i'd opt for story slightly more than gameplay... because how much gameplay can a FPS, platformer etc improve on?

[QUOTE="50u1r34v3r"]

Gameplay over story but not every game has to be Ninja Gaiden Black nor Heavy Rain.

That's the beauty of gaming for me. I love all kinds of games.

Mystery_Writer

What if it was between average gameplay + extremely well crafted and spellbinding story vs. Excellent (out of this world) gameplay + really really bad story

Also, which one you prefer, Ninja Gaiden Black or MGS4 ?

Haven't played MGS4 but it's pretty safe to say I would prefer NGB over it as there aren't many games that I love quite like I love NGB.

As for your question: What if it was between average gameplay + extremely well crafted and spellbinding story vs. Excellent (out of this world) gameplay + really really bad story. 

I would probably pick the out of this world gameplay (aka NGB :)) but I'm glad I don't have to pick.

Dumb poll. Would you rather choose death by lethal injection or by firing squad? How about good gameplay with a decent story?

If it's not fun to play, it doesn't matter how good the story is. 

[QUOTE="RR360DD"]If you're splitting it into two, I guess a lot would fall under the context of story. Such as the world, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the art style. Whereas gameplay is just the mechanics, how the game plays, how you progress the story etc. So yeah, story is much more important to me. I can finish a game with a great story and crappy gameplay, but not the other way round.drinkerofjuice

[QUOTE="drinkerofjuice"]

[QUOTE="RR360DD"]If you're splitting it into two, I guess a lot would fall under the context of story. Such as the world, the atmosphere, the soundtrack, the art style. Whereas gameplay is just the mechanics, how the game plays, how you progress the story etc. So yeah, story is much more important to me. I can finish a game with a great story and crappy gameplay, but not the other way round.RR360DD

If the game isn't any fun to play, then I have no reason to play it. Good gameplay is where it's at. Mario Galaxy 2 has a pretty much non-existent story, yet it's tons of fun.

Gameplay for sure, if i want massive story i go buy a book

[QUOTE="Timstuff"]If I need a really good story I'll read a book. I remember with Bioshock everyone was ranting and raving about how awesome the story was, but when I played it I felt like it was just a dull zombie FPS with superpowers and an interesting setting.Gue1

story is what pushes the gameplay. His abilities were created around the story and setting and that's how most games are made. Unless you just play stuff like Tetris and nothing more... If you want something with more variety and depth than Tetris then you need story. Period.

Tetris had no story, or even the slightest hint of a narrative. 

Having a terrible story provide context for the gameplay and having no story are completely different, Tetris is the worst example possible.  I can't think of many games today that are completely without some hint of narrative.

A great example of a game with atrocious story just there to let the player wreack havoc is Ninja Gaiden 2.  Amazing game, but I can't even remember what the game was about, but I remember all the great combat scenarios.

Bioshock and a few rare gems aside, 95% of video game stories are terrible.

Of course gameplay. Even an amazing video game story wouldn't compare to a movie.tagyhag

[QUOTE="jg4xchamp"]

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

 Many games have arguably better stories than movies

AcidThunder

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

[QUOTE="Timstuff"]If I need a really good story I'll read a book. I remember with Bioshock everyone was ranting and raving about how awesome the story was, but when I played it I felt like it was just a dull zombie FPS with superpowers and an interesting setting.Renegade_Fury

story is what pushes the gameplay. His abilities were created around the story and setting and that's how most games are made. Unless you just play stuff like Tetris and nothing more... If you want something with more variety and depth than Tetris then you need story. Period.

It's always tetris. What about every 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gen game that is not a lame rpg? What about fighting games? What about shmups? What about run 'n gun games? What about racing games? What about flight sims? Story doesn't push gameplay. All it is, is flowery fluff for players that need a "reason" to keep playing a video game. Truly good games should still be good if stripped of their story.

In the end of the day , depends the title...

The walking dead proves that heavily story driven games that are SOLID , not just good , can compete with great gameplay games...

  Dont tell me the walking dead series had great gameplay !! Though it was one of the best franchise i played this gen.. So what again ? Gameplay over Story ? It really , really depends. Generally gameplay >> story but games like The walking dead or Indigo prophecy makes you think otherwise.

 What good is gameplay without a story. Why keep playing? Of course this doesn't apply to all genres.

StrongBlackVine

[QUOTE="DivineSword"]

Gameplay, if you want story then why not just watch a movie?

Lulekani

Videogames are not books, movies or TV shows. Gameplay always comes first.

[QUOTE="Lulekani"][QUOTE="DivineSword"]

Gameplay, if you want story then why not just watch a movie?

DivineSword

Gameplay over story 100%, Story is important also though.

If the gameplay is crap, the game is crap, no ifs and or buts about it. In this medium, gameplay is what should matter first and foremost.

If the gameplay is bad, the game isn't fun to play. But a game with a horrible story isn't necessarily a bad time, so I'll take gameplay every time.

I remember when I first browsed this thread and approximately 75% voted for story.

I see the results changed quite a bit.

[QUOTE="DivineSword"]

Gameplay, if you want story then why not just watch a movie?

StrongBlackVine

What good is gameplay without a story. Why keep playing? Of course this doesn't apply to all genres.

Good gameplay is entertaining.

Most video game stories just tick me off. I would rather have nothing or something really simplistic such as your average Mario "story" over most of the rubbish we get.

Even something like Spec Ops: The Line, was pretty poor compared to the movies and books it was probably inspired by.

Gameplay is much more important in a video game. Even the best video game stories plae in comparion to an above average movie or book. If i want a good story I will do jsut that; watch a movie or read a book. That's not to say I don't appreciate a good video game story. It's just not as important.