What do you value the most in a video game?

Simply that the game made me glad I spent my time with it. Whether it's because it gave me fun action like (like Painkiller) or because it hit my emotional heartstrings (like To the Moon) or made me think about it (like Dear Esther), if I can just look at it and say "yeah, I'm glad I did that" then the game was worth my time.

I don't really have "criteria."

When a developer actually properly implements good gameplay mechanics with good story-telling, and by that I mean actually tells the story through you playing the game (which is enjoyable to play).

Something like Half Life fits that bill. I'm very much not a fan of the modern trend of cut scene > shooting gallery that adds nothing of value to the story > cut scene > shooting gallery > cut scene > shooting gallery. I don't know if there are worse forms of story-telling than that.

In Half Life you can just blow straight through the game shooting aliens, and thinking "Wow so cool dudebro aliens invaded da earf, and I shotgun'd them. The end" or you can actually take the time to explore, listen to NPCs, and pay attention to the events unfolding, and you'll come out with an entirely different take on the story (which is actually quite a good story imo). All of this done without stripping the player of control of their character.

Following that I just like great gameplay which is why I stick almost exclusively to PC nowadays.

The fact anyone voted visuals further diminished my faith in humanity.

Also, I'll take strong game design. Example, Super Mario and Zelda were designed with rather contrasting elements from the beginning, including linearity and open world among other things (player agency). I would not say either game is stronger for that choice, they just know what they want to be and are good at it.

I like to consider game design and solid mechanics as two sides of one coin to be honest, without one, the other isn't much good. Example, Sonic Lost World (at least on 3DS) has interesting mechanics with the free running, but the level design either doesn't use it to it's benefit, or makes it frustrating. Controls are also folded into this area to me, if I can't control the character to a satisfactory level, I don't really feel like the mechanics were polished enough.

Visuals, way down the list. I'm not sure how in a post Minecraft world we can still think visuals are what make a game fun.

If "replayability" equals multiplayer, then that takes my vote. Having no replayability is unacceptable to me when games are costing $60 a pop. Quality single player games should be priced at $40 max. Luckily, I have a PC.

I don't prize just the one element, it's the whole vibe and experience. If I was forced to pin a tail in the donkey, Gameplay (Game Design) would win. Gameplay is crucial and most significant to me, but it's definitely not the only aspect of gaming I value or I would still be in the 8bit generation and never looked forward.

Idk, as long as a game is fun I dont really care.

I've enjoyed bad games like the new Medal of Honor games and I've disliked great games like Bioshock. As long as a game is fun Im willing to put up with a lot.

I value game mechanics over everything else. Granted a solid combination of other elements can make a so-so game otherwise enjoyable but I'll always kind of wish for a bit more. A game can solely have solid mechanics and I can overlook its flaws and have a great time.

Didn't see an option for gameplay, so I chose mechanics/interactivity which I think falls under that. I'll play an indie game with inventive mechanics over a flashy AAA title with nice graphics and average mechanics any day.

Gameplay

What is the point of a videogame where the interactive aspect of it sucks? Any other element of a videogame can be horrible, and it would not stop the game from being enjoyable so long as the gameplay was entertaining. But if the gameplay sucks? The game sucks. That's all there is to it.

I value story and presentation.

Romance

I value them all but Lasting appeal is a key factor especially now that gaming is becoming so expensive.

I am not spending $60 per game for it to last 7 hours and i never play it again. Online multiplayer that is fun springs to mind and a decent length SP with incentive to play it again eg:20-40hour campaign

I both agree and disagree with this.

I agree that a game with sucky gameplay pretty much sucks. However, I probably couldn't enjoy a game that had good gameplay but sucky everything else.

Immersion

I voted story and presentation. A game can look like shit ( Deadly Premonition) play like shit (erm... deadly premonition) and have bad production values (see earlier examples) and still be a kick-ass game. As long as a game is held together by interesting plot devices and rich well written characters then it can still make a great game despite the many flaws.

Gettin' laid..

Story and presentation is usually the thing that sucks me in the most.

Gameplay. And after that, content.

I value PrincessGomez92 the most. :3

@93BlackHawk93:

As sweet as that is, babe, I'm not in a video game. :3

everything

To simply say 'gameplay' is either a cop out choice, or grave misrepresentation of what constitutes a good game, hehe. 'Game Design' would be what you're looking for instead, in my view.

What part of the gameplay exactly? It's multi-tiered and multi-faceted. Framerate affects gameplay. So do animations, and especially individual mechanics and how they're implemented, and finally AI. It's pretty much an all encompassing effort, and will definitely have a result on your overall interpretation of gameplay, and your experience with the game.

My values:

• Implementation of individual game mechanics
• Animations
• AI
• Framereate
• Sound design
• Story and presentation
• Quality of graphics and art
• Amount, and / or quality of content

Here's another BIG one that only one other person listed (@SolidTy):

Vibe and experience. It's rather difficult to capture this, yet alone define it. I suppose it's mostly a feeling of when things mesh so incredibly well together that it just 'feels' right for your individual tastes. You can chalk it up to things that provide an emotive response like sound design, atmosphere, presentation, and gratification of accomplishment.

---

I can't list just one thing. They are called video games surely, and will be initially judged on their game aspect, but it's a medium that is an amalgamation of so many things. To define a game a specific way is difficult for me to do. No other medium can claim the same.

I like!

This feels really subjective to me considering I enjoyed games like The Conduit and Soul Calibur Legends on the Wii, even though many people have stated that those games are TERRIBLE and the reviews reflect that decision.

Soul Calibur Legends is not a typical Soul Calibur game and it can get really repetitive and hard to control at times, but I really enjoyed the game. If I gave someone who enjoyed the Soul Calibur series a try at this game they might actually tell me "This game sucks." and I honestly couldn't care, but if I were to look at everything the game is giving me, it's a pretty terrible Soul Calibur game, heck it's actually a pretty awful game in general, but I loved it, one of the greatest on my Wii if I'd like to say.

Conduit has MANY things wrong with it, The Campaign was atrocious and the Multiplayer was down right buggy and awful in design, but dang it I loved every moment of it. I Put in so many hours into that game on my old Wii it was second to Smash Bros on that system and I couldn't have been any happier, but everyone here says it was garbage. I loved it.

So to say what I like in a game, it feels subjective. I hated Uncharted 3, but I thought the Multiplayer was good. Also I hated Halo Combat Evolved, Kinda hypocritical for saying this, but I thought the Level design was kinda lazy and the entire experience was boring. Still It was good game I guess.

So I can't give you a good answer. Presentation? Agency? Graphics?

How about "I just like the game"?

Replay value for me, and it comes in many different ways: Great story and lore (Mass Effect, The Witcher...), huge worlds to explore (TES, GTA...), fun and addicting gameplay (Trials, Resogun...), powerful creation tools (Minecraft, LBP...), etc

I don't know, i'm pretty adaptive with any genre, and i'll value certain elements above others depending on said genre.

The best is when you get a game you dont want stop playing and you forget the time.

@LegatoSkyheart:

Nice. I think in your case it was the feeling those games gave you :).

@LegatoSkyheart:

Hey, someone else that enjoyed Soul Calibur Legends. I really need to pick that game up.

@princessgomez92: Everyone is in a video game. ;)

@93BlackHawk93:

I'm not sure what that means exactly, but thanks. :P

@princessgomez92: I don't know either. :P

Breaking Bad sucks.

@93BlackHawk93:

Agreed. Pretty Little Liars is so much better.

You can't value one thing. If a game misses one of those things it's not a video game anymore. The whole package is what counts.

In order for a game to be truly spectacular in my books it needs to have good gameplay mechanics/interactivity and game design. If a game lacks in those two aspects, I just can't enjoy it.

It kind of depends on the type of game. For RPG - story/presentation, mechanics, graphics, voice acting all play key roles. For action-adventure/FPS, controls, graphics/framerate, fun, story/presentation. A great game is one that you enjoy playing no matter its resolution or what system its on of anything else. It just needs to be fun and then you go from there.

Why didn't you make this a multiple choice poll?

Because I think graphics/animations, mechanics/interactivity and lasting appeal are equally important.

Graphics.

Gameplay. You can have an amazing game because of its graphics, audio or story, but if the gameplay is too repetitive to be any fun or is just flat out broken, I won't be able to enjoy it.

To me it's about the experience. And that really is a composite of interactivity, game design, visual & audio design, presentation, and agency. When the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, is when you as the player becomes truly immersed in the experience.

This is why I don't support those old "gameply >>> graphics" arguments (or vice versa).

A good game needs microtransactions, lots of filler, tacked on multiplayer, be very short, and be made for the casual gamer in mind.

I voted mechanics and interactivity because that is essentially what the "game" part of a videogame is.

After that would be design because if there's obvious flaws in level design or the flow of a game and its characters it's pretty obvious and can ruin the game

But overall it just comes down to the overall experience. AC IV is a game that hasn't got the best mechanics or design in a lot of places but it's still one hell of a fun game

setting and art. If I don't like it then I don't care no matter the story or gameplay.

Fun. I'm either entertained or bored and that's pretty much all I know.

Best replies I've read. Kudos!

I really value the atmosphere the most in a videogame. The best videogames I have played made me forgot I was even playing a game like basically you become so immersed in the world, the story, the characters, the music, visuals, and mechanics

It's probably a tie between story and gameplay. I feel like they go hand in hand anyway. But usually, I measure games based on how fun they are. As long as the games are fun to play, i'll continue to play them.

I need a carrot on a stick, something to keeping me hooked and wanting to keep playing. So an interesting story or a loot system tend to be what I value most.

immersion. gameplay mechanics and storyline are tied depending on the genre......tetris doesnt need a storyline and a great story like old jrpgs are lighter on gameplay.

and all that equates to me staying out of jail.the more i play games, the less trouble i cause out there in society

I just want non-interactive cutscenes to die !