Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

[JayCutlersCig]

I’ve grown up playing video games, but it wasn’t until recently that I began to weigh two very important aspects of them: gameplay and story. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to notice the details in both, which in turn, has made me both appreciate and loathe video games even more. I’ve learned that it’s okay to have love-hate relationships with games when they sacrifice one or the other.

Take, for instance, Uncharted 1-3. The gameplay was an absolute SLOG. Bullet sponge enemies, weird cover systems, etc. But the story alone kept me going; I wanted to find El Dorado, I wanted to discover Shambhala and so on and so forth. The fourth installment in this series absolutely mastered both, IMO, and it was a fitting send-off to one of the best series ever.

It was the same case with Fallout: New Vegas; I couldn’t stand the gunplay but I loved the story of revenge in Sin City, and that alone has made me go back and play it again.

So, which one’s more important to you guys? Gameplay or story? For me, it’d have to be story, through and through, but I’m curious to see what you guys think.

[canes21]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay, but barely. There has been plenty of games that had one, but not the other that I couldn't play. The only reason I picked gameplay was because a buddy and I just recently beat Dying Light this past year and that game had such an awful story, but the gameplay was fun for the most part.


Typically, though, I need both to be at least decent quality for me to really finish a game. I don't think i would have beaten Dying Light if it weren't for the Co-op capability.

[peter42O]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Honestly, it depends on the game itself.

While I care more about gameplay than I do story and characters, take Mafia III for example. The gameplay is tedious and repetitive but it's the story and characters that make the game what it is. 2016's best story and soundtrack in my opinion. Gunplay and stealth were decent at best. Outside of gameplay and visuals, it's everything else that kept me invested in the game.

On the other side, take Far Cry 5 for example. The gameplay and shooting mechanics are excellent as always in Far Cry but while the antagonists are great, the story itself falls apart due to the silent protagonist and character creation. To me, it's a joke.

Some games hit on both aspects such as Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War but these are far and few between. Usually, games that are strong in one aspect are normally weak in the other aspect.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story all day long for me.

[opd897]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay, pure and simple. If I want a story I'll pop in a movie.

[GaloVingador]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay.

And I really, really appreciate a good story, it's crucial to make the experience memorable. But I can stand a stupid story if the game is fun to play. A good story that is a chore to play it through, not so much.

It's when both are awesome, like in NieR Automata, that masterpieces happen.

[KSUowls]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Depends on the game/genre.

A lot of RPG's can get by without great gameplay if the story is amazing.

It doesn't matter how great of a story a FPS has if the mechanics of shooting suck.

[mgoblue]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story, but gameplay can't suck. I'm better with a enriching story game with maybe janky gameplay (Skyrim, Fallout, etc are somewhat like this). Some of the "multiplayer only" games are less on story and more about the gameplay loops and that doesn't really do it for me anymore (Destiny type games)

An exception for this is the Quantic Dreams games (Detroit, Heavy Rain, etc). Gameplay IMO wasn't deep enough. Those I'll just watch on youtube lol

[Junior Moe]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story, easy. Gameplay is important but I need to be vested into the game one way or another. I love the Telltale Walking Dead games because they create tense moments. There's no real gameplay to it, but I love it all the same. The Last of Us is another one like Uncharted. The gunplay is nothing special and gameplay is repetitive but man that story pulls you in. I was finally able to beat Zelda once I got vested in the story. The game from a gameplay and bug perspective is perfect. It didn't matter until I got hooked into and started progressing in the story.

[youvalss]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay. I play open-world games (non-RPG) exclusively and as long as the gameplay is great with a living-breathing world, I can spend hours without even knowing what the story is about.

[Hooe]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Depends on the game.

I loved (and still love) Bioshock Infinite for its story and atmosphere. While its gameplay was solid and competent it wasn't any special. It was definitely the narrative that drove that game forward.

On the flip side, DOOM 2016 has a story, but its attitude towards narrative is made very clear in the opening moments of the game when the protagonist destroys the monitor during an exposition dump, ending it abruptly. The gameplay alone drives DOOM, and it's freaking awesome.

[Blzer]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay.

I'll be honest, although I'm watching the cutscenes and such, I'm not really soaking it all in. I kind of just wait for the game to cue me in on what to do next, like with GTA and such.

[jfsolo]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

As someone who doesn't play multiplayer, it's story by a wide margin for me. For most people I believe that the gameplay is the end itself, but for me it is the means to what is most important, the tale being told or the ideas being discussed.

[bcruise]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay. Rarely - VERY rarely - will I play a game long enough to enjoy a good story if the gameplay is bad (and yes I know "bad" gameplay is as subjective a topic as it gets, and I have a pretty high tolerance for gameplay faults). The story enriches a video game experience for me - it doesn't drive it.

There are some genres this doesn't apply to of course - light/no gameplay isn't the same as "bad" gameplay".

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Nowadays, I need both to be excellent for me to be interested and finish