Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

[mgoblue]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

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

That is true...I say story earlier, but I don't think I could deal with a truly bad gameplay game. I can deal with bugs more, but I buy somewhat few games so they aren't ever horrible in both.

[JoshC1977]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story has to be there for me. Open-ended games do not keep my interest for very long unless there is a very strong underlying narrative. The game doens't have to be "on rails" but games like KOTOR or Mass Effect are about as open-ended as I can go. Games like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry (or heck, even the Witcher series) provide way too many options and I get overly frustrated at all the stuff on the map. The recent Tomb Raider games or God of War provide the right degree of narrative versus "side quest" content for my taste.



Gameplay is secondary to me; but it at least needs to be functional. The original Mass Effect didn't have the greatest gameplay (2 and 3 much better) but it was enough to keep me moving through the game for the story.

[Turbojugend]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

I'd like to say gameplay, but as someone who has finished Deadly Premonition multiple times and looks forward to doing so again, anything other than story would have to be a lie.

[tdawg3782]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story. All day, every day, and two times on Sunday lol. I've always hated multiplayer. I just could never get invested in it. Just playing to play, and not having a true ending, was boring to me. So even if gameplay is garbage as long as the story is legit I'm in.

[NoleFan]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Story. All day, every day, and two times on Sunday lol. I've always hated multiplayer. I just could never get invested in it. Just playing to play, and not having a true ending, was boring to me.

Issa +1 for me!




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[allBthere]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

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

this to the three power for me. I actually find it kind of annoying when games try to be like films. Films do it better, and as you said, I'd rather watch a film if all I was interested in was getting good story (and I do that).

I also feel like game developers give themselves too much credit at times for creating a good story because they waste too much time with characters delivering lines and pausing and so on. The vast majority of the time it's all very 'meh'
I think Last of Us did a good job, but even there, if the cutscenes lasted too long and took too many liberties it would be skip central.

Know your role! lol

If I'm being honest, most games I skip the crap out of that stuff, I'd rather scan text and skip skip skip than waste too much of my gaming time watching weak pretend movie-making.

[Blzer]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Yeah I mean I'll be honest, everybody has always praised the Uncharted games for "being like a movie!" But if those were actual movies I'd say they weren't very good. It's more of a testament to the game being heads above other games in that department than to movie-like cinematics finally being implemented into games. It's one of the several reasons that I am not pining for an Uncharted movie any time soon. And it's not that I'm not appreciative of Naughty Dog's efforts. It should just be called what it is, though.

Anyway, I've thought a little bit more about this poll, and both are very important to me if you mean that the backdrop/setting is also a part of the "story" in general, but I couldn't tell you two bits about the stories of any game that I'm playing because I space out quite often in them. Games like The Last of Us (which I haven't yet finished) and The Last Guardian would be major exceptions to this rule. Gameplay mechanics still need to be there though.

[mgoblue]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

this to the three power for me. I actually find it kind of annoying when games try to be like films. Films do it better, and as you said, I'd rather watch a film if all I was interested in was getting good story (and I do that).

I also feel like game developers give themselves too much credit at times for creating a good story because they waste too much time with characters delivering lines and pausing and so on. The vast majority of the time it's all very 'meh'
I think Last of Us did a good job, but even there, if the cutscenes lasted too long and took too many liberties it would be skip central.

Know your role! lol

If I'm being honest, most games I skip the crap out of that stuff, I'd rather scan text and skip skip skip than waste too much of my gaming time watching weak pretend movie-making.

I enjoyed Detroit on youtube, but can't stand the quick time event type gameplay they have....it's like it's a movie-lite. I get that it's cool branching and all, but just not worth it for me. I'd rather watch a movie there.

[Smooth Pancakes]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

If I absolutely had to pick one or the other, I'd go story, can't beat a good story.

Ultimately, it's a mix of both. That and I'm not extremely picky. I've had lots of fun playing games ranging from Ghost Recon Wildlands, Far Cry, Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect Andromeda, to games like Vampyr, Fallout and Skyrim, to games like Final Fantasy, Detroit Become Human and South Park, to games like MLB The Show and FIFA.

I can usually find fun in most games, even when the gameplay or story is lacking. It's more about if the topic of the game interests me these days. Mostly the games I don't really care much for is stuff in the realm of Destiny or MMOs. The Division is about as close as I can get to enjoying games in that general vein of gaming. Give me a good solo game any day over multiplayer focused games with toxic vitriol spewing online communities.

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[DJ]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Good question, and it's a tough one. The easy answer is both, but that's boring, lol. As someone that plays single player only, the story in the non-sports games I play is typically the aspect that I focus on the most. If I'm not invested in the characters and why I'm playing the game, I'll likely shelve the game and try something else.

Now, I will say that for platformers (Mario) and metroidvania-type games, the gameplay HAS to be tight.

[Smallville102001]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay all day ever day. I do like story but I would much rather play a game with good/great gameplay with like no story/bad story then the other way around.

[NoleFan]

Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Like DJ, being a single player guy, I think I’m about story. With less time to game, I like to get through a story and not have grinding etc to be concerned with. That’s why I was so excited to be introduced to games from Quantic Dreams’ lineup.


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[Armor and Sword]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

Gameplay first and foremost.....but when you can get both? You have a great game.


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[canes21]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

I keep thinking about this thread because stories are HUGE to me. But if you put a gun to my head I have to pick gmaeplay every time because bad gameplay isn't fun no matter the story. For the sake of the thread I looked at it like Bad Gameplay with Good Story or vice versa and no in between. In that situation I pick gameplay, but really I generally prefer good story with average gameplay, but I cannot do bad gameplay with any good story, if that makes sense.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Gameplay vs. Story: Which Matters More?

I keep thinking about this thread because stories are HUGE to me. But if you put a gun to my head I have to pick gmaeplay every time because bad gameplay isn't fun no matter the story. For the sake of the thread I looked at it like Bad Gameplay with Good Story or vice versa and no in between. In that situation I pick gameplay, but really I generally prefer good story with average gameplay, but I cannot do bad gameplay with any good story, if that makes sense.

I don't think I could ever play a bad gameplay game.....simply not worth my time.

I can easily play an average gameplay game with a great story and have done that many many times.

Mass Effect (The original) was an amazing story with average gameplay. Mass Effect 2 cleaned up the gameplay big time and made it a perfect blend of great story telling and really good gameplay.

But great gameplay.....I can play that always. The Far Cry series is a perfect example of excellent gameplay but average to below average story telling.