5 Things I Look for in a Game

The thing about the video game industry is that, like movies, there are many different types to choose from. With the industry being close to the $11 billion range*, many different companies have found their niche in in creating games of certain genres for players. Take EA Sports, the athletic division of EA Games. They have released a new sports game for football, soccer, basketball and other sports almost every year like clockwork. They have to; their consumer demands it. Another company, Ubisoft, has pooled many offices together to be able to release a new Assassin's Creed game every year. These companies know what their customer wants and continue to provide.

However, every gamer is different, and I think that that makes for an interesting introspective into what exactly you like in a game. In movies, the director only has a couple of hours to fully tell a story with all of the details he or she wants to include in it. Books can offer a lot more time and space to tell it, but they require much more patience from the reader in order to experience it. (Which, in my personal opinion, is why many people hate reading these days.) Games give so many different things in a much broader sense of time and effort, and they allow for mistakes to be made. So, when I think of a good game, I try to list what elements create a sort of template that those good games fall into. I came up with five different qualities that I find make a game worth purchasing.

1. Story
2. Gameplay
3. Replayability
4. Production Quality
5. Multiplayer/Co-Op

Story:

In a game, I have to be able to know what's going on. I admit that some games are about the gameplay, and the story sometimes suffers for it. I'll get into those in a bit. However, the games that stand out to me are the ones that get the player emotionally invested in the characters. RPGs, especially Japanese ones, are notorious for getting their stories on point and making the player become part of that world. Though the Final Fantasy series is an obvious example for me concerning this one, the most recent JRPG I played was Ni no Kuni. I was skeptical when I borrowed it from a friend, but he told me how amazing the whole game was. So I tried it and loved it. The characters were rich and original, and the plot was light-hearted and dynamic at the same time. Though I won't go into it more, since I already covered it in a previous post, The Last of Us is another prime pick in the story department for me. I can't even describe completely how this is so, because if you haven't played it yet, you certainly need to.

Gameplay: As I said, sometimes a game is allowed to suffer a bit in the story if the gameplay is an incredible experience. In fact, I think that the gameplay can sometimes be a story of its own; a way of guiding the player through experience rather than dialogue or plot. I think back a little to my PS2 days and remember playing the first Zone of the Enders. I barely remember the story part of it, though I don't think that it was that impactful. However, what I do remember is the powerful feeling of being in complete control of a mobile suit that moves very fast and attacks swiftly. The gameplay sent me further back to my elementary school years when I used to watch Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network. (Did anyone else watch Toonami in the afternoons after school?) That show was the epitome of mobile suit animation, and Zone of the Enders made me feel like I was a part of that genre. Other examples I can think of with strong gameplay are Vanquish, Devil May Cry (the original one) and One (this title is PS one title, in case you haven't heard of it.)

Replayability: Usually, one of the first questions that pop in my head has to do with the length and content of the game. If I think I can beat the game in five hours, I rarely buy it. That's what redbox is good for. If a game has enough content to last it a long time, I usually think about owning it. I mean, who wants to rent Grand Theft Auto V? If this same game gives me reasons to keep playing after I see the credits roll, then it gets a high mark in my mind. Games with replay value have a sort of Matrix trilogy level in my mind: every time I watch those movies I get something new out of it. I want my games to do that too. Going back to when I owned a PS One, I remember the concept Capcom used for Resident Evil 2. The idea, if you are unfamiliar with the original version of the game, was that you had to play it twice to see the real ending. The game was on two discs: one disc with the male lead, Leon, and the other with the female lead, Claire. You decide who you want to play as first and pop that disc in. Beat the game, and you get an ending. However, load your finished game on the other disc, and you play as the other person and experience what they went through while you played your first game, as opposed to the tactic back then of just selecting different characters that walked the same path. It was only by doing this that you got the true ending. That was really cool to me, and I'll never forget how that worked. Mass Effect is another solid replay choice due to its enormous choice system and how that relates to the story. I get lots of fun out of asking other players what choices they made and how it turned out for them.

Production Quality: I put this lower on the list because I think that the above-mentioned elements can make a game shine even if it doesn't quite look amazingly realistic. Granted, if a game is next-generation, it needs to look and feel that way. One thing that really bothers me is forced voice acting, or just terrible acting in general. If you're trying to create a compelling story, having the characters sound like they're working for $2 a day doesn't really help. I got that feeling when I recently replayed Rainbow Six: Vegas via the free Games with Gold promotion. I remember liking the game when I was younger, but playing through it now didn't go so well. The actors sounded terrible, and the graphics were glitchy.

In finding games with high quality production, I look for what the game is doing and how it does in comparison to other titles in its released year. I think that's one reason why I loved Final Fantasy VIII so much, even though it took my RPG V-card all the way back in the 4th grade. Yes, VII was amazing for its time, being the first CD-based FF title. However, with VIII I saw what amounted to real people in that game. They stood tall, were able to look right at the player and even had certain gestures that looked human. No voices, of course, but that was the standard for the day. Fast forwarding to today, you need a lot more in your production quality. I admire and respect Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series, for how much time and effort he puts into story, visuals, music and voice acting. His newest title, Metal Gear Solid V, is created using its own graphics engine. He's also bringing in Hollywood talent to voice his characters, such as Kiefer Sutherland. Finally, he is continuing to work with composer Harry Gregson-Williams to score the game. These things are those little details that put a game over the top in my mind.

Multiplayer/Co-Op: Now, I'll admit that I am not the most competitive in video games. I enjoy playing the single player immensely. The MP is just an added bonus that I try out to see how it works. If a game ties in the MP experience with single player, I become intrigued. I applaud the efforts of the team at BioWare for using Mass Effect 3's MP to help aid your single player war efforts. Also, The Last of Us uses a sort of meta-game objective of collecting and maintaining a surviving camp as the driving reason for playing the MP. And, I think I'll skip past the painfully-obvious example of Call of Duty. That's a dead horse right there.

I think another good example would be anything that Rockstar does. Their Social Club experience brings players together over multiple titles, a sort of meeting place you find friends with in each of the Rockstar titles you play. Though I haven't attempted the GTA Online fun yet, I spent a lot of time doing multiplayer in Max Payne 3. Abilities to create clans or groups that stay with you from one title to another is an alluring and smart move on Rockstar's part. It also helps create friends to play and connect with, and I need friends. (That sounds kinda depressing, but I wouldn't mind having more PSN friends. Look me up: MogwaiOfOwnage.) Anyways, I'm always interested in a new kind of multiplayer experience.

Also, co-op is huge with me. My friend and I bought Dead Space 3 within the first week of its release for the soul purpose of playing it together. The story was created with two players in mind, and that's how it should be experienced. Getting more content and gameplay through co-op is what partly drives that whole experience, I think. Another example is any of the Army of Two games. The only thing that suffers about those is that you kinda lose a little bit of the fun by playing them alone; you really have to play those games with two people. You just feel cooler that way. Splinter Cell: Blacklist has a great new co-op feature that helps everyone in their single player campaign.

So, that's my criteria for a good game. I'm sure that I skipped over some genres, including sports. (I enjoy a few sports games, but they're really not my thing.) However, these are just my opinions. Many gamers probably have different standards for what they consider a good game. That's the great thing about the video game industry: in the community of all things games, there are so many different reasons to play.

*Info taken from http://www.esrb.org/about/video-game-industry-statistics.jsp

I use a different set of metrics to gauge games.

• Aesthetics- Meaning the look, the art style, the world and how it helps (or detracts) from the game. Everything from costume design to the layout of the world. Games like Red Dead Redemption and Fallout excel here. Every place has a feel for not only what is happening, but the history of the world. It's setting being woven into the very fabric of the game.
• Mechanics-Being an interactive medium, this would be how we achieve that interaction. And how well the controls are integrated to the game. Batman: Arkham Asylum would be a good example of this done right.
• Narrative- The story, the plot, atmosphere. Not only was the story good, but was it told well? Did the world fit the theme of the piece? The aesthetic and the narrative working in concert is the mark of not only a good game, but a great one. The best example I like to use for this one is The Saboteur. While it's far from a perfect game, the way they tell the story with not only words but visually through the world was striking. And very rewarding.
• Execution- The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Meaning a great idea is the starting point, but how well was it delivered to the player? Was it easy to lose yourself in this world or did niggling bugs keep casting you out of the immersion?

Good blog post. It was an entertaining read. :)

I look for gameplay, story, replayability and how long the actual game is. Sure production value is great to have, but it's not necessary for me to enjoy a game. Multiplayer or co op is not a must have for me. I really like playing alone

Great post! I love FFVIII, its always great to hear others feel the same. sent a friend request also. I don't have many friends either. The ones I do pretty much only play COD.. and I don't play that.

I used to say gameplay matters above all else, but after enjoying games like Journey, Asura's Wrath, and The Walking Dead, I've had to change my perspective a bit. Nowadays, I primarily look to answer two questions when I look at a game:

1.) What is the game trying to accomplish?

2.) How successful is it?

All other criteria such as graphics, music, replayability, and others have their importance, but these questions take precedent.

Hmm,

I don't really look for anything specific, i can play all genres from Braid to Dark Souls and from Beyond two souls to The Sims and all that matters is that i enjoy myself.

so i guess thats the only thing i look for enjoyment.

Well thats easy for me.

Auttonomy

Complexity

Clear Balance between effort and reward.

And Local Multiple multiplayer

Quality writing and storytelling: if a game's story is front and center, I'd rather have Grand Theft Auto V quality writing opposed to Assassin's Creed qualtiy writing. I want to be immersed in this awe-inspiring story, with excellent characters and chilling writing that makes you laugh or gives you goosebumps, whichever the situation calls for; whether it be told through numerous cutscenes (Metal Gear Solid series (especially 4), The Walking Dead), its gameplay and/or environment (Portal 2, Bioshock, and Half-Life 2), or a pitch perfect balance between the two extremes (Uncharted 2 and 3, The Last of Us, every Grand Theft Auto after 2). If you're gonna tell a story, make damn sure I don't force myself to sit through it.

Extraordinary gameplay: gameplay, with mechanics and controls that are fun to play with. Now, that is not too much to ask, but you'd be surprised by just how many games fail at what is essentially their only task. Doesn't matter what genre it is, or whether it's linear or open, just as long as it is better than "it's not broken".

Polished presentation: doesn't need to be realistic, but it should be a pristine audiovisual experience, that sets out to and tackles whatever audio or art-style it represents with the utmost gungho. Tip to developers: you don't need millions of dollars to make an immersive, outstanding experience.

Length does not matter to me, because if the game is so good, I'll probably play it more than a few times (I replay Journey damn near every month; best $15 I've ever spent). I'd much rather have an incredible 15-hour experience (Uncharted 2) than a lethargic, repetitive 300-hour one (Skyrim).

1. Gameplay - Everything stems from this. If I don't like it, I'm gone.

2. Level Design - Stages don't need to be crazy interesting, but I don't want time wasting gimmicks either.

3. Music - Having enjoyable music can raise a game from just being merely great to memorable status for me.

4. Art style - I don't care about graphics, but art style is always important to me. Even if the game is chunky and ugly like a lot of gen 5 games, I can still appreciate it if I like the art style.

5. Lasting Appeal - Will I play this game more than once? Will I still like it 10 years from now? How much I'll play it, and whether I think it's timeless or not, pretty much is the determining factor on how much I value a game.

Things like story and narrative I consider to be just fluff, so whether they're there or not doesn't make much of a difference to me.

Quick save. No silly "checkpoints" or "level saves".