What is the most important aspect of a good video game?

Gameplay easily I can over look the story and the graphics as long as the gameplay is satisfying.

None of the above.

"Is this fun"

Its not just one thing, unless "gameplay" is a bunch of different things all together. A combat system for me is one of the most important things. A shit combat system (TW3 as a perfect example) ruins quality titles. I also like a great sense of exploration that doesn't guide your ass with a bigass green arrow in the top center of the screen telling you where to go and what to do. That shit blows. I want a game with no map nor fast travel. A game you just play and remember parts of the map because of a unique encounter, awesomely designed enviroment/level, etc. When can i play a game like that?

Gameplay.

Haha ya, mostly this, actually.

Blunt. I like it.

Yessir.

The combat in TW3 basically ruins the game. This doesn't always happen for me, but it did with that game. Just so monotonous.

Really? Then what is your favorite aspect of a game?

I voted "fun factor" because I don't believe that "good gameplay" in the strictest academic sense is inherently worthwhile. I've played lots of platformers with similar mechanics and some addicted me while others just didn't move me at all. Ditto FPS, racers, etc. The game has to present that gameplay in some way that is rewarding, motivated, motivating, whatever. Likewise, there are plenty of games where the gameplay barely exists in the traditional sense but the game is a great experience anyway - e.g., puzzle games (Riven), adventure games (Grim Fandango or Day of the Tentacle).

Fun. A game has to be fun in some way for me to consider it great. Don't care too much how it gets there... my enjoyment of the complete package will be subjective at the end of the day

I would say fun gameplay, combined with good level design. Something developers of the past understood, as well as some developers that still understand today.

Gotta go with fun factor myself. The whole reason I play games after all is to have fun.

Overall fun factor seems kinda vague because that's composed with a multitude of things. So I picked gameplay because that's the baseline for the fun I get from a game.

I picked fun factor even though I feel that is pretty subjective.

I mean, of course it'd be fun factor from that list lol. If you're not enjoying yourself, what's the point? Though said enjoyment would be derived from those other elements.

For me it's like this.

- Gameplay (this includes mechanics, systems, and level design, applicable to different degrees depending on the genre/game)

- Performance. Pretty important, games both play and look better when they perform well.

- Music/sound design, roughly equal for me.

- Graphics, emphasis on art style, give less of a shit about technical showcase as time goes on.

- Story. Usually in the way, poorly told, and would rather just get that fix from a medium more suited for it.

Gameplay and fun-factor

Story, cutscenes, graphics then gameplay. That is what the real world care about. If they didn't then I would not be spending most of my time in watching cutscenes with heavy handed exhibition in the majority of triple A games. Gameplay is an inconvenience to these developers. We should start having metrics for how long it takes for the player to actually play the game after it has been booted up.

Gameplay trumps all and encompasses a lot of the things you listed, tight controls and engaging content is what it's all about. Without decent gameplay most games don't really have much of a fun factor, so they are pretty much one in the same in the majority of cases.

Combination of all, I want my gameplay, fun, audio, level design, and graphics all be at least satisfying.

Death Stranding is, I think, a good example of a game not putting fun up front, at least not in the traditional sense, and yet still managing to be a good game. Personally I would not describe it as "fun", really, yet at the same time I can't deny that there is just something so captivating about the game, and it largely comes down to gameplay. The gameplay arguably outweighs the fun factor in this case, I think.

Hmm. As a multi-discipline art form, I kind of think a video game should nail at least two different aspects at once to be worthy of my time. Going by examples of games I really enjoyed in the last few years; I thought Jedi Fallen Order nailed the combat, exploration and fun factor of playing a space wizard with a laser sword. Horizon Zero Dawn nailed the story, soundtrack, graphics and the sense of danger in hunting angry robot dinosaurs with bows and arrows. XCOM 2 nailed the gameplay, the atmosphere and the satisfying moments of seeing things come together. So on and so forth.

Conversely, games that nail only one aspect tend to lose my interest quickly. Remnant: From the Ashes, for example, is a game that I at first enjoyed but kind of left hanging, because shooting stuff was all it had.

If you say so.

Gameplay is the only right answer.

But more specifically, controls/movement. That's why I hate Rockstar games. I could tolerate it when I played Grand Theft Auto 3, but no more. The characters still move in this weird overly heavy sluggish way. Tried RDR2, I was like nope. I can't.

I know what you mean. I honestly can't stand the way characters move in Rockstar games. It's like they have 1000 fish weights attached to their limbs or something.

Without gameplay you don’t really have a game

Gameplay, if I like it, I usually keep playing. There are exceptions of course, like MGS5.

Story.

LOL, kidding.

Anyway, including "fun" in the poll made this thread pretty dumb. Videogames are for entertainment. You get your fun out of games in different ways, but getting fun out of games is still the ultimate goal for everyone.

i'm hoping it's some sore of adolescent phase for gaming. like when girls reach that stage where they start wearing makeup and they plaster themselves in it. as they get through that phase they learn to be more subtle with it. aaa gaming's going through a similar thing with story telling

storyline.

Story

Gameplay and that's always going to be very important. Any gamer should know what makes a good game is its gameplay. Raw graphics are just icing on the cake. As for "fun factor" gameplay really adds fun factor to it so yeah.

Gameplay most of the time. Story a few times. Atmosphere a few times.

Multiplayer for me, really co-op to be honest. I'll play anything if it has co-op... Don't care how bad it is, playing with a good friend is always fun.

I think some of you guys are missing the "fun" factor point lol. Little tongue in cheek there.. But it's all good. Great responses all around.

Gameplay then Level design then Graphics.

1. The game play loop needs to be fun and rewarding.
2. The performance should be acceptable - the game needs to run well or it can negatively affect number 1
3. Atmosphere and aesthetic should be appealing in some way
4. Story needs to not suck if there is one and characters should have depth (if narrative is important to the game)

Gameplay mixed with level design for sure.

This one is hard for me. "Fun Factor" does not always work for me as some games like building games I like to plan out for a very long time and chill with it. It feels almost like a job so I cannot say that it is just fun, it is more of a brain puzzle to see what I can come up with. Gameplay is most likely the answer for me, but once again since building games are my favorite genre, the moment for moment gameplay is not exciting but just very satisfying when you make something great.

I think this nails it for the most part, though I'd say more along the lines of 'captivating' would be a better word.

A signifier of a well-made game (and every medium actually) is one where no one element stands out above the others, but coheres to give an overall engrossing experience. When a game is so well crafted it feels to transcend its individual components to grant something bigger than the sum of its parts, that's when I know I'm playing something special.

Someone gets it.

Fun. Even an objectively good game with good gameplay can be boring to play. If I'm playing a game and not having fun I'm just wasting time.

1. Fun factor

2. Gameplay

3. Level design

4. Multiplayer integration

5. Story

6. Soundtrack

7. Graphics

8. Sound design

...I accidentally voted gameplay though, as I didn't realize fun factor was an option initially.

^This one. I have no fun during Civ, but it's compelling as. Same goes for Tetris. Mario I play precisely because it pisses me off.

Gameplay.

Story, gameplay, level design pretty much everything we don’t live in a time where moving blocks left to right is fun anymore.

BS, you always talk about stories, remember how many times you tried to beat us over the head about Mafia having the best story in video games, well we do.

You should stop pretending, we know you love stories thus movie games.

Well first the game must have ducts, and when i destroy them, i want the game to reduct them, if you know what i mean.

The enemies must be some sort of subspecies.

As for the main character, well they can be a man pretending to be a woman, or a woman pretending to be a man, it doesn't matter.

You know what i mean???

@i_p_daily: Davy!!

They can call the main character Davy, Davina and the like, the game just need reducts and subspecies, you know what i mean???

Story does matter in video games. get over it.

They matter to casuals such as yourself. You talk gameplay, but i know you're a movie game guy.