What's the most important aspect of gaming?

Ok...so I've been wondering this for quite some time. What is the most important aspect of gaming? I know what I think the most important aspect is, gameplay. A lot of other gamers that I've talked to say "graphics" or "story" or some other ridiculous answer that just gets better with time and technology. The gameplay aspect is the same since the Atari and NES, sure there's more buttons and such now which add more actions, but does that honestly make the game better? Characters don't look like squares anymore, but does that make the game better? I'm not saying that graphics are totally pointless, I'm a fan of graphics myself, but I'd much rather fancy graphics and cutting edge video cut scenes for a decent style of gameplay. For example the PS2 game Xeno Saga (spelling?) was praised over and over again about how "cutting edge" it was. But how "cutting edge" is a game where you watch more than play? Doesn't that classify it as an interactive DVD instead of a video game? I sat with a friend of mine and watched him beat the game, and it was a good movie, but a horrible game. He loved every second of it, but I despised it as an avid RPG fan. It seems like they don't make any decent games anymore. They're all WAY too short just so they can showcase the spectacular full motion video. Another thing that irritates me about the "next gen" games, is whatever happened to the High Score?? That's all some people ever had, was the high score. Now most games don't even keep a score, unless it's Madden, but that's a completely different type of score. I'm talking about Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Centipede style high score. Where the game gets progressively harder, to test the legit skill of the gamer. I'm all about the high score in any game that uses the scoring system. Whatever happened to the strawberry being worth bonus points?????? I might be alone on this, but that's just how I feel! I'd love to hear some other opinions.

 

Since I love RPGs most, I go with story, a good game has to have a good story, so it can suck me in. But aside from that, I also go for gameplay but I don't go for "new" styles that is, say an RPG that uses new battle systems, or an RPG with platforming elements. I like the way things were, like when the Final Fantasy games first came out, that turn based stratgy battle system was fine as is, but somewhere down the line, programmers thought of playing around & adding stuff like a unique battle system, ergo Legend of Dragoon's addition system, it wasn't a bad idea though, but I wasn't to crazy for it.

And as you said, it really was a fun experience back in the day when you just had one hit lives & just play to score high, I miss those days too, but kids these days, just because X game has cruddy graphics they'd easily turn down a game tsk tsk

 

As long as the game keeps me entertained, thats all I could ask for from it, seeing as that's what its supposed to do in the first place.

I am somewhat of a whore for RPGs though.

 

Hmm yeah I dont really have anything specific. Like Reider say if it keeps me entertain because at times games with good graphics fail to impress me and sometimes it does. I guess it all comes down to how the game designers use these aspects in the right way and utilise it to full potential.

 

it has to be simple. super mario brothers is simple.

it needs to have a gradual difficulty level. super mario brothers started simple but as you progress it gets harder.

it needs to have great music. mario again has music that is recognizable to most people.

it needs to have new upgrades that has use for them. in zelda when you get a new item, you use them for the dungeon and outside the dungeon.

storyline is okay but the emphasis should be on the action. zelda and mario is similar, damsel in distress and must rescue to restore peace and harmony but there are plenty of action. megaman is also similar, robots make problems and you destroy them to restore peace and viewtiful joe is similar to mario [save girlfriend and restore peace], which both also provide plenty of action.

btw, graphics does have it's disadvantage. banjo nuts and bolts for instance doesn't look appealing in it's graphic state. also, beyond good and evil doesn't look appealing at all. this is all in my pov and i can't explain my reasons as i can't put it into context. imagine a gumbi game, why would you want gumbie to look "real".

 

whether you choose cartoony graphics or real-life style graphics, it still needs to be done with perfection.

I did manage to squeeze Link through a small polygonal glitch in Ocarina of Time, where you have that big pillar thing and you need the golden gauntlets to throw it. I managed to squeeze him through there, he falls through the blackness, and then the screen goes inside of the cave where you meet the fairy that gives you '1/2 damage received'.

 

depends, some people think graphic is number one, and it is getting better with new graphic cards coming and whatnot

although, for me, a good theme music is a must. somehow i enjoy listening to theme music than watching someone play the actual game

 

I really dont care, as long as there is good enough graphics and and okay storyline, plus entertainment, then you got me hooked to playing a game.

 

Gameplay, storyline is a bonus, good graphics help a lot too. Most people judge games on all points from their graphics.

 

Gaming is an avid type of having fun for all people. RPGs were one of the first genre introduced to me the first time I played a game, RPGs occasionally run like scenes of movies and with dialogues in it. RPGs are only the genre that can merge any type with them. Graphics, Gameplay, and Story is not all that matters its the fun and entertainment that it gives you matters. Other than RPGs I haven't loved much of anything else. RPGs games that are released now are not that much fun of that on the older consoles like SNES etc.

 

Storyline and gameplay, without a good story I wont continue to play, and without good gameplay im likely to get bored. Graphics are just a bonus, and despite what many of you think, can make a game that much better. Refinement is the real key. Games that add that little extra touch that every other game of its kind is missing.

 

You know the OP should have started a poll for this, so far a lot of us said gameplay, followed by story line, then graphics, then music & Almo said refinement as well

 

Storyline, closely followed by gameplay. Graphics/Music are also in consideration. I'm an avid reader and I don't care if a game lacks any of the other categories as long as the story can keep me captivated (i.e. Final Fantasy Tactics). But, like I said, for the story to be unraveled you need to actually play the game and therefore the gameplay needs to be good as well .

 

Having a great story is a must like others have said, also i think music can be very powerful in games, having a fantastic Soundtrack can really help you to get into the right frame of mind and can in certain cases tap into your emotions such as the epic moments in MGS4 and of course in games like Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy but i love Nobuo Uematsu's work so that could be just me. I also think that while not a must have, great voice acting can really bring a game to life and make you understand characters on another level however some games just have tedious or crap VA's and thats just annoying for everyone heh But if done right can make the game a whole lot better.

 

Speaking of horrid voice acting, I really hated Tidus's prissy voice, add to it his strange outfit & in my head Tidus became a fashionist which I don't like at all

Though very short for me the best voice acting was done by the guys who did the Lunar remakes for the PSOne. I also loved the voice acting in Valkyrie Profile because "familiar" voice actors did the characters' voices, like the guy who does Ash's voice in Pokemon as well as Brock's, Jessie's & James', Grey the heavy knight guy's voice sounded like the guy who did the original 80's voice for shredder in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, that's why he was my favorite, "ICICLE DISASTER!"

 

Another thing with voice acting is if your character hasn't got a set name so you play through the whole game with absolutely noone referring to you by name but rather "he", "you" etc it's only a minor thing but if voice acting is there your character needs a set name really Although with that being said i do like to name my characters in certain games like Persona 3 etc heh, and i loved the original TMNT Cahos and your right it did indeed sound like Shredder

 

Ugh! Here I go again complimenting people's posts, sorry for doing it.

I also like renaming Characters in RPGs to names of people I do know, like when I played FF6, everyone was named with my friends names. I never rename the main hero as myself though, unless it's the only one you can rename, I rather rename bad ass characters with my name, like Gogo from FF6 or Magus from Chrono Trigger & in Pokemon I'm Mewtwo as it's supposed to be evil

 

how many here have played grandia 2 [dreamcast, ps2 or pc version] and liked it?!

i'll say gameplay before storyline. if the storyline is great but the gameplay sucks, then progress would be hampered. in order to further develop and unravel the story, you have to play the game. since the gameplay sucks so bad that you hate it or whatever reason it is, then the story would never finish.

also, if the story is too complex, then you'll never enjoy it.

 

it's funny you mention Grandia 2, Ultra! The Shredder comment about the voice actor, made me instantly think of Grandia 2...seeing as how your main character's voice actor was Leonardo in the original TMNT cartoon! and Grandia is also a REALLY good series!

 

which ash are you talking about?
the ash before puberty or after?
before puberty ash was voiced by a girl.