What do you look for in a game?

[bob]

I was having a discussion with a couple of mates, about the type of games we enjoyed, and it became clear that one of them really only played games with engrossing stories - stuff like The Last of Us, Heavy Rain, Telltale games etc. He didn't really ever play anything else - and was a bit snobbish about games that didn't have a story.

 

The other guy mainly likes RPG's - stuff like Fallout, Skyrim, stuff where you level up and spend hours questing - and anything shooty, although he doesn't play online shooters at all.

 

Myself, i haven't really identified what kind of game i like. I don't think story-lines interest me much - i tend to gloss over cutscenes, and forget all the names and things, but i like games that you can pick up and play, as i don't get lots of time to play.

 

Generally i think i like games with interesting mechanics, or games where you have loads of choice to play in whatever way you like - mostly open world games. I like exploring interesting environments and generally mucking about.

 

It's weird that for three people who are really into games, we don't have that much overlap at all.

 

So what do people here generally look for in a game, first and foremost? Gameplay, graphics, competition, replayability, voice-chat?

Edited May 23, 2016 by 130131301364

[Aneres11]

For me, my set 'type' of game that I love is the colourful, platforming adventure game.

Think Banjo Kazooie, Mario's 3d games, Ratchet and Clank, all that.

Even 2d platformers, but they've worn thin the past couple of years.

 

I think it's because they were the games I grew up with before the super realisitc style was possible. Sonic 1 was the first game I played so I grew up on that and then Mario 64 for years!

 

Those type of games are always my favourite. The 'kiddy' style that a lot of people refer to it as!

They're fun experiences for me, and I often want to play games as a way of relaxing and to have fun.

 

Having said that, I do enjoy realistic games too. The Resident Evil games are one of my favourite gaming franchises and I love when a new one comes out and have to play it. I know that the RE games aren't super realisitc, but they try to be in their delivery and I enjoy the game style.

 

I personally don't like open world games. Couldn't really tell you why but games like Oblivion, Monster Hunter, Fable, Fallout, Destiny all those RPG style games do nothing for me what so ever.

I don't deny their greatness, but I would absolutely not want to play them. Which seems ridiculous as I'm sure some would say I'm missing out, and I probably am.

 

The only game that was slightly open world that I loved was L.A Noire. One of the best games I've ever played. But I think it was the way that game was approached with the interview sections and the story that really made that shine for me.

 

I generally prefer a linear game. Where I know where to go next and can't get lost wondering what I have to do. I think that's part of the reason I've never go along with Zelda games. I always always always have to consult a guide with those games, which just winds me up no end. Maybe I'm just a crap gamer.

 

I also like sport games. Tennis games in particular, just because it's a sport I play and love anyway. So I appreciate the likes of Virtua Tennis, Top Spin etc. But they're few and far between.

 

It's great that gaming these days is so diverse that there's something for everyone. I try not to stick to the same thing and change it up a bit, which owning a Nintendo and 'other' console helps, but I still get more excited about a colourful platforming adventure than any other genre out there.

[Happenstance]

For me it usually is story. I love getting engrossed in a games world, lore, characters etc. Its definitely not the only thing I look for and I dont go avoiding games without stories but my favourite thing is definitely a good story.

[Kav]

Multiplayer above all else for me. Can't beat having fun with your mates.

 

Gameplay over story for me but story is still up there... I do wish Nintendo put more effort into the stories in some of their games (Zelda). Although don't put too much focus on it that the gameplay suffers, or at least lacks, I felt that way about The Last of Us... a good story but dull and repetitive gameplay.

[killthenet]

It's a difficult question for me to answer really. I've felt recently that my gaming interests were too narrow - in the past I'd mainly played Nintendo games with the odd Dreamcast or 360 game mixed in. Growing up, I always enjoyed playing competitive games against my friends and my brother, 'Goldeneye', 'Perfect Dark', 'F-Zero X', 'ISS' and 'FIFA' were staples of sleepovers and parties throughout my youth, but I really enjoyed getting engrossed in the story and the action when my brother would play 'Ocarina Of Time'. As I've got older, my enjoyment of story based games has only increased - sparked mostly by my love for the 'Zelda' and 'Shenmue' series. I've always had a competitive edge with my brother, but we've only been on a level playing field since I was 14 or so - we spent the entirety of one holiday bettering each others times on 'Kuru Kuru Kururin' and despite not living together any more we had a pretty intense competition trying to get the fastest time trials on 'Mario Kart 8' thanks to the online functionality.

 

Over the last couple of months I've been broadening my gaming horizons, working my way through games series that I've neglected in the past, and have realised that I enjoy a really challenging game more than I thought. The perfect game for me would probably be one with a reasonably high level of challenge, an engrossing story and competitive multiplayer or leaderboards.

[nekunando]

It's a difficult question for me to answer really. I've felt recently that my gaming interests were too narrow..

 

I actually feel like my interests are becoming more narrow than ever before!

 

As I grow older and have more responsibilities I'm finding myself buying far fewer games and am being increasingly selective about getting the right games for me

 

A recent Nintendo Humble Bundle encouraged me to donate in exchange for a few Wii U and 3DS downloads but having downloaded them, I actually find myself with little to no interest in actually trying the games out.. at least for now

 

I've always been a Nintendo enthusiast at heart and that's generally where my passion remains though I do have a soft spot for the Sega Dreamcast and dip my toe into PS1, PS2 and PS3 occasionally. For me, the Wii U has provided me with most of what I need this generation and still possess little to no desire for XBOX One or PS4.

 

Even on Wii U, though, I'm being extremely selective about what I buy despite a perceived lack of titles. My most recent acquisition was the awesome Starfox Zero but unless there is a surprise or two in the coming months, that could well be my last purchase for the console unless I decide to get the next Zelda on Wii U instead of NX.. and I'm OK with that

 

These days, I seem to enjoy getting more out of the games I have instead of spreading myself across numerous titles and buying lots of new games. As I look through my Wii U collection, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Kirby & The Rainbow Paintbrush, Mario Kart 8, New Super Mario Bros U, Nintendo Land, Splatoon, Starfox Zero, Super Mario 3D World and Yoshi's Woolly World all highlight a quality that I've been thoroughly enjoying with Nintendo games this generation.

 

Each of these games is tremendous fun to play in general from start to finish but my enjoyment goes through the roof when hunting down all the collectables and unlockables, be it striving for 3-Star rankings in Mario Kart 8, finding all of the stars in Super Mario 3D World or challenging myself to collect all of the medals in Starfox Zero.

 

I find many of these games get criticised for a lack of content and being generally seen as short experiences. I can understand that reasoning, in some cases, but I guess it all depends on what you're after. If you're not interested in exploring these games fully, then ultimately they won't last you very long, such as with Pilotwings Resort at the launch of the 3DS. I, however, have found depth to all of these titles that I don't feel like I can really get elsewhere : peace:

[Shorty]

I love games that have an atmosphere, visually, musically, through writing, through acting or general quality of design, that draws you in, that feels like a whole world exists in there. Doesn't matter if it's a platformer, sci-fi RPG, fantasy action, FPS, I'm hooked on really great and in-depth world design. And I don't mean "the world map", I mean the existence of everything in the game, foreground to background, character to lore, items to interactions.

 

On the flipside I love the occasional pick-up-and-play arcade games where high scores and self-improvement are the goal, or multiplayer minigame shinanigans.

 

And I adore a well crafted co-op/teamwork game in almost any suit.

[Dcubed]

Interesting, in-depth and well designed gameplay; with something new or novel about it. Everything else doesn't really matter as long as that's in place.

 

Of course having great music is great, having nice visuals is nice and having a cracking story is... err, well... cracking, but if the gameplay isn't there, I'm not interested.

[Ashley]

Is it too much of a cop out to say 'depends on the game'?

 

For example, I recently purchased Mini Metro because it looked like a game with a good mechanic and beautiful visuals. I got The Swindle for much the same reason. But something like Dear Esther or This War of Mine I'd get for the narrative.

 

I guess there has to be some 'catch' to lure me in, but that can be one of many things and varies between games.

[bob]

Well, I don't expect there to be an clear trend in the sort of games everyone buys, but i just noticed that between the three people i mentioned, there was a definitive line that could be drawn. I just wondered if anyone else could sum up their taste in a similar way.

[dan-likes-trees]

Interesting one to think about. I find that these days, looking back at my recently played catalogue, it's one of a couple of things.

 

- Simple controls, hard to master - Rocket League, N++, Geometry Wars etc. Only a few buttons, simple concepts, excellently executed. I want pure, excellently finessed gameplay that you can dive in and out of. As @Kav says, multiplayer and particularly co-op seal the deal for me.

 

- Excellent story with choices - Telltale games, Firewatch, Witcher 3 - multiple choice choices in a fleshed out world with strong characters. In most cases the gameplay becomes secondary if the story is strong enough to hold up.

 

(I'd also add that graphical stylishness (titan souls, firewatch, hyperlight drifter) and explorability (skyrim, witcher 3, fallout 4) are made up terms that that attract me to buy games but dont neccessarily leave me hooked)

 

Looking back at the games I've played the last 3 years, they pretty much all fall into those two categories!

[Zechs Merquise]

Quality.

 

Quite simple really - I like a good game. I don't really have a preference in terms of genre or graphical style or game play mechanics. I just like what I play to be a good example of that type of game.

 

I love all sorts of games, from COD to Donkey Kong Country, from Silent Hill to Kirby, from Metroid to Mario Kart, from Splatoon to Zelda.

 

If I look back at my favourite games of all time, there's Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Super Mario World, Fallout 3, Command and Conquer, Ocarina of Time, Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime. Such a wide range of titles, but all excellent.

 

I will literally try anything and often enjoy games that the typical gamer ignores or games that try something new. I was really excited by Silent Hill Shattered Memories because it didn't have any combat. I was excited by Kirby Epic Yarn because it approached death and achievement in a platform game in a different way. Yet whilst embracing new ideas, I was excited by COD Black Ops, not because it was different, but because it was an evolution of a nearly perfect formula.

 

As long as a game is a good example of that genre and the gameplay is fun and engaging, I will give it a try.

[drahkon]

Among the usual stuff everbody already mentioned I often look for a real challenge.

 

I love difficult games. Games that push me to become better at their gameplay.

 

The latest has been Nioh. A perfect example of how difficulty can get me hooked. Even though I thought that first boss was too tanky I loved how difficult it was for me in my first few tries.

I needed to adjust my playstyle a lot to beat this son of a bitch But this is what I love, games that make me think about every step I have to take, that make me adapt, make me improve.

 

Only a few buttons, simple concepts, excellently executed. I want pure, excellently finessed gameplay that you can dive in and out of.

 

This, too. Simple concepts that are hard to master.

[darksnowman]

Pretty much any genre will do. It just has to draw you in.

 

Originally Posted by Jeremy Parish

To my mind, the best and most satisfying games tend to be the ones that require the greatest investment from the player. Not necessarily a financial investment, but a commitment of time, attention, effort, and enthusiasm.

 

It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Video games stand apart from other mediums for their interactivity. Games aren't like film or music, where the audience sits passively and lets waves of entertainment wash over them. A player interacts: Guiding the action, learning the rules, deciphering the mechanics. Big budgets and a desperate desire to imitate Hollywood don't make games great; player immersion and the ability to inspire a sense of commitment do.

 

Precisely what constitutes great immersion varies from game to game. In something like Monster Hunter, the deliberately unfriendly interface and need to rely on friends create a high barrier to entry that makes eventual victory deeply satisfying. In World of Warcraft, time and socialization help heighten your sense of commitment to your chosen role. With a MOBA like League of Legends, where you're expected to spend 100 hours or more simply learning the basics, the deep learning curve and intense competition lend a thrill to any victory you manage to eke out.

[Julius]

Pretty much everything I look for in a book or movie (a plot with depth, a 'lived-in' world, memorable characters), but with the twist that I feel as though I am part of the story; yes, not as a previously assigned character with a history (apart from in special cases - see KOTOR).

[Ampix]

Always graph and good story

[bob]

I love good graph. It's practically essential.