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Story only matters when you're playing RPGs, or something else when the story is constantly thrown at you. But I even managed to get through FFX-2, due to it's fast coolio battle system.
Maybe, maybe the gameplay is more important because it takes no effort these days to press a or wait for the animated cutsecene to end, than to navigate through piss-poor gameplay. But there are plenty of games out there that have a good mix of both.
Everything is in how you use it...
It really does depend on the game. I love Killer 7 because of it's atmosphere and underlying themes. I don't really care about the gameplay that much. I play Metal Gear Solid for the story.
I certainly don't play Super Mario Bros. or Viewtiful Joe for their stories. Any plot either of those games have is just there to tie the levels together. Still, those are two amazing games because of their gameplay.
To say a story is the most or least important thing in a game depends entirely upon what game you're talking about.
If stories were universally important, we wouldn't have puzzle games. :P
Well, I'm just going to be neutral on the subject, and just say I like a balance of both. I can't really say that I'd only play a game for gameplay, necessarily, mostly because the plot is something that motivates me to finish a game. However, without good gameplay, a video game is basically just a book/movie put into video game form. So I've got to say that I like both equally as much.
Oh, and to see where a story really makes a game, go play Destroy All Humans!
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Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
Story is icing on the 'gameplay' cake. Now, if the cake if really good by itself, you don't need any icing, or maybe just a glaze (The princess is in another castle!).
Sometimes the cake might not be so hot, but the icing is lovely (Final Fantasy).
And other times... there's just way way waaaaaay too much icing that you forget that there even is cake in there (Xenosaga).
That said, icing can add a lot of value to a cake. But if the cake is good by itself you don't need icing, and if there's too much icing it's unpalatable.
I love a good storyline, but I also enjoy fun gameplay. It depends on what I feel like at the time. ;)
Video games are an Alchlemy. Like soup, some need a kick in the ass to make them decent, others taste find just 'plain jane'.
A plotless Final Fantasy would suck, when Halo's plot gets thickened, people begin to go to far into what was a simple game.
What? Nu-uh. The plot to Halo has always been deep and stuff. There've been novels about it, for heaven's sake! And knowing Bungie, especially after Marathon, they've had the whole thing planned out from the start. Best FPS plot ever IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by bipper
A good story is important for a game to be realy good. It gives you a goal to achieve, and also motivates you to go on. The reason why don't play games like tetris is that there is no reason to do so, the blocks just keep falling.
I agree, but the simplicity of the game is great in its own. When people start complaining about the fact that story was added, I wanted to cry. I know there is a plethora of halo lore, but I was speaking merely in a just game prespective. I don't feel that the story clips were executed in a way to pull me into the game, at all. Look at Advent Rising. Now that is what halo shoulda been.Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF
Bipper
Personally, I'd much prefer a game with exceptional gameplay and a sub-par story to one with an exceptional story and sub-par gameplay. If the story of a game is great, I'd usually rather have it in book form and just be able to read it at my own pace, rather than have to fight through an hour of random battles to find out what's going to happen next. However, a game with excellent gameplay and minimal story will often be much more enjoyable for me, and so I'll play it more (see: Super Smash Bros. Melee).
All the best movies have the best plots, not the best special effects. Same with games, I think.