Features that make you love a game.

[Quindiana Jones]

I also enjoy ruthless games that force to you accept the consequences of your mistakes, recklessness, foolishness and just plain bad luck. It just makes every single action have such greater value.

[escobert]

Exactly, and then add in the human element. People will literally kill you over a can of beans. Or because a lot of people play with the "If I don't kill you, you will kill me" mentality.

[Skyblade]

Ok, I know I mentioned it earlier, but I have to bring up New Game+ again. Mostly because I just beat Dishonored, and if there was ever clearer evidence of how much a game's replayability can be ruined by lack of New Game+, I don't think I've seen it (outside of Pokémon, anyway). This game doesn't even give you enough Runes and Bone Charms to unlock everything by the end of the game, it rewards you for not using any of the runes, and then it gives you no way to go back and mess around with all the powers once you beat it. Heck, since Bone Charms are random, you can miss getting some of the really cool ones just because the game doesn't give them to you. Dishonored was fun, but I would enjoy it so much more if it let me go back and start over with everything I had already gathered.

[Ayen]

Being able to change the window bg color. I love that about the older Final Fantasy games.

[Masamunemaster]

I also enjoy ruthless games that force to you accept the consequences of your mistakes, recklessness, foolishness and just plain bad luck. It just makes every single action have such greater value.

Like dragons dogma, with who shows up at the final fight:/

[Quindiana Jones]

God damn, I love DD. Have you played Dark Arisen?

[Mirage]

New Game Plus.
Multiple main scenarios, with a choice of main playable character.
Character creation/customisation.

[Ayen]

I also like the armor customization in Mass Effect 2 and 3 as well as being able to change outfirs while in the Normandy.

[Mercen-X]

This is fairly off-topic, but I had this idea once. By now, it's been done somewhere most probably but by whom I know not. Anyway, it's something between a Generational game (like Agarest) and a Tactics game, I suppose. You start off as a "custom" character, that being you choose your gender, "ethnicity", and base stats (choosing from a selection of pre-established stats created by beta testers) and you go through a training regimen to get used to the controls and further personalize your statistics. Then you'll be thrown head-first into the game. Each time you die, your final stats will be "merged" with another set of base stats of your choosing. Dying a second time, you can choose to merge the stats of your first two play-throughs. Because this is akin to birthing a new character, you aren't able to choose ethnicity or gender. You'll then pick up where you left off prior to dying.

Also, post-credits gameplay. Not quite New Game+ which let's you start over with everything you had the end, but just let me back in to explore the world for anything I may have missed (for people who didn't have access to a game guide). Also, it's great when at least a couple of extras are tossed in. Extra bosses, extra dungeons, preferably with their own narratives. Seriously though, POST-credits. What's the point an optional boss before you beat the game. If you beat him, you already know you'll own the final boss.

Just occurring to me: a fighting game where after using a character to play through the tournament, that character gets New Game+ options like not having to beat the final boss and unlocking branching battles.

[Mirage]

So these are things that make you love a game?

[Mercen-X]

The latter, yes. I'm sure there was a game that has done that... except for fighting games, probably not-so-much.

[Vermachtnis]

Just remembered something I loved about Bravely Default that I think should be the norm for navigating menues in all games. Right to accept and left to cancel. I love that, especially in battle.

[Tigmafuzz]

Echoing customization, of course. And when games are focused on humor or just being fun for the player, rather than being wrapped in its own storyline or otherwise just feeling too serious about being a game. I like humor in games. Especially fourth wall humor.

Oh, wearing clothes and armour, a la Morrowind and Dragon's Dogma.

Also seconding this, and complaining that the Set of Queen's Garb counts as both for some reason and won't let you equip any other accessories or clothing/armor while you have it on because it's a "full outfit." Not that it matters since it's the most useful armor for female characters for at least half the game anyway even without being dragonforged or upgraded BUT STILL

Being able to change the window bg color. I love that about the older Final Fantasy games.

Aww yeah. Wild Arms, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, even Pokemon. I love being able to customize little things like that, or even just have a choice.

God damn, I love DD.

We all love Jake.

Have you played Dark Arisen?

Anyone who hasn't moved on to Dark Arisen by now is the epitome of a filthy casual.

[Quindiana Jones]

I want to use your Pawn. What system you on?

[Mercen-X]

Games in which "no" means "no." Like in Suikoden. Specifically Suikoden IV where you can choose not to leave the island you're stranded on and you get stuck in an infinite loop of doing absolutely nothing until you load your last save. Though I would have preferred a bit more of something to happen on that island. I also loved that when you chose to execute someone, it wasn't just a test of character but actually happened.