What do you look for in a Video Game?

Most of the time, when I want to play a game, I just want to have fun and enjoy myself, so gameplay is the most important thing. If a game is fun to play, then the story doesn't matter.

Perfect example - Ratchet & Clank. Yeah, the stories of the games aren't the worst things ever, and the humor is pretty good, but the story of the first few games are almost nonexistent, and that's fine. You don't need a big story to tell you to blow shit up.

Of course, if I'm playing an RPG, then story needs to be important, but at the same time, the gameplay is just as important. There's nothing worse than a game with a great story but shitty gameplay. You don't know what to do. You want to know the story, but playing the game sucks. Thankfully, that doesn't happen too often (great plot + bad gameplay), but there are a lot of games with subpar stories and subpar gameplay. That's why I don't play a lot of RPGs anymore.

Sound and graphics and everything else are important, too (some more important than others), but overall, if the game is fun to play, then that's all that matters. If the sound sucks, then you can mute it. If the graphics are bad, then you haven't played enough classics.

Also, it's kind of common sense, but controls are important, too. On the same level as gameplay, actually, because the game isn't fun if you can't adequately do anything. In that sense, camera control and position is important as well.

To add something, I like games that I can replay without getting bored, or that have secrets that allow me to play the game even after beating it. To bring up Ratchet & Clank again, one of the reasons I love the games is all the stuff you can do besides getting to the final boss and kicking his ass. You can upgrades weapons, find secret items, and do special tricks. That means a lot to me, because it makes the game a lot less linear. If the only goal is to fight the final boss, then the game simply isn't as fun. Or even if the game is still fun, it isn't as enjoyable afterward.

It's pretty much been said here, but I'll throw in my word as well.

Music - I could just say audio and bundle in sound effects, voice acting, etc., but if a game has good music I'll like it much more. If a game has a good enough sound track that it makes me want to just listen to the music, I'll usually play it no matter what it is.

Story - This is a popular choice, and I agree. A good story can bring me into a game and make me play it through just to find out what happens. Even when I grow bored of the gameplay, I just want to see how everything turns out.

Style - This isn't a necessity for me, but I love games that have a unique and artistic look to them. Games that jump to mind are Okami, Braid, and Eternal Sonata, but there are many more.


Just a side note, when Halo haters ask me why I like Halo, it's because it hits the nail on the head with my first two preferences. It's the first game I actually bought the soundtrack to, and I loved the story so much I read the books. It's a shame that some people who hate Halo just because it got popular are going to miss out on such a beautiful soundtrack. That's just my opinion, of course.

I like halo because of its epic soundtracks, and the reason i hate halo is because of the annoying whining players, who never stop whining/crying just because you kill them in epic ways.