What Do You Value More – Story or Gameplay?

Jason of Leviathyn surveys two cover based third person shooters – Spec Ops: The Line and Gears of War – to see the power of both story and gameplay.

[doogiebear]

I LOVE a great story, and wish to have both that and great gameplay in a game. But if I had to choose only one, I would rather have great gameplay. A game is meant to be played, not just viewed in idleness. If i'm not gonna enjoy playing it, I may as well just watch a movie (if it's just for the story).

But either way, I wish for both in a game.

[Ezz2013]

yeah i agree
for me it real simple
in that order:
1.gameplay
2.story
3.acting
4.soundtrack
5.gfx

[SandWitch]

Gameplay

[Belking]

Depends on the type of game for me.

[EddieNX]

It does indeed. Do you play Mario , Ninja Gaiden , CoD , etc for the story ? no it's the gameplay. The gameplay carries those games.

However the best games are usualy Games that combine both like Metal Gear or Zelda or Uncharted for example.

We all like both if possible. But some games prioritise one over the other.

[Jakens]

Speaking only for myself, I perfere gameplay.

If you actally liked what Heavy Rain did, then you perfere story.

PGR3 would be an example of no story at all.

[BitbyDeath]

Heavy Rain has awesome gameplay.
Far better than shooter number 99999

[Hydralysk]

Story for me, no question.

Gameplay can carry a game for awhile, and in fact gameplay and story should be intertwined, but I see games as a storytelling medium where you are the driving force behind the protagonist.

Gameplay matters, but it's much harder to keep me interested with great gamplay and crap story, than a great story with crappy gameplay.

For example, FTL had great gameplay and music, but it won't ever be on the same level as TWD for me because months afterwards I can still reflect on, enjoy, and speculate about the story.

Not to say games without stories can't be fun, I love shmups, and the occasional bout of monster hunter or Tribes:Ascend, but they will never be able to hold my interest as well as a story driven experience.

[ginsunuva]

It depends. In MGS, I play more for the story.
In mario, well, I don't think anyone is there for the story, or lack of.

[RuleofOne343]

Both ,sorry just how I feel.

[deafdani]

If for some weird reason I absolutely had to choose one over the other, it would be gameplay. Always gameplay.

However, that's never going to happen, and it's nice when you have a game that incorporates both - good gameplay and a good story.

However, a game with an excellent story but awful gameplay will most likely be a bad game; a game with excellent gameplay but awful story has a better chance. And while there are games that absolutely don't require any story at all (racing games, Mario games, etc), you can't have a game that's all story and no gameplay... that's called a movie.

[Kingthrash360]

Both are equally important. But good games have been done without one of them. Mario no story fill joy there but gameplay heaven, almost all jrpg's aren't a gameplay power house..( click attack or manic or item and you see an effect ) but a good story will make it great. But to have both makes it even greater check last 5 goty's all had both. IMO both is my preference but if I had to choose one then gameplay it is.

[porkChop]

It depends on the genre really. For FPS/TPS I prefer a good balance between the quality of the story and the quality of the gameplay. When it comes to RPG I put story over gameplay. If it's an Action-Adventure I value the gameplay more than the story. If it's a gameplay focused genre such as Platformers, Puzzle, and Racing, then obviously I prefer great gameplay.

[ShaunCameron]

Gameplay. It figures why most of my library consist of action games.

[Gekko]

Just like to add, it depends on what the game is aiming for. For most games, I would take gameplay over story because that is what I'm paying for in the end of the day: to play it. But then you've got games like the TWD or Heavy Rain where the gameplay doesn't matter as much as the story so it depends.