Which aspect is more important in a game... Gameplay, graphics, or Online?

GamerFitNation's Gregory Laporte writes about which aspect in gaming is more important. "Sitting down late one night talking to one of my buddies about the recently released Gears of War 3. We got into a discussion about the game and talked about how the storyline was great, the graphics were awesome, and how the online and gameplay were well improved. We both had our preferences for what we liked better however, there were a few aspects that we brought up that I wanted to discuss with all of you here on GamerFitNation."

[GameTavern]

Oh this is an easy question game play.

What's the point of a pretty game that plays awful?
Or an online game you can't control?

[waltyftm]

Well said, There has been too many pretty games this Gen that play like crap.

[darthv72]

its gameplay. More so than even online because not everyone plays online just as not everyone has the best tv to play the game on.

But no matter what type of gamer you are or what kind of set you use...gameplay is the only thing that is the same across the board.

Without that then you really lose the substance in what makes games worth playing.

[Tonester925]

Remember Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo? Those systems were all about gameplay. Now because consoles are always boasting about how much more power they have over one another, everyone wants to see the output of graphics. How real and flashy can they make it look. In contrast I noticed that most games that are made to look great, play great because of their skilled development team.

Oh! And they really tease the games graphics by how the cutscenes look. Then the games dont even look like that when it releases lol

[MaxXAttaxX]

IMO.

[BeaArthur]

Agreed, if the gameplay is bad then nothing else matters.

[joydestroy]

yep, couldn't agree more.
however, for me to give it a go, it needs to have graphics AND solid gameplay. i'll give up multiplayer IF the singleplayer is lengthy, like 12hrs plus minimum. otherwise, if i do buy it, i realize what a terrible mistake i've made.

the game also needs to have a good amount of content. this means vastly varied missions, lots of weapons, upgrades, etc.

[BldyShdw]

I don't have the time to put into online multiplayer anymore. So gameplay/graphics are way more important to me than online.

[Tanir]

exactly how i feel, only multiplayer i have the time for is dark souls because its intergrated

[RyuCloudStrife]

Gameplay you're right! That's why CoD reigns supreme

[Drake117]

your prob going to get tons of dislikes cuz hating cod is the cool thing to do on this site but your very right. CoD might not have good graphics but its tight controls and great pacing have made it the most popular game in todays market.

[dark-hollow]

This is kind of tricky.
graphics and online are part of the "experience".
Great graphics add to the immersion and make games more appealing and fun.

Sure, between the three, gameplay is tue most important, but that doesn't mean that graphics arent important.

Bioshock, red dead redemption are examples of how graphics and detailed environment makes the experience more enjoyable.

[_Aarix_]

that would be called "atmosphere"

[ReservoirDog316]

Yup, shouldn't even be a question.

I would peg story before gameplay though.

[Pikajew]

Gameplay. Look a Goldeneye it did not age well and is better than half the shooters this gen.

[nicfurlong]

minecraft. nuff said.

[bronxsta]

gamplay all the way.

of course good graphics dont hurt

personally i don't like online and hate that the current trend seems to be shoehorning in multiplayer modes at the expense of singleplayer. We need more split-screen and longer campaigns

[zeal0us]

Its all depends on the type of game but regardless gameplay would be apart of it, seeing as you it can't be online without gameplay some kind of role. Would play a online multiplayer if the gameplay was horrible?

[LondonMediaOS]

Gameplay is the most important aspect of a game, when you have a good engine with flexible mechanics at the helm honestly the rest falls into place.

[nicfurlong]

online play!!!!! in conjunction with gameplay, then graphics.

[Tanir]

no wonder u like COD

[Agent Smith]

Gameplay, but doesn't hurt if it looks great.

[Squatch83]

Gameplay.

Graphics dont matter at all. Most of the best games of all time are old, and dont look good compared to modern games.

[GamerPS360]

I hope that you are still playing old games 'coz today's games are not good a/c you.
Graphic matters a lot.

[_Aarix_]

theres alot of games this gen with amazing gameplay and graphics

[TitanUp]

gameplay and graphics

[dead_eye]

Really don't think we needed an article about this.

[kamakaz3md]

gameplay, online, then graphics, but most important would be gameplay. You need the online only if it had great gameplay to keep the game in you system or even in your gaming collection at all!

[kevnb]

Depends on the game.

[AMD_CROSSFIRE_FTW]

ONE WORD GRAPHICS, we are the people that want new consoles and even better gpus for better graphics in games, when a game has bad gfx no mater how good the gameplay is, it is bashed to death. We are the people that bash consoles because there gfx settings are always lower then pc and constantly keep reminding to the console community that the gfx are better on pc...

No matter how much you lie to yourself wve become super gfx whores.

[Drake117]

u should just edit that last sentence to I have become a super graphics whore. Speak for yourself.

[veChuy]

For my It have to be a mix of all the things to create a awesome game, but some people dont care about graphics Cod for example has awful graphics but most people that play it dont care.

[Tarantino_Life]

1) Gameplay

2) Graphics

3) Online

[BattleTorn]

I know i go against the majority when i say; Graphics.

But i'm admittly a graphics-whore.

[trainsinrdr]

So am I for me its gameplay > graphics > online.

[torchic]

gameplay is king for me but I always look foward to games with amazing graphics. I am a bit of a graphics whore.

[Horny]

Gameplay/story/online/graphics
While I appreciate good graphics I never cared for them. I can go back and play old games with no problem. Even played cod for the Wii at my girls house and didn't mind the graphics. As long as I'm having fun and the controls are good I'm happy. Not once have I bought a game just because it looked good. I always watch gameplay videos and search for issues when deciding.

[BattleTorn]

I'm kinda the opposite. If it looks good, I seem to over look any other aspect.
too the point where i'd rather stare at the scenary of a great looking game, than go back and play an old game, however amazing it was.

[Horny]

I have friends that are like that too. I've noticed its mostly the older guys that appreciate the looks and scenery. Nothing wrong with it, everybody has a preferance.
I got a buddy who refuses to watch stuff on tv if its not hd, I could care less.

[Seventh_Blood_Reborn]

Gameplay
Innovation
Story
Art style
Coop splitscreen
Coop online
Graphics
Online

[BrianC6234]

I say game play is most important. Then graphics and last is online. But then I don't really care about playing online.

[FAGOL]

All 3 aspects are important. Why should developers have to sacrifice 1 over the other? There are plenty of developers out there who can combine all 3 and make amazing games.

[Venjense]

Depends on the game,

But no decent modern game can have horrible graphics or gameplay.

[Tigerfist]

The most important aspect of the game is the "whole".

[GamerPS360]

people think graphic is not as important as other mech of games. But, I see over 200 comments here when game compared between two platform based on only graphics.
what a bunch of hippos.

[GraveLord]

Gameplay > Online > Graphics

[Dragonopolis]

Story above all else.... can over look blah graphics and/or less than stellar gameplay if story is fantastic. For a game to survive the "modern" gamer graphics and gameplay have to go hand'n'hand... one can not survive without the other. Online isn't necessary if the story is awesome, gameplay and graphics are stellar. Online is more for replay value and isn't needed to make a great game.

[humbleopinion]

Avatar has great graphics.
Gmail has great online.
Chess is still a better game.

[GUYwhoPLAYSvideoGAME]

but what's annoying is when people are fanboys, so when they dont want to like a game, that has great graphics. alot of the times they say, well i like gameplay more than graphics.

99% of the time, when people say that, they're full of crap.
when really the gameplay is great.

i hate that excuse

[Tarantino_Life]

Yup! Well Said.

[Ps3blaze22]

Gameplay

[Monokhs]

id say gameplay, sometimes i even go through my library of ps1 games and play those instead of my ps3 games because they are so much fun

[MaxMurdoch]

each one is important... And if a game lacks in any single area we as consumers notice right away. some publishers focus on one of these 3 aspects too much and leave others incomplete. Rage and crysis 2 come to mind.

[Hassassin]

Gameplay/Story
Graphixs
online
bugs (the lack of)

[danielle007]

Gameplay is by far the most important as most people have said.

Graphics and online being important is dependent on the game. For a game like Gears of Halo, the single player is important and the gameplay is still king, but online is also suuuper important.

Graphics are usually just icing on the cake, and generally fall last within my degrees of importance. But certain games amazing graphics add a lot. Like Uncharted. So beautiful, it really added so much to the game. However, in the other direction, graphics could just not matter at all in anyway, like I don't mind playing nostalgic games. Cthulhu Saves the World is an amazing little game and the graphics are all old school RPG-tastic. But the gameplay and the story are amazing!