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[Arnie7]

If a games story is terrible but the gameplay mechanics is outstanding and fun, can a game deserve a full 10/10 score?

Reason I ask is because I got into debate about MGSV/Platinum games/Mario with some of my friends. Most were pissed off how modern gamers and reviewers put too much emphasis on story over gameplay when deciding if they liked the game in the end. Some argued that story should never be factored into final score as gaming is primarily a gameplay driven medium and has no place to mark it down for that. While others disagreed saying it depended on genre.

Where is the line drawn? Only cinematic games vs action games? What if a mixture of both? What then? If a game excels in the gameplay department does the story ultimately matter in the end? If its best in class and you have a fun experience that is unmatched, can you say it is a 10/10?

 

[Regginator]

two words: mario galaxy

 

[Mudron]

Metal Gear: The Thread

 

[Toki767]

Scores are completely subjective, so if the reviewer feels that it does, then it does.

 

[BY2K]

Depends if the game is meant to have a story that's supposed to be taken seriously.

If the answer is yes and the story is crap, then the game does not deserve a 10 if the gameplay is top notch.

 

[cacildo]

Yes
Unless you cant skip cutscenes

 

[Zakard]

It depends. If the story is good enough (Mario Galaxy 2), then I would say, yes. If it is a game where story is really important, then no.

 

[PetulantChild]

Yes.
-insert John Carmack quote about story in videogames here-

 

[CHC]

Any game that achieves what it sets out to do perfectly can deserves that score.

If it doesn't concern itself with story, then sure, it can. If it tries to tell a story and just does it badly, then no.

 

[Eddyhdzg]

two words: mario galaxy

Mario games don't have a bad story, they have a minimalist story.


And Galaxy of all games? What.

 

[Elitist1945]

Depends. If its a story oriented game, no. This is one of the reasons The Order gets shit on, even though it has spectacular gameplay.

 

[Scotia]

If a games story is terrible but the gameplay mechanics is outstanding and fun, can a game deserve a full 10/10 score?

No.

For a game to be 10/10 it must be amazing/perfect in all aspects, not just the one you deem the most important.

 

[Toxi]

It deserves whatever score the subjective judgement of the person reviewing seems appropriate.

People enjoy different things about games. For some folks, a game with those qualities is a 10/10. For others, it's not.

 

[ThatGuyAgain]

I think there should be at least a minor deduction for a bad story.

 

[nbnt]

Yes because it's a game. If a game has the best story ever written but plays like shit I wouldn't enjoy it at all.

 

[The Artisan]

Scores are completely subjective, so if the reviewer feels that it does, then it does.

pretty much this. how important is the story of a game to you

 

[Betty]

Of course.

And the vice versa can also be true.

Walking Dead has almost no gameplay but it was my game of the year and many others.

 

[Djungelfrukt]

Depends on how much space/time the story takes from the gameplay.

 

[DNAbro]

If a game sets out to do something it should do it well. I'm not expecting an amazing story from a Mario game, cause it's not trying to do it. I do expect something good from a Metal Gear game so MGSV was incredibly disappointing in that front.(I also have gameplay complaints but that is besides the point)

 

[Neoleo2143]

two words: mario galaxy

Mario Galaxy has Rosalina's Story Book, Terrible example of a game with a bad Story or even a semblance of one with bad writing.

 

[Primethius]

Yes. Easily. Amazing gameplay can make up for lackluster story.

 

[daman824]

Depends if the game is meant to have a story that's supposed to be taken seriously.

If the answer is yes and the story is crap, then the game does not deserve a 10 if the gameplay is top notch.

This is how I feel. If the developer made a story that they want the player to be engaged in and fail, then it should impact the score. But if they don't, then it shouldn't. Think Mario vs. sonic 2006

 

[James Scott]

Mario Galaxy is probably a game I'd give a 10/10 and it has very little story in it. The sequel is even better despite having even less story, so yeah.
As long as the game isn't trying to have a story and it isn't aggressively bad or flawed then it's fine.

 

[Giever]

It depends on whether or not the bad story drags down the experience of playing the game.. in Mario Galaxy, the story is pretty minimal and stays out of the way, so even if it's not great it doesn't affect the experience much. In a game like MGSV the story is hugely important to the experience and pervades the whole thing, so even if the gameplay is great it can sour the experience.

 

[Mohasus]

Bayonetta.

The thing is, you can skip cutscenes.

 

[Courage]

Not all games emphasize story equally. MGS is a series lauded for its story, so it makes sense why people would feel disappointed by V's half assed effort.

 

[off duty ninja]

I definitely think there are narrative driven games and gameplay driven games. This of course is very subjective though as is the medium of reviews. At the end of the day a review should reflect what the reviewer felt about the final product and whether or not they would recommend it to another. That may or may not be based on narrative vs. gameplay depending on the tastes of the reviewer.

For example: Halo is narrative driven vs Destiny is Gameplay driven. Thought this is an obvious example since they are both from Bungee.

Another example as I have been playing it a lot.

The Division = Gameplay driven vs The Last of Us is narrative driven.

It doesn't mean a gameplay driven game can't have a good story or vice versa, just that I play destiny/division for gameplay rather than story.

 

[Zakalwe]

I'd use 10/10 as perfect, so if the game has a story that's integral to the game and it isn't great I couldn't give it a top mark.

 

[higemaru]

If the game forces you to endure the story with 10+ minute cutscenes than probably not but if the story is just absent aside from brief scenes than yeah, sure. As long as a game doesn't waste your time, it doesn't really matter if the story is bad.

 

[SunBroDave]

Sometimes story is important, sometimes not

 

[FallingEdge]

it is a video game so lol story

 

[ASIS]

Yes.
-insert John Carmack quote about story in videogames here-

Oooh, what does he say about stories?

Mario Galaxy has Rosalina's Story Book, Terrible example of a game with a bad Story or even a semblance of one with bad writing.

Super Mario Galaxy 2.

 

[Servbot24]

Objectively no, but objective reviews suck. They should come from the heart.

 

[JordanN]

I factor story under presentation.

So if it's not perfect then it's not worthy of a 10. That said, why not give it a 9.9/10?

 

[zelas]

Reviews are opinions so people can pick whatever aspects they deem most important in whatever arbitrary way they want.

Personally I'd take a game with a great story and perfect gameplay over a game with bad story and perfect gameplay.

 

[Tagyhag]

If it doesn't put an emphasis on the story then definitely.

 

[Fj0823]

Any Platinum Game, DMC, MGS...

Sure. Yes.

 

[Juke Joint Jezebel]

Yes. I mainly judge a game based on my interaction with it and the gameplay anyway. A good story is just a nice bonus, and not essential at all to me.

 

[Zophar]

95% of game stories are bad but that hasn't stopped the 10/10 reviews from coming out.

 

[Scotia]

Yes. Easily. Amazing gameplay can make up for lackluster story.

For some. I look for both in a game. Amazing gameplay doesn't save a shit story to me.

 

[Noobcraft]

A game should get a 10/10 if it represents the pinaccle of its genre (like Mario Galaxy and 3D platformers). I actually can't think of any games with stories that I find compelling enough to compete with other mediums (cinema and books).

 

[generic_username]

Yes

 

[Modest Mauser]

If a reviewer thinks the game deserves her highest level of recommendation, then sure.

I don't think that reviews need to be "objective" (nor can they be) or that a game must be literally perfect to get a 10/10.

 

[SneakyStephan]

Can't think of a single game that has a good story (as in a story that would be considered well paced and of above average quality in book or movie form)

Story really is not a big selling point in games, especially considering the problems with pacing. If you actually want to put good gameplay in your videoGAME then the story pacing will have to take a backseat. I think if you're after good stories then you're looking at the wrong medium.

Almost all my favorite games don't have a story at all, or not much more than a token hint of a background story.

 

[pizzaparty]

Video games have stories?

 

[Mushroomer25]

Only if it actively impedes the enjoyment of the end product. Hitman's story is terrible, yet never surfaces outside of a single skippable cutscene at the end of each mission. I'd mention it in a review, but that wouldn't really drag it into the mud for me.

Whereas something like Quantum Break really prides itself on a story that doesn't achieve much past mediocrity. That's a game that will be justifiably marked down for poor storytelling.

 

[Hektor]

Story is of secondary importance to this medium as a whole.

 

[hans_castorp]

Superhexagon is a 10/10 in my book and has zero story.

Monster Hunter too.

 

[Calamari41]

Almost any classic Nintendo game fits this pretty well. Many current ones, too.

 

[IceDoesntHelp]

Yes and no.

If the game has a massove focus on story and its garbage, then no

If the game has little to no story, but focuses on gameplay then yes. (super mario series as an example)