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How important is a games story to you?

I prefer gameplay-driven games over story-driven games, but every now and then comes along a game that manages both. This year saw both TLOU and GTAV have a good balance between story and gameplay and they compliment each other nicely. Both games would not be as good as they are without their story and characters.
 
Stories are an insult to what games are about and we should be outright rejecting them from the medium, not encouraging ”movie” games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead.

I've yet to meet someone over the age of 15 that cares about them and it’s generally seen as nothing more than a waste of time that gets in the way of the rest of game. Stories are a kids thing, everyone grows out of them eventually
 
Story isn't as important to me as content is. Progressing through different areas and doing different things keeps me engaged. That's why multiplayer shooters, RTS games, or fighting games don't interest me at all - it's being in the same place over and over pretty much repeating what you just did. Also why I tend to quit MMOs and Diablo clones once I hit the cap and/or final story content.
 
emag said:
I'm not necessarily in disagreement with your conclusion regarding the importance of story in games. I was pointing out that your example was unrealistic -- even people who value gameplay to the exclusion of story would not find Grandia III and SO4 to be excellent, because the gameplay in those games is very weak.

A similarly absurd example would be to say that Virtue's Last Reward would be a great game even without the story, because the gameplay in VLR is "better" than that of the majority of visual novels.

To someone who cares solely about gameplay, genre is not an acceptable excuse.
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You do realize that people herald the Grandia series as having the best combat system in JRPG's ever, right? Gameplay-wise, it doesn't get much better than that series. SO4's combat and exploration is about the only good thing about that game, but let's not get it twisted, people don't hate these games because their gameplay is weaker than other games, it's quite the opposite. Those games are critical examples of having an extremely firm structure to build on, and the developers having no idea what to do with it from a narrative prospective. If you took the base structure of those games and built a meaningful story with good characterization on top of it, you'd have something that was GOTY worthy.

But they didn't do that. No JRPG has done that in ages. For a long time it's been a bunch of interesting systems with garbage stories and even worse characterization.

TL:DR - None of that matters, you can't just discount story or gameplay in the grand scheme of the project. One has to match the other in a way that bolsters the experience. People have already listed countless examples of games with excellent game play but shit story that suffered dramatically and vice versa. In 2013, you can't put out a game discounting either and expect it to have legs.

Which is why Quantic Dream games bewilder me, since they have neither.
 
The most important. I can play other stuff for a bit, but games based on mechanics alone lose my interest pretty quickly without a narrative arc to draw me in. Which is where I find a disconnect with other gamers, like Idle Thumbs, where Chris puts systems and mechanics as a priority. Of course I get it, just where I disagree on their takeaway on games sometimes. But I realize I'm in the minority.

Civ 5 maybe the only one, but that does have an evolving narrative of my own control.
 
If a game's cutscenes end up taking as much or more time than there is gameplay, then I think there is something wrong there. While story is important, how the story is told is more important in games. Storytelling should not get in the way of you playing the game.. games like Shadow of the Colossus, ICO, Dark Souls, etc. does it best imo. Games like Uncharted and the new Tomb Raider does it pretty well too.
 
I prefer gameplay over story and prefer the story to be told through the gameplay mechanics but certain genres like rpgs and point and clicks, that probably wouldn't work well. But, in general, I would agree. I'd rather the gameplay be good than the story be good since I can always ignore the story.
 
Story is definitely important. A bad story can ruin a game. However, a great story can never carry a game on it's own. It's all about gameplay. If the gameplay sucks, the game sucks.
 
i generally find it easier for a really good story to carry a game than for a bad story to drag a game down.
its pretty easy to ignore a bad story and space out during cutscenes, but if a story can truly engage me, i'm totally hooked

so to answer the question of "importance", i guess i would say that its not usually a high-priority feature for me, but every now and then a really special narrative can make all the difference.
 
In older games, I kind of saw the story as gameplay (just clicking text and stuff). I get to decide how fast the story progresses based on how fast I read. Now I have to listen to goddamn voiceovers of NPCs to get anywhere. Waiting isn't gameplay to me, but progressing through text is. Of course, if it's like tutorial or handholding text, then it's terribly boring for me.
 
A good story can enrich the experience in certain games, but it is not at all necessary. Story is a "nice-to-have", but it should NEVER get in the way of game play.

Super Mario Galaxy is a good example of storytelling done right. It has a great story, but the story is completely optional. The game doesn't stop you in the middle of the action to tell a story. Although the story is excellent, you could skip it altogether and it wouldn't hurt the experience, because the game play is excellent
 
Deadpandas said:
Stories are an insult to what games are about and we should be outright rejecting them from the medium, not encouraging ”movie” games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead.

I've yet to meet someone over the age of 15 that cares about them and it’s generally seen as nothing more than a waste of time that gets in the way of the rest of game. Stories are a kids thing, everyone grows out of them eventually
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I'm 25, and what the fuck are you talking about? Without a story, I don't really care enough to pick up the controller. I'm assuming you're joking because it wasn't until I was presented with a story that I gave a shit about a video game. (Super Mario RPG)
 
It's a very important driver for progression for myself.
It's hard to be motivated to play a game without an end goal.

Gameplay doesn't cut it for most games because the gameplay itself becomes repetitive real fast.
 
Damn important depending on the game of course. I don't need a story in Plants Vs Zombies but need one in say GTA. Xenogears would suck without its good story
 
Very important obviously in games like mario i can get over it, but for Jrpgs and rpgs and games like that i need something that keeps me entertained more than just gameplay
 
I'd rather play a game with a great story and average gameplay (because great stories in games are so rare) than a game with great gameplay and a ho-hum story.

But I love me some gameplay, so I end up playing those games too, if they interest me.
 
Its always important.

Normally I love a good story, but i can definitely settle for games without really good story, but really bad ones stand out. I can get through every call of duty well enough, but killzone 3 is an example of a game that has such a bad story that it becomes distracting.

I will play games just for their story too. Without story, there is no thread that ties the game together and makes the actions you do matter.
 
I'm like you OP, i started playing in the 8bit era, so gameplay is the king for me, i start a game without any expectations for the story(tbh sometimes i do the same even for movies), if the story is good it's totally a plus for me, but if it's not whatever, i don't play games for the story, but for the gameplay.
A game with a good story/narrations but bad gameplay is a bad game for me(and this is the reason why i'm not into the "thomas was alone is great" bandwagon).
 
I care more about good/interesting characters than a good story, but I definitely favor both over gameplay.

Even the best gameplay just gets boring after a while to me. There are exceptions though.
 
It depends on the type of game and how much focus it places on its narrative. Series like legacy of kain have a heavy focus on narrative so its really important there. In something like vanquish i really could'nt give a shit about the story its all about the gameplay. So it varies. Personally i think a great story can add so much to a game if its implemented properly. In my group of friends its 50/50. Half of them love a good story while the other half are more systemic gamers only care about the gameplay.
 
It's the most important aspect of a game for me, personally.

That doesn't mean I don't enjoy some Angry Birds on the side, but overall, I look for games that are more narrative based and could easily play something with below average gameplay as long as the story draws me in.
 
It entirely depends on the game that I'm playing, but since games RARELY have a good story... only marginally. Often-times game writing will trump its story, as well.
 
I absolutely loathe and hate the "depends on..." kind of answers, but its the only answer that is appropriate here

A platformer needs no story, i dont give a flying fuck why Mario or Crash or Sonic is going to World ____ to do ____ and defeat ____. Its completely pointless to even pretend there is a story. I cringed so much during story bits in Galaxy 1 and 2, like really? Are you really trying to have a moment here?

But in a game like Silent Hill 1-4 it is crucial, it is in fact the sole purpose to play the game for me. The narrative ties into the actual game, the art style and the things the player feels during his or her adventure.

Same with MGS, the story is what had me coming back, despite questionable controls and dodgy shooting mechanics.
 
I love me a good story game, but more games have stories than need them. Often I'd rather just listen to a podcast and have cut scenes and dialog get out of my way.

Recently Pikmin 3. After every mission this impossibly long accounting and captain's log recording of observations I've made and tips I don't need.
 
Game designers should never sacrifice good gameplay ideas because they may not fit with the story.When this starts to happen you're not really making a game anymore.
 
It depends on the genre really, action- adventure, rpg, open world are the genres i tend to lean towards the side of story driven.

I of course love a nice fps and tps campaign.

I feel as though im in a minority of people who love most games for their story ( other than the games i spam multiplayer in obv as well as mmos) as opposed to gameplay.

Im just a story guy i guess, i find alot of games have a story that appeals to me more than most movies ive seen as i love how long they are and how well some of them grow on you as the story progresses.

I pretty much played exclusively single player , story driven games during a pretty bad time in my life beginning from mid 2011 to about a month ago ( WoW aside, as i was only playing that because i was in a top tier guild and had to play so i wouldnt let some old friends down) and they got me through it ( with other help of course) pretty nicely.

Kingdom hearts series as well as mass effect are two of my favorites for instance.

I of course do not promote sacrificing gameplay for a story though, i like a nice well rounded experience, mass effect and kingdom hearts are a nice example for games that can mesh both worlds.
Gameplay is what gives a game its challenge , i appreciate a good story to compliment my gameplay , as opposed to ignoring games that have unskippable cutscenes and such, if i like the game i might as well listen to whatever else these devs took time to whip up.
 
Into said:
I absolutely loathe and hate the "depends on..." kind of answers, but its the only answer that is appropriate here

A platformer needs no story, i dont give a flying fuck why Mario or Crash or Sonic is going to World ____ to do ____ and defeat ____. Its completely pointless to even pretend there is a story. I cringed so much during story bits in Galaxy 1 and 2, like really? Are you really trying to have a moment here?

But in a game like Silent Hill 1-4 it is crucial, it is in fact the sole purpose to play the game for me. The narrative ties into the actual game, the art style and the things the player feels during his or her adventure.

Same with MGS, the story is what had me coming back, despite questionable controls and dodgy shooting mechanics.
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You just covered story tie in to game mechanics done both poorly and reasonably well. Genre doesn't really matter when it comes to application, only on how the application occurs.
 
Not that important but its kinda neat if a game does have a nice story, i just don't seek games specifically for story purposes, which in turn has detached my interest from alot of acclaimed/popular games. I also find it funny how one of my favorite genres(JRPGs) are full of text/story. Yet that is not what interest me in them.
 
Deadpandas said:
Stories are an insult to what games are about and we should be outright rejecting them from the medium, not encouraging ”movie” games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead.

I've yet to meet someone over the age of 15 that cares about them and it’s generally seen as nothing more than a waste of time that gets in the way of the rest of game. Stories are a kids thing, everyone grows out of them eventually
Click to expand...

Hi! I'm over 15 and I care about stories. Seriously, I definitely don't think that stories are a kids thing. I can tell you first hand that when I was younger, I could've cared less for what I was listening to in Metal Gear Solid. As I've gotten older and more mature, I started listening to the story more and appreciated it.

I appreciate stories in games but of course I don't put it over gameplay. I just love that a lot of games nowadays are becoming good medians for a good story. A game with fantastic gameplay and a good story to compliment it is my cup of tea.
 
It really depends. A game with excellent gameplay can be a great experience without a (great) story and vice versa.
Even though I never skip cutscenes, no matter how bad they are. They are a essential part of the game. Skipping them would be like buying a car and throwing out the seatbelts and brakes: it won't end well in most cases.
I paid for the whole product and that's why I want to experience the whole game. Period.
 
(Good) Story = Gameplay > Graphics. Games gotta compel me to keep going, unless its an FPS, I prefer those to not have too much of a story, lol
 
It depends on the genre. In games like Metal Gear it's important, people are already speculating the plottwists for MGS V.
 
Depends on the game honestly. If it's an arcade kind of game, a deep story really isn't neccesary. If it's a story-driven RPG, i'd like the story to be at least somewhat engaging/interesting.

Honestly I think that's my big issue beating Darksiders 2 right now. I didn't play the 1st one, but at the moment I just have zero interest in the story, and while the game is fun, i feel like an errand boy more than really advancing the plot. Most of the tasks I do feel are more like convenient excuses to go from one dungeon to the next, than tasks that make me feel like i actually accomplished anything significant.
 
It's very important in JRPGs.

Must less so in almost every other type of game. Although the Walking Dead story was fantastic and better than the TV show, IMO.
 
when it really comes down to it, imo not that much. Like I knew skyrims story was there but idgaf about it. I just wanted to be a badass archer/mage/warrior etc with cool armors, spells, and weapons. In pokemon, I dont care much about the actual story, just catching cool pokes, grinding, evolving them etc. I find that for me, if a game has a great/explorable world or a competitive aspect to it, thats all I really need
 
Deadpandas said:
Stories are an insult to what games are about and we should be outright rejecting them from the medium, not encouraging ”movie” games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead.

I've yet to meet someone over the age of 15 that cares about them and it’s generally seen as nothing more than a waste of time that gets in the way of the rest of game. Stories are a kids thing, everyone grows out of them eventually
Click to expand...

Jesus Christ, what a miserable person you must be

Joke post?
 
It's not the best medium for telling a story so it is not the first thing I look for.

I enjoyed Dark Souls way of telling a story. Actually, they did have much, but they left it up to my imagination.

A game like GTA V tries very hard to have a good story, and they do a lot of things right, but I just don't care about it. The gameplay is so good, I'd rather just enjoy that instead of sitting through cutscenes. Sure, some cutscenes are funny and I may be missing moments by skipping them, but there's comedy in the script when I'm driving around or actually playing. I like that better.
 
Very important but it's game dependant, for example I played Vanquish and could enjoy it even though its story sucks but then I also played games like The Last of Us, Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick, etc and completely loved them because of their stories.
 
For me its the most important part of a game. If the story is good enough i will ignore bad game play or technical problems.
 
It's become increasingly more important to me over the years. Of course, gameplay remains the most important aspect, but an interesting narrative and great characters can elevate a game to a higher level, in my opinion.

However, as many people have said, it depends on the game. Some games need stories, others don't. For me, having both gameplay and story is preferable, although it is rare to find games that excel in both.
 
If it is crucial to what the game is trying to accomplish then I think it is incredibly important. Most of my favorite games are narratively driven (or at least have a deep and developed world, like Journey). However, I don't think a game has to have a narrative if that's not what it's trying to accomplish.

It's all about what a game is trying to be and whether it succeeds at being that.
 
I appreciate light story, just to facilitate whatever it is that you actually do in a game. I think that is where game stories work best. There are a lot of games these days where it's actually backwards, the gameplay is just there to fill in the blanks in between the story bits. These types of games are usually boring to me, although Metal Gear Solid is a guilty pleasure of mine. But I don't get the whole "interactive movie" stuff at all. Games are their own thing and have developed their own language and to forsake that in the name of making games more cinematic seems like perverting the medium. Experimentation and variety are good things, but at the same time it's just frustrating to see the value of "pure" games being diminished as story-based games get more and more popular.
 
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