What makes a video game great and why?

mmchayle

mmchayle

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We have all seen many great video games such as: Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry etc. but what is it about these games that make them great? Is it the graphics? Is it the fun factor, replay value, Engaging Story or unpredictability? What makes a video game great to you and why?
 
I thing the visuals have to be good to attract me to the game and also, controls of characters should be good and a engaging game which is awesome. I think the story should be good, and not too many plot holes whih leaves people to think what may happen or what should have happened in the game. The boss fights should be interesting and a great motive, for a character to get into crime or betray someone like in grand theft auto series someone betrays someone always.
 
I don't pay much attention to graphics although I admit that they help a lot in the enjoyment factor. In my opinion, though, mechanics and gameplay as well as controls are the main foundation of any game. As long as those are present then it doesn't matter how simple or complex the game is, or how bad or good the visuals are, it will be enjoyable to play.
 
Gameplay and level of challenge. Give me a unique fantasy world, or realistic Medieval map. Just something either really out of the ordinary, or so well done that it's like I am actually there. And challenge. Don't make it absurdly easy, but if I have to play the same level ten times because the opponent moves at an ungodly pace, you're going to lose my interest. I'm a casual gamer.
 
The visuals have to be good; but not necessarily incredible. I've played a few games with simple graphics and they made wonderful games. What throws me off is distorted mutant-looking "human" characters. I prefer beautiful characters. It doesn't make or break a game though. The controls and camera are major factors though. If the controls feel wrong; I won't even continue the game. Also those irritating always-controlled camera views will make me quit a game before the end. I'm not talking about for certain scenes or when going up a ladder, I mean at all times. What really draws me into a game is having choices. I tend to skip through parts of the story unless it grabs my attention. If I get to choose whether an entire race lives, or if I have to murder them myself, it really pulls me into the story. I remember playing Fable 3 in which you start off as either a prince or princess. After a few minutes of gameplay, your first choice is to either allow a group of citizens to die for complaining or to choose your lover to take their place. The whole game, world and all, is controlled by your actions. The graphics were pretty good and controls felt smooth. Overall I enjoyed it a lot.
 
Generally storyline and mechanics are a huge reason to play a game. Character development is up there as well. Graphics are just the icing on the cake because I've played plenty of amazingly well engaged indie games that didn't have the best graphics, but had some phenomenal narrative, storyline, memorable characters and gameplay to make up for that.
 
Gameplay is the make-or-break of a game for me. It is the core foundation of a game, and if it doesn't play well, how could I possibly enjoy it? Sure graphics and sounds are cool, but all the fun is taken out of a game if it plays horribly. Think about it, games like TF2, Minecraft, CS and Dota all play great, and especially in Minecraft's case don't have the best graphics out there. But that doesn't deter you from playing them!
 
First thing that comes to mind is graphics. They have to be good. For me, If I see a AAA title and it has bad graphics, It will bother me. I can understand that some games have graphics that look like there from the 90's...

Story - I will read about the game before I buy it as well as the reviews. I want to know that there is depth in it. This matters just as much as graphics do to me. How can I play a game without a story actually sucking me in?

Games that have free roaming in it is a major plus. No one likes being restricted. I think that is why games like GTA and Skyrim have become massive favorites.

Gameplay is a another concern. Controls not so much because I can tweak them to my liking. Either way, It all matters to me anyways.
 
Multiplayer is one of the biggest attractions to me. Being able to play with a large and active playerbase allows for so much more content and fun, be it in the form of guilds, mods, fan created art, or simply discussing and making new friends along the way.

For this reason DotA, CS:GO, Terraria and Hearthstone are among my top played games.
 
Two things that make a video game great for me are open worldness and also survival. I love games that include any of those two things therefore those are the ultimate games for me. Mainly open world. I love anything open world and hate to be restricted in a game. I want to explore!!!!
 
For me, there are three major factors in what makes a game engaging and fun.

First would be coherent and challenging gameplay mechanics. This could be anything from requiring good reflexes, to solving difficult puzzles. Whatever it is, it should be smooth and polished rather than a clunky afterthought.

Second, is the ability to engage in the gameplay in a multiplayer manner. Local co-op is even better. The multiplayer experience really extends the replayability of any game. How many games have you played through and wished there was a co-op experience because it'd be THAT much better? Co-op Skyrim for example?

Finally, the game has to have some sort of progression. Grinding the same thing over and over isn't fun or engaging. If your skill, or character grows in some manner then you gain a sense of achievement. Even if the gameplay itself is the same, player skill increasing is a notable difference. (Think FPS games).

Those 3 factors make good games for me.
 
mmchayle said:
We have all seen many great video games such as: Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry etc. but what is it about these games that make them great? Is it the graphics? Is it the fun factor, replay value, Engaging Story or unpredictability? What makes a video game great to you and why?
Click to expand...
I think it's a combination of things. Graphics are very important but the game play to me is even more important. I want a game that I can play months later and still enjoy it.
 
The ability to keep peoples attention thru the whole game from beginning to finish. if developers can find ways that makes you wan to sit in front of your PC for hours or even days that is what makes a great game. If you can mix in the ability to play the games against people all across the world you have intensified the satisfaction of the game even more.
 
I think a game could be a piece of crap in every regard as long as it just has that ONE thing. That one perfect thing. It could be story, visuals(although more seldom this), gameplay in general, mechanics... literally any part of the game as long as it's incredibly well done.

Of course, usually you want to nail every category but that's a very difficult thing to do indeed.
If you at least make one part of the game very interesting then you have a good chance of making a great game. In my opinion.
 
I think what makes a video game so good are the graphics and the story behind it. Also, how vivid everything is to make it seem like you're actually in the game. I think Grand Theft Auto fits in that category too, because it feels like you're really there when roaming the streets and going anywhere you want to. You can also go inside a car and drive it, with a radio that plays. The more realistic games are, the more I love playing them nonstop. If a game didn't have good graphics, I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I enjoy playing games that do. I play Call of Duty and the graphics on that game is really top-notch. The story mode is really crazy. A lot of people talk bad about Call of Duty: Ghosts (which I don't understand too much,) because it's the most amazing eye catching game I've ever played. But people do have they're opinions and I have mine, so I guess it's because people look at things differently. But yeah, these are the things a video game has to have to be great.
 
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I think if it can capture your imagination it's a great game. I played Vector racer on Android Tablet and it's a basic premise, but it's just an addictive pick up and play game. A good story is important and of course how the controls respond. It's also important for games to feel like they have no barriers. Limitation can make and break an experience
 
I'd like to say good gameplay is the cornerstone for a good game, but there are definitely other factors that need to support the gameplay itself. Basic functionality, few bugs, good controls, story, plot, etc are all integral to make each other feature truly shine. Some games that try to focus on one issue skimp on other features, which makes the game lacklustre overall.
 
I think what makes a video game great is how much you can get lost in the world the game attempts to create. I tend to lean towards Action/Adventure games and Fighting games. I find it that these games are so easy to get get lost in. You would start playing and next thing you know 3-4 hours have passed.
 
Gameplay and replayability are the two biggest factors for me. I want to feel a sense of accomplishment completing game goals and I also want some good mileage out of my games. Call me spoiled, but I prefer games where I wring out hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of fun! Graphics don't necessarily have to be top-notch, as long as it's not horrible!
 
Re-playability for me because that factors in all the good and the bad elements of the game. It's not a great feeling buying a £30+ game and getting bored. Sure you can sell it, but I think it's better to not want to sell whatever game you buy because you know you will play it again.
 
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