What matters to you more in a game: gameplay, story, length, etc?

It's in the name- Gameplay

Definitely length. If a game has terrible graphics, bad gameplay, and an awful story but is very long, well, that's a wonderful experience and I love it!

I'm a story guy. Gameplay can be important to me too, but when I'm scoring a game, the thing that almost always bumps something up from being a 4 star game to a 5 star game is if it's story moved me in some way.

It depends. There are games that are entirely carried by having good gameplay to the point that the story doesn't matter. There are others where the story is partly the draw for me. Further still, there's others where the story basically is the game (Ace Attorney, Life is Strange, etc.) that I love too.

The one that doesn't matter to me is graphical fidelity. I've been playing a lot of older games and indie games lately and there's something to be said about simpler graphics making games easier to parse. For example, I recently played Cyberpunk 2077 and often found myself getting lost in the game and ended up relying on the guidance systems way more than I normally would. Similarly, with Horizon: Forbidden West I frequently found the game's graphics getting in the way. There was one puzzle for a collectable that I had to look up how to do because the even with the Batman vision turned on, the thing I was supposed to interact with was hidden behind a bunch of details that made it hard to see even with the highlights. There was also a cave I got stuck in because the place I was supposed to go was hidden behind scenery that wasn't really necessary. The fact that so many modern games rely heavily on Batman vision-type stuff suggests to me that this is not an isolated thing. Making games look hyper realistic makes them harder to parse and play.

It depends on the genre, but gameplay is always an important staple. Length would be second, especially nowadays, with the high cost of some of these AAA games. If you expect me to pay $70 or more, you better give me my money's worth. Story would be third, if there is a focus on a story. Sound design and graphics would be last. Uniqueness can be a double-edge sword. As long as the foundation of the game is good, it can be something that was done before, especially if the game does it better.

If a game is more than ten hours, I probably won't play it

Less is more

My highschool self would've said story and length. But now, I guess my hearts in gameplay. I used to be absolutely locked in on a 90 hour JRPG and on multiple playthroughs to unlock all the endings but now I'm lucky to get through a dozen hours. After getting kids, it's been whatever I can get to do for an hour every day or so. This year, it's been Balatro and MMO's.

I did play FFVII: Remake and Star Ocean 2R recently but those were either completely different game experiences from a gameplay standpoint, or the quality of life was so improved over the original that I was able to get so much more done in one play session than I would have normally.

Nowadays, it's graphics because that is the only reason to justify upgrading to a next gen console. Why play something that is marginally better looking than the last gen version?

Gameplay is no. 1. If you have really good gameplay it can basically carry everything else.

It takes a damn good story for me to overlook bad or even mediocre gameplay. It's why I (sadly) bounce of visual novels for example.

mouthfeel. and then terroir is probably a close 2nd.

I prefer gameplay over graphics. Also, in driving games, I prefer a more realistic car handling model, so I prefer Assetto Corsa series, iRacing, and Automobilista 2 more than Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport series.

Meanwhile, in fighting games, I prefer the ones with fair combo inputs like Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Soul Calibur, and Tekken, while I don't like the ones with simple combo inputs like Super Smash Bros, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royal, etc. Also, I dislike the ones with heavy combo inputs, like the Street Fighter series, as I find them too hard to play.

It’s hard to say which aspect of a game is more important to me because it really depends on what the game aims to achieve. For most people, gameplay and story are the main draws, while other factors are less significant. Let me elaborate.

For example, I played Uncharted and The Last of Us primarily for their stories. The gameplay in these games is good and serves its purpose, but it’s not revolutionary or overly complex. On the other hand, I played Sifu, Hades, and Astro Bot mainly for their gameplay.

Uniqueness can be a reason to approach a game, but you often stick with it for another reason. The Outer Wilds is a good example. Initially, I was fascinated by how unique the game was, but once the novelty wore off, I stayed for the story and my desire to learn more about the world.

As for length and graphics, I don’t care much about them. They feel like bonuses. However, for some people, these can be reasons not to play a game. For instance, occasional gamers (those who primarily play COD, sports games, and major releases) aren’t usually drawn to a game because of its graphics, but poor graphics can be a deterrent. Everyone I know from this group is intrigued when I mention an indie game, but they lose interest as soon as they see it.

On the other hand, game length is actually a reason for me to avoid a game. I have no problem with short games, but very long games make me think twice before diving in. It took me years to start playing Persona 5, which I finally did last summer. It’s a great game, but its length kept me away for a long time. Ultimately, to come back around to my original point, I stuck with it because of the story.

I’m definitely torn between gameplay and story, both are essential. I appreciate games like CS2 that focus on engaging gameplay while offering depth through community and strategy. I'm also intrigued by how pro players utilize pro settings to maximize their skills. You can find out more about it here if interested. It creates a unique experience that keeps players coming back.

Oh, all those criteria are very important, but I think that for me, the gameplay and the graphics are the most important.

But there are a few old games which are still interesting to me, and of course, the graphics is not new and not that good, but I still play those games.

So, gameplay is on the first place for sure