How much do you like story in games?

[ciro64]

Usually I am gameplay first. Some games don't need story at all for me, but it's nice to have one in cases where a game can use it, IF it doesn't get in the way of gameplay. I don't tolerate mediocre gameplay as an excuse for progressing the story.

Then there's visual novels which I play for the story alone, but in this case there's no gameplay getting in the way. Except a few romance games where you have to random stuff to date characters I guess, in which case I can't stand those either.

My favorite mix of story and gameplay is Portal 2, because they work seamlessly with each other in that title.

 

[Octopus]

I'm also a gameplay first kind of guy. If the gameplay is good enough, I don't need a story at all really. A game's story should help elevate the vibe and feel of the game, and nothing else. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a story gets in the way of fun, either through too many cutscenes interrupting you or the accursed 'time to make you to walk very slowly through a forced set piece' moment or something to that effect. One of my favourite video game stories is Ninja Gaiden Black. It's really simple, it knows that it's supposed to be kind of silly and not the focus, and all it does is make the game more hype if you watch the cutscenes.

 

[Frickinfrik]

Nowadays, some single player games are trying to feel like movies. Now, I like the story in a game, as long as it’s good and engaging. But, I play games for the gameplay, not the story.

 

[Zerohour2k12]

Usually goes hand in hand. I'm able to look past gameplay flaws if the story is compelling enough. Same as if the gameplay is fun. Won't be a problem if the story is meh.

 

[Xugabugala]

I believe a fun game with a bad story is better than a boring one with a good story, but it still won't leave that huge of an impression on you. Now, a game where BOTH are good, that WILL stay on your mind for a long time.

 

[rugal]

all shooters. hack and slash or open world games i do not care so mutch about storie but its always a plus if they have a good storie

for rpg and srpg
i do want a good story in the game it makes the games better and more fun to play

 

[Deleted member 884]

I don't care about the story at all. What's the point of having a great story if the gameplay sucks? I'd rather have a great gameplay but a bad story, than the opposite. Also I have several memory issues, so it's hard for me to remeber what I read or watched in the game or dialogue scenes.

 

[JustLooking123]

There are very few games that enjoy solely because of their gameplay.
Story is usually my main reason for playing games.

However, i usually look at games from several perspectives, so even boring games does have an appeal for me.
It helps to learn how to NOT do something... and how sometimes even in a bad combination, a sweet moment can be created.
It helps in enhancing creativity.

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

Ghost of Tsushima has been one of my more recent games in terms of story and gameplay.

 

[fake-chan]

I don't really care about game stories because they all suck, except Disco Elysium.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I consider a good story to be a complement to the action, but not necessarily a key element.

I mean... Look at Strife: it gives you very nice, compelling reasons to shoot everyone, whilst Doom (made on the same engine) just skips that entirely and drops you in a room full of enemies to annihilate first thing out of the gate. No actual words spoken or exchanged.

They are both good in their own right.

 

[Taukyrie]

While I do love a good story, I also think gameplay is a bit more important. I actually did end up dropping a game with a story I liked a couple of months ago because I hated how clunky the gameplay felt and thought it wasn't worth it.

 

[Strategist's icon Strategist Strategist]

Story is a big part of the appeal of games to me, unless it is competitive multiplayer games, puzzle or arcade games. I need a motivation to shoot things. Without a good motivation, I might as well be swinging a stick in my backyard or doing something else. Unfortunately, this love of storytelling means I'm often disappointed in how unambitious games tend to be in that department.

Note that good storytelling is not the same as constant cutscenes or dialogues that interrupt the flow of gameplay. Some of the best storytelling in games is completely subtextual or environmental, as in the System Shock/Bioshock games or in the Demon/Dark Souls games. But more overt storytelling can work in video games as well, as seen in Metal Gear Solid I and Final Fantasy VI.

 

[LaserMoose]

I mostly echo the same sentiments as others here; gameplay is the priority for me, though a decent story can elevate the experience. In the case of a JRPG or Visual Novel, story will be of greater importance. For arcade games (shmups, fighters, rhythm, etc.) story is almost never of interest to me.

If anything, I prioritize gameplay and sound over everything else - aquatic ambience and stickerbrush symphony from the Donkey Kong Country games invoke greater emotion from me than many game stories do.

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

I skip all.

 

[Deleted member 420614]

For me story will make it break it in a game depending on the type of game.

FPS or RTS or survival crafting game who gives a crap about story give me fun mechanics.

JRPGs and such games that are story driven yeah if the story suck I don´t give a shit how fun the game is it will be trash. Take Shadows that game´s story is so bad one could think it was written in English translated 500 times in google translate in 100 different language then translated to English and then fed to ChatGPT. So even if the game was fun no thanks I rather stab my self to death than play a game that bore me to death. At least stabbing my self makes me feel something.

 

[AncientBehemoth]

Quite a lot. I may not be able to follow every single detail of the plot. But when something I saw 3 hours ago clicks with that's going on now I go like "OHHHHHHH I see"

 

[Okkah]

I used to play all RPG games by skipping the story (I like the gameplay & grind). But, covid shut-in gave me time check out the story of some of my favorite games and I replayed them. Turns out story does matter in enjoyment lol.

So yea, I don't skip the story now.

 

[Noon]

between the two I’d definitely go story first, even though I’m a game mechanics zealot.

It drives me nuts though when people shun advanced writing but don’t explain that they understood it first, which I feel really made those game writers step back a lot in recent years.

 

[AkiraSO4]

It depends. If a game tries to make you care about the story only for it to be shit, then no. By then, they better hope the gameplay can make up for it. Then there's also games like Doom 2016 where if you want to, you can just ignore the story entirely and have a blast. It really depends as to what sort of game we're talking about.

 

[Esidemoken]

I think the same, the gameplay should always be the number 1 priority in any video game, if the story is the most notorious of a game then the gameplay should be at least decent and not receive little attention from the programmers.

 

[happymasksalesman happymasksalesman]

Game play Is important but when game have story it should be good.
Don't having any story or have a a good one

I think the same, the gameplay should always be the number 1 priority in any video game, if the story is the most notorious of a game then the gameplay should be at least decent and not receive little attention from the programmers.

Uramichi onisan!

Post automatically merged: Apr 28, 2025

skip

I do this when the game have chance to crash. Like all ds3 cutscenes and all npcs dialog.

 

[Mini_Man.XW]

story is great, but gameplay is King

 

[Viviana Santos]

I honestly don't care if a game has bad/mediocre gameplay as long as the story and characters are good. Some of my favorite games have gameplay that I consider to be pretty bad/mediocre, such as the first Drakengard, Super Paper Mario and the Persona 2 duology.

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I really love the stories and characters in the games I mentioned, but I won't lie that when it comes to gameplay and mechanics, these games aren't that great.

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In general, I like both gameplay and story.

 

[Deleted member 13897]

I don't really care about game stories because they all suck, except Disco Elysium.

The way you’re right about this

Post automatically merged: Apr 28, 2025

I’m happy to play a boring/unengaging game if the narrative is compelling enough. I especially like a slow burn so I’ve played a lot indie walkers lol, and I love every second of it. But my favorite game is Tetris, and a great puzzler/action game doesn’t need any sort of story or plot (though I do like it when they attach bad ones to them).

The worst games have mid gameplay and eye-rolling dialogue.

Post automatically merged: Apr 28, 2025

I honestly don't care if a game has bad/mediocre gameplay as long as the story and characters are good. Some of my favorite games have gameplay that I consider to be pretty bad/mediocre, such as the first Drakengard, Super Paper Mario and the Persona 2 duology.

Did you ever play Bug Fables?? Sooo good, immensely charming. I ask bc you mention Paper Mario