Rank your gaming priorities!

[stealthRUSH]

1. Gameplay: above all my top priory.
2. Visuals: not picky about eras.
3. Sound: not as important as the top two.
4. Writing: least priority of mine.

 

[TotzOnGaming]

Gameplay
Writing
Soundtrack
Graphics
Replay Value
A Nice Balance within each of the above.

 

[Gin]

Gameplay>sound>visuals>writing

Basically, I look for a game to be fun and entertaining, and the thing I care least about is the plot.

I would also like to add one more thing, which I would put above visuals: effects/feeling. Basically, if you hit it with a heavy hammer, for example, the screen shakes, if something explodes with force, everything shakes. Also, for example, if a robot is destroyed, it should be clearly seen, at least to some extent, how it is destroyed and its parts separate and fall into pieces.

I hate when a game looks so good and plays so well, but then you activate a power that looks super devastating, and then the power hits and... Nothing flies! Nothing shatters! The screen doesn't shake, and you don't see or feel any impact!

Basically, put a robot on the stage that looks super heavy, and then the game treats it like a plush toy. That really ruins some games for me, although I can't remember the names.

 

[Yousef]

Ah dang that’s a toughie, I’ll have to analyze things in the grand scheme of things but do I genuinely think all of these are incredibly important. But I think I have an answer for this challenging question.

1. Gameplay. It’s what I’ll always fall back to no matter what. I don’t disagree that a mediocre story can turn me off but but if the gameplay is just that good then I’m fine. If the story is just so bad that I can tolerate that.
2. Story. I see visual novels and point & clicks being used to somewhat devalue the gameplay > story argument but I often see the points brought up misconstrue what a gameplay element is. VNs and Adventure Games are games like any other games, it’s just that they’re elevated by their story and I see that as a good thing for games, not good thing for stories. It’s not really evidence to suggest story is more important, but evidence to the inverse where it shows story in itself is really important.
3. Sound. Now we finally reach the really easy ranks. As much as music can elevate a gaming experience, anecdotal evidence sadly cannot be relied on much. Exceptions are not the rule and most of the time music is an external factor. It’s why a lot of indie games are 100% “made” by one guy but the music is often by someone else or royalty free.
4. Visuals. Ok, I ragged on why I think “Story > Gameplay” is frankly silly, and as the internet grew and stopped being a “secret underground club”, this argument sadly unlocked its final form in the shape of “Artstyle > Gameplay” which is borderline laughable, but I’m not here to ridicule people of different points of views irregardless of how little water those views hold. And yes, I WAS part of a thread that tried to claim this. It was a lot of Nintendo fans for some reason. Gee, I wonder why…

 

[PKT]

If I had to rank them, I would ususally agree with

Gameplay > Visuals > Sound > Writing

Visuals and sound are incredibly close to the point of swapping at any given moment. I feel every game is the sum of its parts, so for me lacking gameplay can be made up by doing well in the others but in a vacuum this is how I would rank them

 

[AncientBehemoth]

I mostly care if game manages to hook me up be it gameplay, story or OST.

 

[Hikari.EXE]

Gameplay: The most important aspect. If you can say that a game could exist without its gameplay, then it shouldn't have been a game in the first place.
Sound: My hearing is very sensitive, I can even hear ultrasound waves (no kidding), so for me a good sound design is very important to a game.
Writing: My favorite game of all time has one of the most amazing stories I have even experienced... But I'll have to admit that the stories in games only exist to motivate the player to move to point A to B, so a good story that hypes the player to play the game is welcome.
Visuals: Now just because it's at the bottom of the list that doesn't mean it's not important, the visuals are the first thing you see in a game and for many will be the driving force to even give the game a try, but for me? I'm willing to give two pixels on the screen a try if the gameplay is exilirating, and on the topic of "graphics", the state-of-the-art of today will be the archaic of tomorrow, so "good graphics" are temporary but good gameplay is forever.

 

[Mr. Daddy]

Gameplay > Sound > Visuals > Writing.

Gameplay is so far and beyond the most important thing to me. If I don't find a game fun, I see no real reason for me to spend my time with it, and gameplay is pretty much the primary factor that determines that for me. Sound is important too though, mostly because annoying or bad sound design can really easily ruin something I'd otherwise enjoy. I don't really particularly care if visuals are technically good or bad, as long as they don't impede the gameplay. As for writing, it's essentially a bonus to me. If it's really good, I'll be happy with a well told story and characters, and if it sucks, I can laugh at it and probably still find some enjoyment.​