Plot or gameplay

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Capuchinfan1337

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Okay so whenever I hear a review for a video game people usually have this “intricate” debate if the gameplay is more important than the plot Example: Any COD game or GTA. On the other hand there is the group of people who prefer the plot to gameplay, Example any turn based tactics game from overseas, Fire Emblem. I honestly prefer plot to gameplay since it can actually get you emotionally invested in the character’s struggles and triumphs and gives motivation for doing the right thing.
 
Personally, it’s not a matter of either/or but a matter of both/and. A great game must have both awesome plot and awesome gameplay together. Otherwise, it would be a mess.
 
Depends on the the purpose of the game. Bioshock, for instance, wouldn’t be what it is without its plot and its gameplay, both of which are excellent. Minecraft, on the other hand, has no plot whatsoever, but I’ve probably sunk more hours into it than any other gaming franchise save The Elder Scrolls (Which are probably more game-play heavy than plot-heavy, though I do tend to enjoy the stories)
 
It depends on the game. As you mentioned, you play Fire Emblem for the plot. Mechanically, the games are near identical except for the laguz in FE9 and FE10. On the other hand, I’m assuming no one would honestly say they play Minecraft for the plot.
 
Both are required to make a great game (see the Uncharted Series) but I have played decent games with bad/nonexistent story lines but never one with a good story line but bad gameplay. Gameplay makes the game good and a story line can take it to the next level.
 
You mean intricate like L.A. Noire? I’ve played both. I’ve played games like Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire with a plot and I’ve played games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Right now I have Assassin’s Creed III but I’m I want to Far Cry 3 because I haven’t had a shooting game in a long time.

So it depends for me. If Rockstar were to put another Red Dead Redemption, which it’s said that they’re planning, I’ll play that. If a good shooting game came out, then I’ll play that. It doesn’t matter with me, I can do both.
 
I agree with the responses. Gameplay is necessary for a good game. Plot is not. Minecraft was mentioned as an example; it is a great one. Consider also the Mario games: great gameplay, basically no plot.

On the other hand, plot does make games very memorable. I remember the Zelda franchise, Golden Sun and GS:TLA, Okami, etc. all because of their amazing plots and excellent gameplay. Having both is better than having one, but I would rather have gameplay than plot.
 
Tampa_Rays said:
Both are required to make a great game (see the Uncharted Series) but I have played decent games with bad/nonexistent story lines but never one with a good story line but bad gameplay. Gameplay makes the game good and a story line can take it to the next level.
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Ok, I do agree with this but, I feel like most military FPS’s ahem I’m looking at you call of duty games. COD 1-3 Germans are evil, COD 4 ambiguously Iraqi terrorists and Russians nationalists and it just goes down hill from there…
 
When games are focused on gameplay…gameplay. When games are focused on narrative, like RPGs…plot.

If it has both, plot trumps gameplay (Silent Hill 2).

Because then, games become a storytelling medium like every other book or movie, that evangelize the culture. And despite not being as universally played as movies are watched, they have a stronger influence on the player due to the nature of games’ interactivity.
 
With arcade-style games, racing games, and fighting games, it’s all about the gameplay.
With RPGs and adventure games, it takes a good plot to keep me interested. I’m more forgiving about repetitive gameplay if they have good plots.
 
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