videogames: story vs gameplay

[Astral Poetry]

Speaking of Legacy of Kain, was anyone else hugely disappointed with Soul Reaver 2? While the puzzles were awesome, the story was awesome, and the gameplay was awesome... the game took like 14 hours to beat!! And there were no secrets or anything to hunt out... that was bullshit. Soul Reaver took like 50 hours to beat and there were plenty of secrets to find. Man... that pissed me off enormously when I finished Soul Reaver 2 so shortly.

In response to the question on Dragon Warrior 7, you would love it as I've noticed you have a nack for old school rpg's (DW7 is very nostalgic). I hated Soul Reaver 2's fighting system the most. The story kept me playing through though. It has to be one of the finest stories ever.

 

[Obyeybyeogone]

Hmmm, in response to the original question:

I think the most important thing is gameplay, but a GREAT story can make the game a fucking classic.

For example, Final Fantasy: Tactics (of course) The gameplay was fucking superb, I always wanted to keep playing to further customize my characters and my overall "squad". BUT THEN, if that wasn't enough, the story was just fucking excellent, I couldn't wait to see how various characters would develop along, or come back to stab me in the back

Metal Gear Solid 2 was horrendusly disappointing. I enjoyed the cutscenes AND the gameplay, for the seven hours of gameplay it took me to finish, and I've never wanted to play again since.

A good story cannot compensate for inadequate gameplay or game length.

A lot of times though if the story is ridiculously bad I won't have enough drive to keep playing.. but I'm lazy like that

 

[LuminousAether]

The fighting in Soul Reaver 2 was good to me, it reminded me of the Zelda: Ocarina of Time combat. You know, Ocarina of Time really did have one hell of an innovative combat system, unless something came out before it with the lock-on circle strafing deal... and if so, someone please inform me so I can combat my cousin who absolutely nuts over that game day in and day out.

 

[LuminousAether]

Hmmm, in response to the original question:

I think the most important thing is gameplay, but a GREAT story can make the game a fucking classic.

For example, Final Fantasy: Tactics (of course) The gameplay was fucking superb, I always wanted to keep playing to further customize my characters and my overall "squad". BUT THEN, if that wasn't enough, the story was just fucking excellent, I couldn't wait to see how various characters would develop along, or come back to stab me in the back

Metal Gear Solid 2 was horrendusly disappointing. I enjoyed the cutscenes AND the gameplay, for the seven hours of gameplay it took me to finish, and I've never wanted to play again since.

A good story cannot compensate for inadequate gameplay or game length.

A lot of times though if the story is ridiculously bad I won't have enough drive to keep playing.. but I'm lazy like that

Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance fixed the length issue, have you played it? There are over 500 VR and alternate missions, new difficulty modes which supposedly make the game almost impossibly challenging, and a few extra missions in the Big Shell where you can play as Solid Snake (without radar) that are supposed to be crazily difficult as well. Man, I have so much shit left to do in that game...

 

[Obyeybyeogone]

Yeah but no offense, I FUCKING HATED THE BIG SHELL! Jesus.

Did anyone else get so fucking sick of that fucking thing?

I never want to set foot on that shell thing again.

 

[Embers Astray]

I'm kind of going slightly off topic here, but I think it would be great to have a forum for videogames at UM. I mean, these discussions are rather interesting to say the least. However, I do not think it would go over well with Mark because it does not seem like creating such a forum would be necessary.

 

[Astral Poetry]

Yeah but no offense, I FUCKING HATED THE BIG SHELL! Jesus.

Did anyone else get so fucking sick of that fucking thing?

I never want to set foot on that shell thing again.

Metal Gear Ray transport ship > Big Shell
The first half (really about 1/4) was outstanding...then raiden came into the picture.

 

[Obyeybyeogone]

It wasn't really Raiden that bothered me, just the whole "Pod" layout.

I want to go around outside, or in an office building, for example. Not on a fucking wannabe oiltanker.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Metal Gear Solid? Soul Reaver?? Zelda??? All those PS2 games are action-based fighting games and are therefore not to my liking.
Doesn't anyone like to use their brain these days?
STORY is the most important I tell you -
Syberia
The Longest Journey
Discworld trilogy
Any Lucasarts adventure game besides Full Throttle

 

[-Desecrated-]

For example, Final Fantasy: Tactics (of course) The gameplay was fucking superb, I always wanted to keep playing to further customize my characters and my overall "squad". BUT THEN, if that wasn't enough, the story was just fucking excellent, I couldn't wait to see how various characters would develop along, or come back to stab me in the back

A-fucking-men dude. Final Fantasy Tactics is way up there on my favorite games list. That game is unbelievably amazing. The gameplay is phenomenal, and a great story to back it up. Leveling up my characters, and getting all the classes was so much fun.


Here's my list for games with the best storylines -

1. Xenogears
2. Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver series
3. Final Fantasy 6
4. Chrono Trigger
5. Lunar
6. Final Fantasy 7
7. Final Fantasy 10
8. Secret of Mana (The game that introduced us all to Druidism )
9. Final Fantasy Tactics
10. Tales of Destiny

 

[-Desecrated-]

Metal Gear Solid? Soul Reaver?? Zelda??? All those PS2 games are action-based fighting games and are therefore not to my liking.
Doesn't anyone like to use their brain these days?
STORY is the most important I tell you -
Syberia
The Longest Journey
Discworld trilogy
Any Lucasarts adventure game besides Full Throttle

Do you have any idea how complicated and well thought-out the storyline behind the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver games is?

 

[squarenothing66]

Xenogears storyline kicks ass.

Most I've played a game is probably... 75 days or so. Yes, that's 75 COMPLETE 24 hour periods.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Do you have any idea how complicated and well-thought out the storyline behind the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver games is?

I don't know, its just a fighting game to me. Any game that requires complicated control and reflexes ... i mean the story isn't really integrated into the game, its like a reward for completing each stage, to see a bit of the story. The gameplay doesn't have a lot to do with anything. It doesn't seem any different from those mortal kombat street fighter games of the early 90's - i could never see the point to them, and never got any enjoyment out of playing them. I agree with the guy who said these games are the "nu-metal" of the gaming world; its like they said hey, lets make a game with a bunch of enemies to fight, really complex controls to figure out and we can sell heaps of games.

 

[FangsFirst]

I don't know, its just a fighting game to me. Any game that requires complicated control and reflexes ... i mean the story isn't really integrated into the game, its like a reward for completing each stage, to see a bit of the story. The gameplay doesn't have a lot to do with anything. It doesn't seem any different from those mortal kombat street fighter games of the early 90's - i could never see the point to them, and never got any enjoyment out of playing them. I agree with the guy who said these games are the "nu-metal" of the gaming world; its like they said hey, lets make a game with a bunch of enemies to fight, really complex controls to figure out and we can sell heaps of games.

The controls for SR aren't really that complex...

Not to mention you're talking story with almost no gameplay when you get into adventure games (and I LIKE adventure games, Grim Fandango and Sanitarium are two of the best games I've ever played)

But how is the story integrated into the "game" of any game?

in adventure games, clicking objects is not really a story, is it? or walking?

I've never seen how a story COULD be integrated into a game...like ACTUALLY INTEGRATED INTO YOUR PLAYING.

 

[-Desecrated-]

I've never seen how a story COULD be integrated into a game...like ACTUALLY INTEGRATED INTO YOUR PLAYING.

Easily. A game where all you do is press the button in order to move the dialogue or actions that the characters are engaging in forward. And you simply watch it unfold. Sort of close to the Xenosaga experience.

 

[FangsFirst]

Easily. A game where all you do is press the button in order to move the dialogue or actions that the characters are engaging in forward. And you simply watch i unfold. Sort of close to the Xenosaga experience.

Hahah exactly...that's not really PLAYING, now is it?

 

[Aecliptica]

i need to play xenogears again
....so touching.....

 

[Astral Poetry]

I have a Xenosaga shirt...me > you (it came free so I'm not that big of a geek).

 

[LuminousAether]

I don't know, its just a fighting game to me. Any game that requires complicated control and reflexes ... i mean the story isn't really integrated into the game, its like a reward for completing each stage, to see a bit of the story. The gameplay doesn't have a lot to do with anything. It doesn't seem any different from those mortal kombat street fighter games of the early 90's - i could never see the point to them, and never got any enjoyment out of playing them. I agree with the guy who said these games are the "nu-metal" of the gaming world; its like they said hey, lets make a game with a bunch of enemies to fight, really complex controls to figure out and we can sell heaps of games.

Spoken like a truly close-minded person.

Soul Reaver 1 and 2 both featured very complex and thought-provoking puzzles. Hell, those games aren't centered around combat at ALL! Soul Reaver 1 was centered around block puzzles (goddamn you block puzzles) and exploration while Soul Reaver 2 was centered around the story and the puzzles as exploration wasn't nearly as important.

Mortal Kombat was a blast to play, and the guy said sports games were like the nu metal of video games, not fighting games. Soul Calibre may be a tournament fighter, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best games ever made.

And Metal Gear Solid... a nonstop fighting action game?

You've never played it before, have you?

 

[Pancakes]

If anyone wants to call NHL 96 a nu-metal equivalent, I will be more than happy to jam my Genesis so thuroughly up their ass that when they wake up in the morning, they have to shave blue whiskers and move four times faster than the average hedgehog.

...

...