Poll: The perfect game is...

[Casual Shinji]

Ambiance.

Whether it's a movie or a videogame, what's important to me is that it has the right "feel" or tone. This is usually what makes it stand the test of time. I don't need a terribly deep story or set of characters as long as they're enjoyable. And by this point, what videogame doesn't have at least decent controls?

Neither Shadow of the Colossus nor Resident Evil 4 has deep and interesting characters or plot (though SotC does leave more room for pondering), but both draw you in with their ambiance alone.

 

[Squilookle]

Narrative and story telling is nice, I like a game with a good story, but it has never really been important to me. I'm always a little dumbfounded when somebody tells me "I don't like that game because the story was crap" ...... It's like saying you didn't like movie because the background music is bad; you're not watching the movie to listen to background music, you're probably watching it for the story, visual effects or acting.

I see where you're coming from, and I agree that a game does not need to have a good story to be great, but the reason people justifyably get turned off by a bad game story is because the game attempted a story, and failed. If it didn't HAVE a story it wouldn't be an issue, but since it had a story there and tried to get the player engaged in it, it becomes important for it to be good because of that.

It's the same deal with movie music. If it doesn't have any, it doesn't mean anything. However, if they put it in the full package, it becomes subject to the same judgement of quality as the rest of the product. After all, you couldn't call a cake perfect if it had a rotten cherry on top would you? Even if you didn't eat it- it's still part of the package. They tried putting a cherry on top, and botched it.

 

[Richardplex]

Well, character development and to a lesser extent plot are why I play games, and any other medium. I enter one of the 6 mediums of storytelling to be a told a story, nothing more.

 

[Zantos]

I think it's a case of "All of the above". Something I've been noticing about a lot of my favourite games is that none of them excel in any single area, but the combination of all factors makes me really enjoy them, Fallout 3 being a prime example of this.

So for me, the perfect game is one where the overall combination of factors is capable of making me not care about, or not even notice, any single complaints I may have about it.

But, of the list, I think ambiance cuts it for me. Many a games have been made or lost for me by the feel I get in the game world.

 

[lRookiel]

For me, it's every one of those things but it has to be done right! I like games that do what other games do, but better.

For example, Baldurs gate is one of my favourite games because of it's incredible story driven brilliance that made the game stand out and it still holds up today really well against newer releases.

Also, I LOVE the first WH40K Dawn of War because it's so fun! Who cares about story when you get to upgrade your Orks with MORE DAKKA? or hack down hundreds of imperial guard with the Khorne beserkers!? It stood out from the crowd and still I play it every day. I still think Dawn of war makes for a better playing experience than Starcraft 2 because it's got more content, and feels like it is as good as it can be.

I'm basically saying I look for the best anyway, no half assed games for me, no thanks EA :3

 

[ABLb0y]

Plot/Character development. I tend to prefer a game if I have a good grasp on what I'm in it for, that's why I turned off Skyrim, despite it being kind of generally shit.

 

[Hunter65416]

None of the above, the perfect game is fun

 

[SckizoBoy]

In answer to the topic title, only one can suffice in the broad context: ... does not, has not and will never exist.

As for the poll... I'm kinda split, 'cos I like a good plot...

KotoR: Suffers all the same problems of Jade Empire. With the addition of poor game voice acting, some would say the game is just all around crap. But the plot twists! The companions! The Ending! UGHUGHUHUGHUGHGUHUGHUGHGUGHGUGHUGHUGH!! *Changes pants again*

Yeah, I'm with you... ' ... apart from... ' ... yeah... ' ...!

However, I'm a sucker for good gameplay, s'why I enjoyed AC:R even though virtually everything else about it was shit. The ambiance... is what you make of it and I think that if the plot and gameplay are good, you won't really care for it.

*shrug* *goes back to playing RTW!!*

 

[Scarim Coral]

No gameplay?

Well I guess I go with Length/addictiveness.
To me a good game have a good length since I feel unsatify if it finish only within a couple of days and the addictive will help me to continue to play it.

while plot/character development is somewhat important but what about puzzles game that got neitehr a character not plot but it is still awesome? (Like Lumines or Chimes.)

Again ambiance is somewhat important but not all great games had excellent soundtracks but the game itself is still good. Also unless you mean look as high end graphic or the look of the game setting/ theme, either are somewhat not important (but it help) since I don't judge a game for the looks.

Originality, err try saying that to most of Jrpg but yet people still love it.

Comfortable game controls, unless it is unplayable due to wonky control, I will just get used to it.

 

[MammothBlade]

well you need alot to have a perfect game but examples of good games are metal gear solid 4 it has great graphics great plot it was super fun you wanted to get every item and you wanted to go and call otacon so games like that where every time you play it feels just as great as the first are perfect

Except it didn't have so much gameplay. Act 3 was pretty poorly designed, too. There were so many things about MGS4 which make it good, but quite flawed in its execution.

I've come to value interactivity within the storyline and character development. I'd say a "perfect" game is one which epitomises interactivity and customisability flawlessly interweaved with an interesting, and long story. Good soundtrack not optional.

 

[zehydra]

I think it's funny how gameplay's not on the list.

I also think it's very strange how plot/character development is winning overwhelmingly at the time of this post.

I voted for Ambience, but I would've voted for Gameplay if it were on the list.

It kind of bothers me actually, that people would prefer a good story over a good world representation in a game. I mean, if story's what you care about the most, the why not read a book? Or see a movie? Those things specialize in story. Video games, on the other hand, seem to excel at promoting idea of the world. I find it difficult to believe that a game's best quality is it's storyline when THE ENTIRE POINT OF VIDEO GAMES IS INTERACTIVENESS.

Let's break down this poll into perhaps another way of looking at it:

Plot/Character Dev: (the why [for the characters])
Ambience: (the where)
Length/Addictiveness (the why [for the player]) //note, storyline can contribute to a game's addictiveness. A compelling story can make you play a terrible game just find out what happens next (but it still doesn't make it a terrible game)
Originality (Not applicable to this analogy)
Comfortable Game Controls (The how [physical rules, as opposed to game rules. Game rules would essentially be gameplay])

 

[dimensional]

Well there is no perfect game and there will be no perfect game simply put if you think something is perfect youre standards are too low perfection is an ideal to strive for not a state of being, if the perfect game was made however well then there would be no reason to make any others as the medium would have reached its pinnacle and cannot be improved upon.

But I will play along and looking at the poll ill pick out comfortable game controls whatever that means exactly but I certainly wouldnt want tolerable or uncomfortable game controls.

 

[dobahci]

Well, I voted Plot/character development, but really I think it's the actual atmosphere of the game. Call it "immersiveness", if you will.

This! Immersiveness is a key factor in making me remember a game long after I've finished playing it, and making me want to replay it just to experience that atmosphere all over again.

 

[Renegade-pizza]

The perfect game is the kind that you can play for hours, not noticing that you haven't eaten or urinated in all that time, and by the end, you feel accomplished, satisfied and can't wait for round two. Simply, it has to be fun. Fun.Fun.Fun. Whatever it entails, it should add to your fun.

 

[Renegade-pizza]

Also, it should be timeless. I can still sit down and play Mass Effect 2 and enjoy myself immensely and simply forget I'm playing an aged game.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Something that successfully integrates sound, visuals, and mechanics to do something like tell a story, create a mood, or create an opportunity to have fun with my friends.

 

[chstens]

How come all "What's most important in a game" polls always forget fun/interesting gameplay and mechanics.

 

[azurine]

I wish there was an "all of the above" option.

 

[Bostur]

I feel you are asking two different questions here. The perfect game, and the most important element of a game?

The most important element of a game is a sense of constant imbalance that they player strives to keep under control. There's a few exceptions. True storydriven games like Adventure games and pure puzzlers work a bit different.

Most gameplay is really a variation of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_board

Whether it's Tetris, CoD or SimCity they all rely on that simple mechanic.

Perfection is too abstract to say anything useful about.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

You left out a very important option in your poll: How fun the game is. Everything up there can exist in a game and it still come out incredibly boring.