Which one is stronger and more attracting, the game story or the game graphics ?

[TwinDeer]

Greetings everyone

I need your help to finalize the below please

Which one is stronger and more attracting, the game story or the game graphics ?

sometimes the graphics make the story more attracting, I believe there are some stories with poor graphics but it's successful and the opposite where you find amazing graphics but weak story and also successful
so this is confusing on which one is better
 

so what do you think ?

 

[Warpmind]

Basically, the graphics help pull you in.
The story holds on to you.

I've yet to hear of anyone claiming to love a game for the graphics, though I've heard several people claim they loved the graphics of a game.
I HAVE often heard people claim they love or hate a game's story, but let's be honest, how often have you looked at a game's cover and thought "Oh, wow, this story looks awesome; I'm gonna buy it!" without any other properties of the game clearly indicated?

 

[Kes]

Why is this being posed as an either/or?  Why is it not both/and?  Do both to the best of your ability.

 

[Kaiju Master]

undoubtedly story for me.  If I cared about graphics I wouldn't still be playing ff7.

 

[Matseb2611]

As Warpmind said, graphics help to win the audience to buy your game and to play it, because that's the first thing they see, whereas the story is what keeps them playing. Attraction for graphics peaks early, but an attraction to the story builds up over time, but can essentially have a more impactful and longer-lasting effect.

I'd also say, your graphics should reflect the nature of your story. A darker, more melancholy story should also have darker, grittier graphics (like PVGames style), whereas a lighthearted story should have colourful graphics (like DS style). If your graphics match the mood of your story, it amplifies the impact on the players, because visuals play a big part in how the player interacts with your game's world.

 

[The Mighty Palm]

Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Love and Hate, Graphics and Story... 

These are all things that must exist in balance. One cannot exist without the other.

If you were to only focus on one, then it would all lack any substance.

Music is the truly more important one anyway. Good soundtrack > Good Graphics. 

 

[TwinDeer]

@thejesse081 I agree with you, but still one should be stronger than the others to make the game more attractive  

 

[TwinDeer]

For sure the story will make you love the game and excited to know what will happen next

on the other hand, the graphics will take your mind to another dimensions which also something amazing

I know some people prefere graphics over story and some prefere story over the graphics

so we are still in the cube where is no answer for the question yet

 

[Kes]

If you are wanting an absolute answer, I think you will have to accept that there isn't one.  

• Some players will give the story more weight than others (and what about game play?) Who is to say which are right? 
• How do the graphics and music work together?  
• Some people are more influenced by visual signals and stimuli than others.
• Aspects of story (e.g. emotions and atmosphere) are conveyed by graphics and music, not words or actions, so you can't always neatly compartmentalize them as totally separate aspects.

I expect there are other points which don't immediately come to mind.  My point is that your question doesn't have a definitive answer, imo.  As I said in an earlier post, all you can do is give all aspects your best shot.  That way, those who find one aspect more attractive will be catered for, and those who prefer another will also be happy.

 

[Toaofgames]

Basically, the graphics help pull you in.

The story holds on to you.

This.

 

[Miss Nile]

Let me be honest. RPG-wise, whenever I open a game's topic, the first thing I scroll to is the screenshots. If the mapping and graphics are attractive enough, then I'm obliged to read the story and most likely download the game if I really liked the graphics even if the story isn't that special. So basically, I do agree that graphics help 'pull you in.'

However, it's all a temporary effect if the story isn't that good. You might continue playing the game to the end, but as soon as you're done with it, if the story isn't memorable, then it's all forgotten the moment you click delete. If the story is really that boring, well, you might not complete the game at all in the first place. XD

However, I do agree that it's best that the game has both. You don't have to get the greatest graphics ever and there's no 100% original story, but at least put some effort in both so you can create a game that's visually attractive and memorable in your players' minds as well.

 

[Sharm]

TwinDeer, please avoid double posting, as it is against the forum rules. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.

Gameplay>Music>Aesthetics>Story

This is a common thing you'll hear from me but aesthetics and graphics are not the same thing and aesthetics is way more important than graphics.  You can have high fidelity, photo realistic graphics but with poor aesthetics people will complain about how ugly everything is.  You can have stick figures and blobs of pixels and with good aesthetics it'll still draw people in.  I'm just going to move forward in the conversation as if you're talking about aesthetics instead of graphics.

I have played and replayed games where I thought the story was stupid but I loved the art.  I've had hard times finishing games where the aesthetics didn't attract me but the story was still good.  Maybe I'm just a really visual person but if a game has terrible aesthetics I just can't keep caring the whole way through.  Really though, what matters most to me is if it's enjoyable to play, that's what makes the difference and why I keep playing games where I think the story is unclear or stupid even in RPGs.

 

[Ms Littlefish]

I feel like this discussion comes up a lot. It's all important. Every decision someone makes toward their game should be calculated and thought out in some way. 

I agree with Sharm that graphics and aesthetic are different. You can take the most powerful engines with the prettiest pieces and turn out junk if you don't know what you're doing or what your goal with the graphical presentation is. The graphics could even be beautiful but if they aren't cohesive with the aesthetic of the game they'll look strange.

All the components of your game should continue to drive and re-enforce the overall aesthetic and theme of the game, sort if its brand. 

Without thought and effort put into the visual choices of the game (hell, the audio too) it's a lot harder to convince people that your game is also fun and that the story is enticing. Plenty will think that is unfair but it doesn't mean you have to spend thousands on custom tiles or bust art because pretty and one-of-kind tiles won't even do the job if you don't know how to use the tools at your fingertips. Learn some GIMP, learn how to use some scripts, and most importantly learn to map well. If you work well with your tools people will also think the other things, the story, are even better.

 

[Matseb2611]

It probably also differs what kind of game you're making. If you're making an RPG, then story is definitely important. An RPG is all about getting into the role of interesting characters with interesting motivations in an interesting world. If you prefer not to put much effort into the story, then maybe RPG isn't the genre for you.

 

[amerk]

The problem for me isn't the graphics, it's the aesthetics behind them. Retro graphics (when in the hands of a competent designer) can stir a wide variety of wonder, awe, and emotions as newer graphics, and the opposite is also true. Consistency and mapping are the important thing for me. If you're a terrible mapper, your maps are going to be terrible whether you choose to use older 8-bit graphics, the RTP, or newer custom graphics. When I look at screenshots, I don't look at what graphics were used; I look at how well they were used.

So for me, no, graphics has nothing to do with it so much as the way they are used. I generally weigh story, game play, and the overall look together. While I don't expect them all to be of super quality, they need to meet a certain threshold for me to consider playing it.

*** If the game play is broken, confusing, glitched, improperly balanced - I don't care how great the game looks or how well the story is. If I can't play it, why bother?

*** If the story is boring or poorly written, I don't care how well it plays or how great it looks. If a large portion of the game is for me to sit through a boring story I can't relate to, I won't be interested in continuing.

*** If the mapping completely sucks and the atmosphere is large, boring, and vastly empty, I'm probably not even going to get through the first five minutes to even consider the game play or the story.

 

[CzarSquid]

Both are very important. Both elements are so closely interconnected that to separate them would be silly since both are experienced at the same time in games. If done correctly, they can actually enhance the experiance when they work together (Portal 2, Mortis Ghost's Off, Earthbound come to my mind of games that do this very well).

The graphics are very important. It convey a message before they even touch the game. This the first and last thing they will see in a game. Consistent art style is necessary for a good game and atmosphere. No one wants mismatched textures or ugly art in their games. The RTP irks me too despite it being decent for art. It should be something pleasant to the eyes and not something you want to get tired of quickly.

The story is just as important but fulfills a different role. It's the fuel to the fire of interest. If the story is weak, the flame will die. Too much fuel and it is possible to drown the flame too. It has to balance with enough story with the gameplay. Give the player room to make their choices. Don't hold the player's hand the entire game. Allow them to experience the story themselves. The best stories I've seen in games are the ones that don't solely rely on dialogue to deliver the message.