For YOU, what makes a game "Great"?

[Menegrothx]

RTS' are known for their strategy and not so much for its protagonist, etc.

Objection!

[graffix_13]

RTS' are known for their strategy and not so much for its protagonist, etc.

Objection!

Ha! Yes, touche. I guess I was generalizing again. I was thinking more along the lines of Age of Empires for RTS.

Warcraft has a good, rich mythos with plenty of heroes/villains.

[Erik_Twice]

YES!!! I hate how IGN just throws around 10s to so many games. They may be great, but a 10 is a completely perfect game, that can never be beat, and a game like that is impossible.

Not according to their own scoring system.

10.0 - MASTERPIECE

The pinnacle of gaming, a masterpiece may not be flawless, but it is so exceptional that it is hard to imagine a game being better. At the time of its release, this game is the not just the best the system can offer, but better than we could have expected.

Sure the gameplay is great, the story is deep, and the characters are memorable, but what sets it over the bar?

I just had a heart attack.

[Godot102]

For me I value:

Gameplay/fun factor: Do you enjoy playing the game? A game that many consider repetitve can still be good if I find the the gameplay to be enjoyable.

Music: Many people do not value this, but to me music is a very important part of a video game and can really help to enhance the experience and mood.

Concept: I really enjoy games that try to be different and can pull it off.

Story/setting: For an RPG, the story plays a HUGE role in whether or not the game is enjoyable to me. I don't mind a simplistic plot as long as it is well executed. To be honest, I feel that sometimes JRPGs try way too hard to be complex or deep and their plots end up suffering as a result. I am also not a fan of an overly generic plot and characters. I feel that many JRPGs are way longer than they need to be or have too weak of a plot to warrant a 50+hr playthrough. Another aspect I enjoy, and is a must in order for me to truly enjoy an rpg, is the writing. That can seriously help strengthen not only the plot, but the environment in the game.

For a non-RPG, I believe the plot/story is told by the levels themselves and the music as opposed to a series of cutscenes/character development. So I really value the level designs and the creativity shown in the levels.

Replay Value: This is important for me. How often or how likely will I come back to a game. Some of the games that I would put in my top 10 can be completed in under an hour however, I have played through them several times. I prefer a game that is two hours long with a lot of replay value than one that is 60hrs that I will play through once.

[Menegrothx]

Sure the gameplay is great, the story is deep, and the characters are memorable, but what sets it over the bar?

I just had a heart attack.

Haha Chrono Trigger, deep story? Memorable characters?
It's a great game, but it has neither of those.

I'd like to know how many RPGs, or story based games in general, pankakes123 has played within his lifetime

What sets it over the bar?
I'd say "dem graphics" and soundtrack, but even though the game looks and sounds phenomenal for a 16-bit game that's not a simple side scroller, there are other RPGs on the SNES that rival and maybe even surpass Chrono Trigger in that area.

Time travelling gimmick and the fact that the developers put thought into it (multiple endings and general sense that you can make choiches/have an impact on the game world, something quite rare in JRPGs)

Innovative and fun battle system

[muhanad]

YES!!! I hate how IGN just throws around 10s to so many games. They may be great, but a 10 is a completely perfect game, that can never be beat, and a game like that is impossible.

Not according to their own scoring system.

10.0 - MASTERPIECE

The pinnacle of gaming, a masterpiece may not be flawless, but it is so exceptional that it is hard to imagine a game being better. At the time of its release, this game is the not just the best the system can offer, but better than we could have expected.

Oh, interesting. I always saw that it said masterpiece but never saw their specific definition. Makes more sense now.

[sevin0seven]

replay value.

[brunoafh]

I've always felt that using some number system to gauge the enjoyment that can be had out of a video game was a really poor way to go about it. It's a highly subjective and interactive experience that you can't just slap a number on, and any given number system in this case is arbitrary at best. The medium has evolved so incredibly fast as well, and there are so many types of games people enjoy for completely different reasons. And I say that not even counting the publications that give instant 10s to every one of those games, further making the whole thing pointless.

Also I don't think masterpiece = "perfect". There are several games that I personally consider to be masterpieces of their genre for different reasons, and I don't see why every aspect of the game (music, writing, programming, etc) should have to be a "perfect 10/10" to make it a viable claim. *insert beauty of flaws quote*