darkSpyro

Honestly this topic has been on my mind ever since school started. It's seems that nowadays that I just have less and less time to play story driven games like witcher, uncharted, and persona to the point where I just stopped playing them for no reason whatsoever. Which is a real shame because I have been enjoying the tomb raider reboot yet the time restraints that I have right now prevent me from being motivated to play them. However a game that I have been playing a lot recently is overwatch because you can just log in, play a couple of rounds, leave, and then repeat the next day. You don't need a lot of time because a game is about the average of 5-10 minutes which leaves a lot of time to want to play just one more match till I leave. Another game that comes to mind is animal crossing which is also very easy to play everyday. You simply go into your town, do your chores, talk to your villagers, and then just leave for the day. Games without stories just attract me at the moment because of school which is why I prefer them at the moment. However I'm not saying that I absolutely hate games that are story driven because that would be ridiculous. I want to finish games that I started ages ago that I haven't seen the endings to but time just isn't on my side to play them.

It's not so much story that matters to me, but more so context, good characters, and writing.

But I do find it ironic that you find it more difficult to digest story driven games compared to multiplayer games when classes are in the way of your gaming. I'm the exact opposite. Multiplayer games tend to be harder for me to get into when I'm tied down by classes or work of any kind, because the way a lot of multiplayer games work these days is that you have to play the same maps over and over with random people online to build up a rank and then unlock new content that way. They often have a pretty big competitive focus too these days, which also often leads to toxic communities (*coughSmashcough*) where people hate you for playing a certain character or whatever else. All in all, it always ends up being a fairly soulless, sometimes even toxic experience for me. And when a game is competitive or hardcore in anyway, I like to have time to really invest in it. It's the reason I still have a free trial AND a Collector's Edition of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, both unused (and unopened in the latter's case). I just have not had the time to invest into a game like that.

The only multiplayer game I can get into lately is Uncharted 4, but that was helped by the fact it also has a strong singleplayer too and I'm just a big fan of the franchise in general (I also loved Uncharted 3's multiplayer at the time).

Also, multiplayer games are usually best played with a friend or two rather than just randoms. I have way more fun that way. However, I just don't have any friends to really play with. Most of my friends either don't play the same games as me, are still stuck on last gen systems (and just play singleplayer games there), or just don't have the budget/interest to keep up with gaming releases in the same way I might.

With singleplayer games though, even if they aren't particularly story driven, they generally have some nice variety in the kinds of levels you play, unlocks from playing well or finding secrets tend to be more satisfying and provide more noticeable bonuses in a quicker amount of time, and most importantly, they have a definite beginning or end. Usually they average in at about 10 hours for an average enough playthrough, 20 hours if you're lucky. And as someone who is admittedly kinda lonely yet doesn't really have the time or resources to go out and make some new friends right now, who might play the same games as me, I just like playing games with some endearing characters who go through epic adventures to help fill that void of emotional experiences in life (by emotional experiences, I don't necessarily mean sad or depressing games, happy and upbeat games with a sense of adventure are just as emotional in their own way), that I can get attached to and maybe draw some fanart of or buy a cool figure of.

I tend to steer away from open world games though and complex RPGs until summer time, because they also require more time.

Of course, everything I say here is just my personal outlook, mostly dictated by my personal life situation. I can totally see why some people prefer multiplayer games.

Story. Having cutscenes isn't enough otherwise games would feel like bland toys that only exist to fill us up and nothing more.

There are non-story games I can play but they're mostly time-wasters, which isn't automatically a bad thing.

CTR: Crash Team Racing benefits for giving players context to why they're racing with an end-goal in mind whereas the Mario Kart series continues to feel empty.

Hitman's another great example because you're told who to kill, where and why, which makes playing the game feel exciting.

with story.

To me, the game doesn't need to have a great plot, but good writing, and giving depth to the world is something I appreciate. For example, Super Mario Galaxy has very little plot, but the cutscenes are pretty great, the in-game dialogue is well-written, and Rosalina's side story gives a good bunch of depth to the new characters.

But there's a thing that people forget: a good plot doesn't mean a dark and serious plot, and vice-versa. Look at Sonic 2006. It's dark and serious, but it's not interesting and well-written, feeling bland and uninteresting. The visuals don't help too. Now, look at Crash TwinSanity. While it has some plot holes that might bother some people, it's dialogue is pretty clever, the writing keeps you interested and it gives the depth to you, so you can know who are the characters and why they're doing these things. And it doesn't take itself seriously at all.

But well, that's only my personal opinion.

no story. Video games are not movies.

Not story, writing. A game can be great with the simplest plot, but if you don't care, it diminishes the whole thing. It should also compliment gameplay, since great fun can draw you in, but only emotional attachment will keep you in.

Story. It need not be complex though — just something to tell you who you are and what your motivation is. Even the simplest games from the 70s and 80s had basic stories. Games like Tetris are an exception though.

Well we have good examples of with (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon) and games without (Mario Kart).
Personally I prefer with since it makes everything more immersive.

To keep it short and simple, depends on what kind of game it is.

Like obviously a story would be necessary for a game that's meant to be a big epic adventure, not so much for say a kart racer.

Well to be fair good story is something to aspire to, it is a challenge to get to. Mindless fun is great and all, but story is what would keep me running for the long hours. With exceptions for both.
Like Dead Rising 2 where i let the story go **** in a corner while i go have fun.
And Prince of Persia Warrior Within which kept me in it for the stellar gameplay A++++
But a game like Max Payne would sit in my "not-done" basket if it wasn't for the story.
Also Darkest Dungeon has a pretty good plot and setting i quess. I love that game mmmh gimme gimme.