What is needed for a game to be "good"?

[burnpsy]

Exactly what the title says -- What makes a good game in any genre to you? There has to be something that people's favourites have in common with each other.

Of course, go ahead and say different things for different genres - I wouldn't expect the answers for RPGs to be the same as for FPSs.

[Makο]

RTS - Plenty of factions, units, buildings, and maps, as well as a good plot. Thats all it takes.

FPS - Balance, Fun, Lots of weapons, customizability, many maps, a half decent campaign, large battles, no lag.

I...don't really play any other genre. :\

[Limited Edition KING]

[font="Verdana"][b]A good game for me would have to be one that has these features:

- A big world environment (Think about GTA and other games like that.)
- Good soundtrack. (Music that suits the game and isn't horrible to listen to.)
- Customization. (I love creating characters in games that or being able to change the look of the main character.)

Of course other things like graphics, multiplayer and many other features would make the game better but these are some of the things I mostly look at when buying a game.[/b][/font]

[Spoon]

Atmosphere is key, in about every game I play (which are mostly RPGs and Action-Adventures/Jump 'n' Runs). If the game manages to "pull me in" with it's characters, it's story and it's ideas, it already won half the battle. I'm willing to overlook some designflaws, gameplay problems or low quality graphics as long as it fulfills at least 2 of the above criteria.
A good recent example would be "Alan Wake". The controls felt a little clumsy and the gameplay was a bit repetetive at times, and yes, the lip synching was horrible, but with it's creative story-telling, interesting characters and some really disturbing scenery, the game was over in a breeze, and to be quite honest, I can't get enough of it (bought all DLCs up until now). It reminds me of good old Twin Peaks and Stephen King at the same time.

Another minor thing I'm always holding an eye out for is good music. This can seriously enhance the game and create lasting memories like nothing else. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CK2hx377iU"]Click this link and try not to cry.[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx_Qqzs4cfk"]Click this link and try not to get goose bumps.[/url] I just love video game music because of that

[Scanty&Kneesocks]

All in all.
- The game has to flow well mechanic wise. If it's beyond buggy or glitchy than it's by(my) definition a terrible game no matter how the rest of it may be. (There is some exceptions but you have to really excel in all other areas.)
- Good gameplay. It doesn't have to be the best but if it's not playable, I don't care how good the story may be; Almost nobody will ever finish.


RPG:
- A good story, there are very rare occasions that I might play a game solely on gameplay (Cross Edge). The story helps push the game a long, if people don't find the gameplay all that exciting they might still continue to deal with it as long as the story is solid.
- A good system. The game cannot be too easy(on default difficulty), or too hard(on default difficulty), it also cannot be repetitive, if you are defaulting to using the same 1-attack on every monster you ever see than either the player must be over-powered or endgame with max everything(or on easy difficulty); or your game is simply not good.

[Kizzi]

GAMEPLAY.
POLISH.
REPLAYABILITY.

That is all.

[WTFauKorean]

fighting games: all about game play, it cant be one of those button smashing = 50 hit combo, graphics make no difference, it has to be fast paced but not to fast that its immpossible to combo. variation, no immitation characters, example mario,luigi, dr mario or all street fighter characters have the same (basic qcf+punch, qcb+kick and fdf+punch)

fps: guns are balanced according to map. no uber guns like the magnum from counter strike, grapihcs in this case does matter. balanced hit markers, variation in combat. balanced melee, no holding like 50 guns like in unreal.

rts: starcraft, red alert and rise of nations... thats it no exception

mmorpg: good user base, no uber noobs, balanced classes, no over load in classes (ive seen games with like 20 classes), pvp, grphics really dont matter. unique epuipment borderlands (not really mmorpg) really good example of unique equipment (guns wise)

rpg: all the final fantasys pretty much got it except tactics.

am i forgetting any?

[Dark]

I have the same answer for all genres.

Above all, the video game needs to be fun. I want to sit down, turn my [generic console] on, and feel like I am having fun playing this game. Not that I am forced to because I bought it, or because I should. If a video game doesn't draw you to it because it is fun, you are playing it for the wrong reasons.

In terms of RPG games, which seems to be the most popular genre, it needs to have an open world to explore. Anything with sidequests is smart, because it's already distracting you from the main storyline, giving you that feeling of openness. I don't need to stay on track, so I'll go do this, and this, and that... The storyline also needs to be coherent, interesting, but above all, emocional. Newer games have more emocional storylines. I don't want to come to an RPG and see the same old Mario storyline where Bowser steals the Princess. Partners in Time gave us a storyline, one that I particularly loved. Super Mario RPG had a pretty long storyline. But most importantly, the goddamn battle system. Look at Paper Mario's battle system. I feel that is a bit too much on the skills side. Look at Pokemon's battle system. Not only is it interesting because you have like fifty gazillion attacks to choose from, but it's a lot more luck based without straying too much away from skill.

[GHawk]

Good graphics, good story line, if FPS then good weapons, also a semi long campaign, and online play is what I look for.

[TheBigCheese]

IMO there is a constant theme which runs between the best games of all time.

What makes a game good? What part of a game seems to rest within your mind as a perpetual testament to the majesty of the game itself? What part of the game makes you remember and even feel like you felt when you played?

MUSIC!!!

[u][b][size="3"]Let's take my favourite game: The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time[/size][/b][/u]

This is a game that is fundamentally based on music, as you progress through the game you become enveloped within a score that resides in your soul. The music is what progresses the game forward and unlike most other top games (where the music is excelent nonetheless) the music itself is the focal point that the game gravitates around. The euphoric nostalga that hits like a calming wave is In my opinion one of the greatest sensations you can experience, allow me to provide you all with my quintessential example, the opening theme to Ocarina of Time (All OOT fans will know the majesty this theme entails). I suggest zelda and non zelda fans alike to listen to this through to the end and not be blown away by the epic nature of the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnv1eTH2BaA

As I write this very ODE to the game, this song itself fuels me to do so as I am shrouded in a beautiful bubble of images and memories of the game and of my childhood itself. Perhaps the best games are not the ones that play the best, OOT I will admit was overall a limited game, however perhaps the best games are defined as such due to their ability to move and evoke emotion. My argument is simple, what better way to evoke emotion than through music and that is why I believe music to be the defining quality to a great game.

To finish I leave you with the most beautiful song in the zelda series, I am planning to make a card based on this song but I don't have anything majestic enough to suit it. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fY39mKQkbU

If you are bored and want to check out my zelda card set, you find them in the pop-culture card section

Regards.......

TheBigCheese

[Gospel.]

Nothing. It's all opinion.

[Jacoby746]

RPG- Good, long plot, characters that I don't mind playing as/with, a lot of customization, fun to play.

FPS- Good campaign, fun and addicting multiplayer, balanced, bearable lag, good matchmaking.

[Yang Xiao-Long]

The definition of a "good" video game is all based on individual opinion.
However, most people will probably agree that as long as a video game is fun (because that's usually the main purpose), has a good storyline that draws you in to the point that you're glued to the screen so that you can move on in the plot, and most likely a decent soundtrack. Good music has a chance to draw in more people.

All video games need to be fun, that is a fact. It doesn't have to be complex, it can be simple. Simple games like Pong, for instance, is just 2 bars moving along their respective side of the screen. Classic game, and it's FUN.
As for what makes a video game fun however, is up to personal opinion. It'll vary from person to person, depending on what type of video game they enjoy.

Storylines, a.k.a. the plot, are key for many game types. They have a looser form in MMORPGs (but the story's still there), and genres such as Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and obviously Adventure, are required to have a decent storyline. Games that have multiple storylines which are affected by the player's decisions, and therefore different game endings, are quite popular nowadays simply because people want to find out what happens in every ending. Other games that contain single plots, Kingdom Hearts for example, must utilize an underlying, yet powerful theme. While some games such as Halo and Call of Duty have a storyline, the appeal of the Campaign Mode's storyline can be dramatically reduced by the PvP modes.

Decent soundtracks, as much as a corny reason this is for possibly making a "good" video game, has a place. It is the sounds you hear when playing. In some games, music is all you have, or need ( in cases like these, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and the like). Back to Kingdom Hearts again. The series has a powerful series of music arrangements, taking advantage of certain instruments to attract large crowds of people simply because it sounds GOOD. Albeit some people will get caught up in the music for a minute or two, that short amount of time can be enough to get that certain group of people to stay with the game, simply because they might want to hear that song again.

There. I've said my piece. Sorry for the wall of text.