Is Gameplay Really Better Than Graphics?

It’s inevitable. Someone will pop into a random Wind Waker-related thread in a forum and comment, “I hate the graphics.” And then, before the thread moves on, someone else will retort, “You haven’t even played it yet! Can’t you look past the graphics? It’s all about the gameplay. Gameplay is more important than graphics.” The Celda-hater is left speechless.

After all, it’s viewed as common wisdom of the gaming community that gameplay is indeed better than the graphics. And it’s true, but only to a certain point. In fact, I argue that some people will not look past the graphics when they play it, and not only that, but that it doesn’t mean they’re shallow gamers. Surprised? Read on.

[darkcharizard]

Yup.

[Gue1]

Then how do you explain FFXIII? Most people love the game and the gamelay consist on going through a corridor while mashing the X button all the time.

[ChickeyCantor]

If the gameplay sucks the visuals won't matter.
This is a fact.

@below

"You know as much as I loved everything Wind Waker had to offer, I think the graphics were the most appealing to me"

The whole feel of windwaker was amazing.
Its something that is missing ever since i played that game.

[NecrumSlavery]

You know as much as I loved everything Wind Waker had to offer, I think the graphics were the most appealing to me. The ToonShading is the most unique style of celchading that I have ever seen. I can't think of any other game that has before or until this day used that art style. It was beautiful. Oh how I wish there was an HD remake of it. I can't bring myself to using the Dolphin. I am not to prone to stealing.

On graphics: It depends. On one hand they need to be pretty so you have attraction to the visuals. But if the gameplay is poor, that really doesn't matter any more. But I think graphics add to the realism. Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2, God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5 would be less than they are now if they had bad graphics. The realism and great visuals coincide witht the gameplay to create that immersive experience that drives the entertainment and sucks you in.

[Optical_Matrix]

The argument that all you do in FFXIII is mash X is imo, one of the worst arguments ever put forward. It's a turn based RPG. Of course you're going to be 'mashing' on X...to select which actions you want to take. What kind of noob statement is that.

On topic: I hate UGLY games, but then when I consider say, playing an old PS1 game..like Grandia which I'm playing atm. The graphics are clearly outdated but I'm having more fun with it than a lot of games this generation. That said, the graphics are still great for its time. In fact amazing for its time in terms of 2D Sprite animation etc

[Chubear]

I can have it no other way. In this day and age, we gamers deserve both and not have to choose one element over another.

Give us high quality in all facets of the games' genre. It's what we deserve.

[BYE]

@gue1

Have you played through FFXIII? The gameplay definitely picks up later. It's a really good, challenging game.

[DORMIN]

I want both.

/thread

[The Wood]

who needs to choose cause i sure dont. If a game can do both without detriment to the other then BOTH.

games like meatboy and tetris shows gameplay can win without graphics. Uncharted 2 shows you can have both

Also go back and play some your old favorites and see how many of them now suck because of their graphics even though the gameplay is still relevant...they'll be quite a few. I tried some oldskool games and some have been affected by progression more than others...Both please (if possible)

[Rush]

@NecrumSlavery

Using an emulator doesn't = stealing Christ what's with the silly outlooks on stuff like emulators and piracy on this site.

First of all if you own the console, and own the game then using a emulator is 99.9 percent legal. The one loop is your meant to use your own Bios from your own console.

As that's to hard for most users they generally get a console bios of the internet, but that's not really an issue because you do own a console bios you just can't access your own under normal conditions if you could it would be 100 percent legal.

You then simply buy your games from your local game shop stick them inside your PC and rip an image file from them. Which is your backup which you actually use to play.

If you own both the games console to play the game and the game it's self using an emulator to play said game instead of your console is in no way stealing. It's a completely legal and fair way of playing your games in HD.

[Unknow_Master]

i rather play with this
http://superchargedcamira.f...
than this
http://www.parantar.com/wp-...

sidar is right perfect example is lair

[evrfighter]

minecraft

[callahan09]

You'd rather play with a poop than Gran Turismo 5? I don't care if they count this as a personal attack but you're obviously a worthless troll and you make me miss the existence of the open zone.

[ChickeyCantor]

Perhaps his statement is a bit to much.
But honestly I have to agree that i rather play something else than GT5.

Edit:
What is there to disagree?
as if its against the law not to like GT xD

[N4g_null]

The first question I would have to ask are you good at skilled games. If you are then you love great controls and hope for good graphics.

It's like a person who loves a sport they love the gear and the arena but can they actualy play the sport? If your not good at games then your missing out on half your hobby. The fun comes from the experience mostly. The graphics are just icing.

It would be like the NBA playing in warm up pants and using a glowing ball because it's flasher.

Plus the graphics are sucking man power and money away from the other creative parts of the game.

[EYEamNUMBER1]

id rather take a game that looks bland and plays good than a game that looks good and plays like crap

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Have fun playing Pong.

Both Graphics and Gameplay are equally important now in 2010/11.

Edit:
Lol, looks like a bunch of people should go back to the Ps1 days if both graphics and gameplay aren't equal to you. With the 60 dollar price tag of most games today I expect both graphics and gameplay to be top notch.

[EYEamNUMBER1]

except pong never played good at all

[Optical_Matrix]

@ZombieNinjaPanda

..no..I'm having much more fun with this http://img.photobucket.com/...
than I did with this http://www.topofcool.com/wp...

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

@Optical

So you're trying to tell me those graphics are bland?

Edit:
@CrazyForGames
Well of course. I'm not going to shell out a ton of money for a piece of crap. I expect everything to be quality about it. What an idiotic statement.

Edit@ Qface

That type of thinking is holding us back more than Activision is. Seriously pathetic.

[CrazyForGames]

"With the 60 dollar price tag of most games today I expect both graphics and gameplay to be top notch"

going by this then it only matters because you have to pay 60 for them lol

EDIT
yes you are right your statement is a little idiotic
going by what you just said graphics and gameplay only matter because YOU have to pay 60 dollars for them
if the price was not 60 dollars and you only have to pay say 20 or 30 then all of a sudden graphics/gameplay don't really matter???

hence they don't matter as much as your trying to claim they do

[qface64]

if the games were funner to play on the ps1 days then yes i would go back to the ps1 days over what we have now

[VandimionX]

"Lol, looks like a bunch of people should go back to the Ps1 days if both graphics and gameplay aren't equal to you. With the 60 dollar price tag of most games today I expect both graphics and gameplay to be top notch."

Wow, clearly you are a still a kid. I remember SNES games being $70, and you're noting the $60 price tags for games today and demanding perfection. Get over yourself.

[NecrumSlavery]

Here is a case where gameplay wins:

This: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Y...

Crushes this: http://gamesareevil.com/wp-...

[n4f]

please enough with picture of ffxiii, im starting to have a nausea

[CrazyForGames]

seeing what some of the people on this site say they would chose a game that looks so insanely good but plays like a huge turd over a game that looks average and is incredibly fun to play

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

According to these comments people would rather have something that looks like a turd rather than something that's equal in both aspects.

Edit:

So let me get this straight, you'd rather have something that will make your eyes bleed but plays great? What type of logic is this?

[CrazyForGames]

so? its not like anyone in here is syaing they wanna have something that looks like a turd just for the look of it

they would rather have something that looks terrible and plays really well and is really fun to play
as opposed to having something that looks so amazing but is total crap to control and play

they are saying if its either of the 2 which this article is about they would take what actually matters the most in this case being GAMEPLAY over graphics

[CrazyForGames]

did you just start playing games this generation? SERIOUSLY?

why would it make my eyes bleed? if ill be having fun and ENJOYING IT

do you even understand what anyone here is even saying?

[Muletroid]

so zombie you would rather have something that looks really great but is no fun to play at all?

its like saying you would prefer a ferrari with no wheels over a honda with wheels the honda isn't as pretty as the ferrari but it works

this article isn't about I WOULD RATHER HAVE BOTH its either GRAPHICS or GAMEPLAY NOT BOTH you have to chose one or the either

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

@Muletroid

I'll take both thank you. Gamers you lot are not.

[qface64]

THIS ISN'T ABOUT BOTH can you not read the article? are you really blind?

they aren't asking if you prefer both they are saying which is more important
ITS ONE OR THE OTHER not both read the article

your probably the only non gamer in here a real gamer wouldn't have any problem with bad graphics as long as the game is good which you so obviously do since you said a ps1 level game = eye bleeding

[Ducky]

Depends if the graphics have any visual style to them.

There are games with 'pretty' graphics but there is no artistic style to them, whereas other games go for a stylized look.

Games like Okami, and TeamFortress2, I enjoyed them much more because of the graphics.
I feel as though games in the past were more artistic, whereas now, due to more graphical power, they try to directly imitate reality. =/

When you have good art direction, then graphics have a direct impact on the gameplay.

[shoddy]

just like super mario back in NES days, love it.

but now it's 2010, games should evolve with time. this is not the 16bit era anymore.

a pretty girl is more enjoyable with make up.
in fact give her DD silicon.

hardcore gamers need both.

[n4f]

gameplay waayyyy over gfx
this
http://7twentyfour.files.wo...
way over this
http://cache.gawker.com/ass...
and this
http://xorsyst.com/wp-conte...
wayyy over this
http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/im...

[BrianB]

Black on the ps2 and xbox was a great game because of its graphics, everything else was meh...

[FACTUAL evidence]

I'm going to get flamed for this but, this generation there is simply NO reason on not having both. It's a big disappointment to spend your hard earned cash on a game, to find out that the graphics are of a ps2 game. People kill me with the whole "oh itz teh gameplay dat countz!" but if GT5 looked like GT4 people would have a fit.

I don't drop 60$ down, just to see ps2 games in 2011!! I'm spending my hard earned cash just to see something that look like it took no effort in making. Example, when ps3 gets shoddy ports everyone gets tight that it's 2010 and people shouldn't be porting like crap. Remember guys, it's the gameplay that counts! Who cares if we pay the same price as the others, who cares if our tree looks like it's an 8bit lego. I'm sorry, but this gen I think both are equal in terms of finalization.

For those of you who think not, I don't even know why devs try to make things the way they do sometimes. They should just make every game a cellshaded mess and drop it from there. This Gen was known for the graphics, MS and Sony were flaunting how powerful their systems are, and If I'm paying cash you're dam straight I want to see graphics with my gameplay.

I'm not saying the graphics have to look ULTRA real, but 80% of the games this gen aren't too far from a ps2 game. Graphics with my gameplay please...if that's the point we might as well still be using 3-4 disc based CDs.

[AEtherbane]

Gameplay is more important than graphics, but to say graphics don't matter is a fools statement.

[firefoxprime]

You know what? In "most" cases yes. But sometimes a game can have sluggish gameplay consequences for awesome graphics.

I love my original SSBros. I still favorite over the wii/gamecube versions. Yes the graphics are 12years old. Yes you can only choose 12 fighters. The worlds are limited as well. BUT....the "engine" within that game is simply ASTOUNDING. The moves that you can pull off are just limitless...

So yeah, in that specific case I would lean towards gameplay. SSBros. original, has faster paced action compared to the "clunky?" speed of its gamecube version. And the wii? even with awesome graphics and new characters...i've learned that some SSBros fans felt the gameplay was a bit dumbed down for little kids.

[Mike134nl]

Game-play is the most important, next comes art direction and finally graphics.
Graphics have come a long way, but in the end you will get used to the graphics, after that point the game play will make or break the game.

[T9X69]

Yes, to a certain extent. If a game has horrible graphics, and I do mean horrible, but great gameplay, it's really hard to enjoy the game because you're constantly looking at something ugly. For example, Quantum Theory looked as good as a PS1 game, maybe a PS2 game if it's lucky, but the gameplay was also downright terrible. Now if Quantum Theory looked the same but played exactly like Gears of War, it would still be terribly hard to enjoy the game because of how ugly it looks. Then you have a game like, Saints Row 2 for example. Mediocre graphics at best, but the gameplay is crazy fun, similar to GTA SA in the PS2 days, not the best looking game around, but my god I played it for years.

Hell there have been some PS2 games that don't look anywhere near as good as Xbox 360/PS3 games, but their gameplay is far superior to many games to this day. Look how bad Starcraft looks now (but in the 90's it looked great) yet people played that game for YEARS because of how good the gameplay is. A game with terrible graphics but awesome gameplay is a rare gem, but when it comes down to the game, I'll take gameplay over graphics any day.

[NecrumSlavery]

I would like to challenge you:

Oddworld Abe's Oddysee & Exoddus...

....Although it is pretty outdated, the art style is still untouched by any other game around. I still think it is one of the few games that can still be played today and is visually as enjoyable as anything out on the market.

[Redempteur]

yep.

the reason why i prefer playing SOul calibur 3 over 4 is because it's much more polished ... while SOul 4 is really better looking .

As for Zelda, the cubic graphics of Ocarina of time won't prevent me from enjoying it today ..

why do people enjoy minecraft ? i think graphics is not the right answer ..

so yeah , a game is fun if you enjoy the gameplay it has to offer .. that's why emulations of old consoles is still strong for many .

[awiseman]

Good question let me think about that one....ah yes it would seem it does.

[Urahara]

This article is BS trolling.

[DragoonCody]

Read the actual article and not just the summary before you make proclamations on its authenticity. :P It actually makes a point.

[DarkBlood]

No shit Sherlock do you really need to explain that to us?

[angelrebirth]

Of course !
New Super Mario sold 6Millions, it's not the most beautifull game.

[Arup02]

The answer is YES. i still play old games just for the gameplay. If you put your effort just into graphics, the result can be disastrous.

[Batzi]

it should be the main aspect in a video game devs should put more effort into.

[SKUD]

Trifoce on n4g?. Really?.

[sam2236]

Is this a troll article or something? How did this shite get approved?!

EDIT: It's like saying 'Are the words in a book better than it's story?'

[ddounis]

i'm a sucker for great graphics!i admit it!but i haven't played games that had excellent graphics because the gameplay was boring and sucked!there has to be a balance between graphics and gameplay.first comes gameplay but with at least ''decent'' graphics.it's kind of like a very,very,beautiful woman.nice to look at but she has to know how to''play''too! if not then what the f**k are you supposed to do with her???

[Heavy_Rain]

Grpahics to me very very important. To me there are two kinds of gamers I guess - The ones which are old school and who play videogames just for the challenges and the sense of accomplishment- The guys who still love the mario games , contra games and they will prob tell you that gameplay is more important than the graphics. There is another group which got into gaming to live out certain experiences which they would have seen in a movie or read in a book. I know when I saw the matrix I was like wow imagine doing that in a game and voila went beserk when max payne 1 came out. For this group which I am most certainly a part of it all comes down to not just great gameplay but a sense of immersion which the game can bring. The thirst to lose yourself in worlds which you can never dream of being in but yet authentic enough that it is believable when you play it - which IMO can only be brought with amazing graphics. It totally depends on the type of gamer. for eg Killzone 2 was not doing anything much different then any other FPS out there but what made it so amazing at least for me was the feeling of war and a sense of immersion which I have not felt in any other military shooter to date. I will never forget the bridge level in kz2 where the amount of dust , smoke and debris filling the screen ,the feeling of the guns, all added to an experience which was simply exhilarating! I played the game with my jaw dropped. UC2 chapter 16 is another example. GOW3 cronos and posieden levels would not have been amazing enough if it were not for the amazing tech behind it. Better graphics in that sense can def bring new gameplay experiences.

[TABSF]

Is Gameplay Really Better Than Graphics?

Why choose when I can have both

Played The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker on Dolphin Emulator at 1920 by 1080 with 32x MSAA forced and 16x AF forced, plus with latest Dolphin you can force Nvidia 3D Vision, not tried yet

(BTW I have Windwaker, Gamecube and Wii)

[Xfanboy]

I say both!!

[hankmoody]

Ridiculous title posing a ridiculous question. This shouldn't even be debated.

[BYE]

Depends. I spent the most time with Demon's Souls, Recettear and Minecraft this year, which won't take any graphics crown but have awesome gameplay.

I'd say great graphics but bad gameplay never works, the other way around it does.

[scar20]

Am i the only one who cares about having fun wether it be graphics or gameplay.

[nskrishna2]

include me in that list...;)

[GoldenChaos]

Gotta say, that actually makes more sense than the entire debate.

[NickX]

I've been watching youtube videos of people playing GT5 in France and I am shocked at how good it looks. I haven't even thought about the gameplay I'm still trying to get over the graphics. It's as close to real life as I've ever seen. Stunned . I am going to buy a Logitech driving force wheel and make it even more immersive.

You can't do immersion like that without killer graphics, so yes graphics do matter a lot.

[nskrishna2]

perfect balance is the key..look at Uncharted 2

[soundslike]

the author is pussy

You don't want a game, you want an interactive movie. Yes I read the article. You're opinion, HIGHLY UNFORTUNATELY, is not uncommon. It is the latest scourge to the gaming industry.

Good games get dumbed down and scrapped because of people like you in focus groups.

[EskiJoe]

So just for fun, we could imagine a game >without< graphics: How?

A game controlled by voice and/or body movements, where the feedback is only sound... (I kinda imagine kinect, without TV. And were every action / reaction is narrated by the speakers) e.g. [voice] You stand in front the castle gates.... [you] xbox: enter!... [voice] You entered and met a poor man... [you] BAM! there it is =)

Some might have fun, because graphics don't matter... some might want to have graphics to help aid their imagination.

I guess it comes down to personal preferences.

[gamerdude132]

This goes without saying, but hell yeah. You think people still play E.T. for the gra-- wait, forget that part. You think people still play Diablo 2 for graphics?

[Figboy]

with a PlayStation 3 you get both, so the question is moot. lol.

in all seriousness, we ALL know that game play is, ultimately, the most important part of game design.

HOWEVER, graphics are an integral part of gaming. it IS a visual medium, after all. i've said this time and time again, but some of the best games of all time (Super Mario Bros 3, Metal Gear Solid, Shadow of the Colossus, etc) were also hailed as being the most graphically stunning games of their respective generations.

sure, Uncharted 2 would still be a blast to play without it's visuals, but would you WANT to play it without the bells and whistles when you don't have to?

as i stated in a topic before, i've been playing video games since they looked like this:

http://www.atariage.com/260...

and this was the ONLY choice i had for graphics. not this trendy retro shit, where gamers who's balls haven't dropped yet will play it on the Wii and claim they have old school gamer cred. i played this shit when it was the ONLY stuff out there on the market. no playing it for 5 minutes, then going back to CoD when it got too boring to play.

as an old school gamer, i think i've EARNED a bit of graphics whorism, and deserve to play a game that looks like this:

http://beefjack.com/wp-cont...

yeah, if i HAD to, i'd choose game play over graphics every time, but the FACT of the matter is that i DON'T have to choose. i can get both. and i DO get both. this argument gets brought up time and time again, but it's pointless to argue at this stage.

some developers/publishers will try and pass off a mediocre game with great graphics, but there are too many talented developers doing both for it to be an issue. learn to be more discerning when evaluating the "purty pictures" you see publishers shilling out during their marketing push.

i've NEVER bought a game based on it's graphics alone. i've bought games based on their subject matter and genre, but never just on it's visuals.

graphics and game play are like a marriage. they compliment each other, and compromises are essential to make things work. developers this generation are dealing with a generation of gamers that are increasingly spoiled and ungrateful. i feel sorry for them, actually.

[jalen247]

They are equally as important

[theonlylolking]

They are just as important. How great would uncharted 2, crysis, GOW3, or GT5 if they had super mario 64 graphics but still kept their great gameplay? I dont think anyone would like the game as much.

Graphics immerse you into the game while gameplay makes it easier, and more fun to play.

[V0LT]

Minecraft.

[Picnic]

I want to dispell a myth that some of the 'old' games are better purely because of the gameplay.

They're sometimes better because of the GRAPHICS. On the 16 bit consoles for instance, the heyday of the platform game, companies like Rare and Shiny Entertainment pushed the technology and produced works like Aladdin on the Megadrive and Donkey Kong Country on the SNES that still look and sound timelessly great today. It's thanks to the great level design and fluidity of the animation in each too. They're brilliant fun.

Now look at the recent Donkey Kong Country Returns game by Retro. It's been 16 years since the first DK SNES game. The Wii game looks like a great successor but it doesn't 'own' the original, it complements it. I can say with confidence that the original will be better in some ways, maybe the music for one. In the meantime , so much has happened in 3D gaming (including Donkey Kong 64) but it doesn't affect that 2D series.

Some 3D games, because they have so many graphical tricks, that sometimes only serve to replace other perfectly good graphical tricks, and so many gameplay devices that they want to shoehorn in, have overcomplicated what videogaming needs to be. They need to be a bit more abstract like Super Mario 64 was. Only a few people do it really brilliantly now like Naughty Dog with the Uncharted series. Others create alien worlds without asking what would tie a player to them, aside from some cliched plot about being part of a group of space marines or saving humanity or saving some alien race. Metroid Prime succeeded because it had a certain amount of graphical ability but it had an even larger sense of how to create atmosphere, not least through level design.

You wouldn't put a load of pixel shading on a Jackson Pollock or Picasso painting and think that you'd neecessarily made them better. That's why I say that Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast, with its purer cel shading (purity is what cel shading is about), is actually more visually impressive in a way than the Xbox version.
But maybe I'm biased as I would rather be playing the sequel on the Dreamcast 2.

[visualb]

ask yourself this:

an ugly game with amazing gameplay

or a beautiful game thats virtually unplayable?....

[Desert Turtle]

Graphics > Gameplay. I prefer to sit and look at my games without actually playing them.

[TruthbeTold]

If graphics matter that much then such a Zelda gamer couldn't enjoy A link to the past. Due to that, they fail as a Zelda gamer. Graphics matter, but nowhere near as much as gameplay. Great games can be made with limited colors and pixels. People have become spoiled by state of the art visual experiences, which are a great thing, but should have very little bearing on whether or not a game is good.

[DarkFantasy]

Game play every time..but the better the graphics the more i can get into the world of the game.both are vary important but if you can't have fun playing..then there's no point in playing the game.

[Jacobite]

Is Gameplay Really Better Than Graphics? yes but I do love great graphic and I want both.