What holds your interest in a video game more? Gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, story?

[Ronnie]

For me it's soundtrack > gameplay > visuals > story.

A soundtrack really makes or breaks a game for me.

[Jingle Jangle]

 Generally: gameplay > visuals> soundtrack= story. Of course it varies depending on the genre.

[Silver-Haired Maiden]

It depends on the genre but for me it's story > gameplay > graphics > music. So long as you include good characters in story because everything else can be crap but good characters can save it.

[John Denver Fan]

For any game for me it is like this: gameplay > story > graphics > soundtrack. Gameplay take priority. If it has poor gameplay, I'm not getting it, story needs to be good, but not perfect, graphics is low on the list due to me playing classic games, I don't care about soundtrack, it isn't important for me.

[DisobeyedCargo]

Primarily gameplay, soundtrack, and story. Those are the things that get me truly immersed in a game 

[Ycine]

Gameplay, Soundtrack, Story and Visuals.

 

[Reality]

gameplay, soundtrack, graphics, story.

I'm willing to up with extremely ropy graphics, but I do consider them a little important for me. Soundtracks are not often a postive selling point for me (less so than graphics), but they are a bigger reason or me to dismiss a game than graphics are This happens with a few series I would otherwise be interested in, most notably Gundam. 

I like a lot of videogame stories, but I don't buy games or continue playing games to experience them. John Carmack's quote is the most accurate thing said about story in videogames ever

gameplay >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> soundtrack > graphics >>>>>>  story

[Cumatora]

Gameplay > Soundtrack > story > visuals tbh.

[Zera]

Gameplay. All other elements are unnecessary and secondary to the extent they aren't justifying or complementing gameplay.

14 minutes ago, Reality said:

John Carmack's quote is the most accurate thing said about story in videogames ever

"Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."

[Etrurian emperor]

Gameplay>Story>soundtrack>graphics. 

Gameplay is without a doubt the most important aspect. If its not fun to play you probably shouldn't play at it.

I never bought that Story isn't important in a game. Proper context can reinforce the gampeplay. Its not the most important but not doing very good at it is a serious flaw

A great soundtrack can really elevate a gameplay section or cutscene but not having a particularly good soundtrack has never decreased my opinion on a game

Good graphics are nice to have but the least important aspect. Not having good graphics doesn't take away from a game like bad gameplay or story would.

[Alexmender]

Varies by genre but I love RPGs the most so for me it would be:

Story>Soundtrack>Gameplay>Visuals.

[Comet]

gameplay>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>anything else. if i want story or anything else, i'll choose whatever else it is that does it better.

[Armagon]

Depends on the game, really. Though i am willing to put up with bad stories if it has good gameplay.

 

Although, when it comes to RPGs, good characters is a must. If you're characters aren't good, then i don't give a damn about how good your story is. On the flip side, if the story is bad but the characters are good, then it's more likely to be worth my time. 

So, to sum it all up, for me, it generally goes: Gameplay>Characters=Music>Story>Visuals

[Saint Rubenio]

Gameplay > Story > Soundtrack > Visuals

While I would definitely take a great game with a bad story over a bad game with a great story, having a good story is a very good bonus. Games aren't a bad tool for storytelling, and unlike what some people seem to believe (cough cough David Cage cough cough), you don't have to sacrifice everything that makes a game a game in order to make a good story. RPGs are the best examples of this, but there are also plenty of examples in other genres.

It doesn't even need to be the main part of the game: Rogue Legacy's story is very secondary, yet the plottwist at the end (which I won't spoil here) blew my mind, and got me even more motivated to try and defeat the final boss. Having great gameplay isn't necessarily incompatible with having an inmersive world, interesting, well-written characters and a good, compelling plot.

So, yeah, gameplay first, then story. If a game has plenty of the first and enough of the second to get me invested, then it's perfect. If it doesn't, well, so long as the gameplay is great, then I'm fine with it as well.

I also appreciate a good soundtrack. Heck, I've come to know about some games through their soundtrack: I started to play Castlevania: Order of Eclessia after listening to the personal theme of my profile picture's character. I liked it that much. Great music always makes things better, and while it's not a gamebreaking issue if the music sucks, it's definitely an issue. Terraria is the first game that comes to my mind when talking about this: I liked that one, but I disliked the music so much, I muted it and for the longest time, just listened to my own music while playing it. Of course, this is all nothing more than my opinion.

Then, at the very bottom, are the visuals. Good graphics are nice, but as long as I can make out what's going on in one way or another, I'm good, and I'm certainly not going to buy a game just for its graphics.

[Florete]

Gameplay > story >>> soundtrack > graphics.

As long as a game has a good story or good gameplay it can probably keep my interest, even if the other is lacking, though gameplay is a bit more important, thus the gap. Soundtrack can add a lot but is not necessary for me to love a game. Graphics are a nice bonus, but don't actually do a whole lot for me.

[LucarioGamer812]

So I'd say what keeps me involved in a game is the enjoyment factor. The most recent one I can think of is Xenoblade 2. I've played it consistently until beating it and was still active playing it often until I defeated every superboss. I stilled played it some afterwards to make some progress on completion and prepare for the update. Besides this what keeps me involved is the story, and to a minor extent gameplay. (If the gameplay sucks or I hit a wall or a tedious section I tend to stop playing). I usually play through a game for the story until the ending. Graphics usually don't bother me but I often find older graphics usually mean a slower and more tedious gameplay experience. Music is a minor addition to the experience and often just addsmore to the experience.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

I can't imagine wanting to finish a game with poor gameplay other than morbid curiosity. But I finish games with poor everything else on the regular.

[De Geso]

Gameplay is king. Then come visuals; I'd rather play a game that looks nice to me than fe4. Soundtrack is next, as a great soundtrack can greatly enhance a game for me but a bad soundtrack can be easily shut off for my own music. Story is the least important factor to me.

[Jedi]

Gameplay is my main focus, the series I like from then on dictates what my next priority is, if it's Trails Story is super key, if it's a platformer it's mostly gonna be Soundtrack that's the second most important and etc.

[Hawkwing]

Personally, I like to know ahead of time whether or not a game is focused more on gameplay or on story, as well as what kind of gameplay or what kind of story it has. That way, I can adequately prepare my expectations beforehand. I'm fine with playing a game with excellent gameplay but an average story, and at the same time, I'm fine with mediocre gameplay if I know ahead of time that the story is the major focus. I prefer gameplay over story, but I value both about equally.

I'm not one to care much about visuals, as most of my gaming library is from the 90s and 2000's, and as long as I can tell things apart, I'm fine. That being said, I do admire and respect a game that put a lot of effort into presentation, regardless of when it was released. As for soundtracks, they won't get me to buy a game, but I might listen to it on youtube if I like what I here.

[NinjaMonkey]

Gameplay > anything else.

[Armagon]

1 hour ago, LucarioGamer812 said:

enjoyment

This is actually the best anwser. What good is good gameplay, story, etc, if you don't enjoy it? Of course, if it's good, you'll probably enjoy it but that isn't always the case.

[DisobeyedCargo]

Actually yeah... I second you there @Armagon. 

[indigoasis]

1 hour ago, DisobeyedCargo said:

Actually yeah... I second you there @Armagon. 

I third that statement.

Anyway, my list of stuff is pretty much what @Ronnie said. Soundtrack, Gameplay, Visuals, Story. If I could add in controls (which would technically be a part of gameplay, but whatever), I would put that first.

[Heruseus]

Easy.

story > gameplay > music > graphics

 

Graphics mean nothing to me.