Is the "gameplay is more important than graphics" trope just the video game version of the bluepill?

[disillusioned]

We've all heard it being stated, assuming you've spent any decent amount of time on gaming forums, discords, youtube, etc. There seems to be a general agreement that gameplay > graphics.

But is this actually correct, or is it just another normie trope and a cope?

First of all, how do you even define what 'good gameplay' is? Secondly, why is gameplay assumed to be separate from graphics? Blowing shit up is 10000000x more satisfying when the explosions look and sound awesome and it's the same for the rest of the 'gameplay'.

Before anybody mentions Minecraft, that doesn't count because it's an extremely rare case of a game rising to fame having a (at the time) literally unique gimmick that absolutely nobody else had done at the time (procedurally generated infinite building sandbox). There is a reason Minecraft 2 never happened despite the massive popularity of the first game (nobody cares anymore).

You can SEE good graphics but you can't objectively define what 'good gameplay' is, which makes me believe it's no different than when people say good looking people have 'good personalities' (aka halo effect).

 

[Deleted member 48066]

 

[Aladin]

Yeah and the game having a good storyline is the redpill.

 

[anthony111553]

 

[disillusioned]

Yeah and the game having a good storyline is the redpill.

What does story have to do with what I said?

 

[Shogun]

First of all, how do you even define what 'good gameplay' is?

Storyline, charcater developement, physics etc.

 

[New Poster]

gameplay does mog, though. Your brain barely registers the graphics quality once you get into it

 

[fuxkdakikez]

gameplay matters a lot. game mechanics and physics is what makes or breaks a game. ive seen many games go to shit all because the devs tried to make them too realistic

 

[Latinus]

Graphics are important as well, I honestly have a problem playing many 90's 3D games because their graphics, since they were at the first stages of polygonal 3D graphics, hasn't aged well.

But as I start to enjoy the game, I usually forget about the outdated graphics.

Meanwhile, a game with bad controls, not being able to skip cutscenes is something that really bothers me.

 

[humanoidsub7]

gameplay does mog, though. Your brain barely registers the graphics quality once you get into it

most games look like shit tbh

 

[TsarTsar444]

There are alot of popular games that don't have special graphics like Rimworld, Factorio, that Zombie game, all platformer type of games, mount and blade etc etc..
Your title is stupid because obviously gameplay is way more important then graphics, but its almost always a good thing when the graphics are good as well

 

[Aladin]

What does story have to do with what I said?

You were talking about aspects of a game:

Bluepill = gameplay (personality)
Redpill = storyline (behavior)
Blackpill = graphics (looks)

 

[HeightPilledum]

Some absolutely shit games with shit gameplay like Undertale becoming massively famous with a fanbase in the dozens of millions despite being just point and click or the popularity of TLOU and the new shitty God of War proves that a lot of people are just satisfied with pretty graphics and movie-like gameplay
Some Metal Gear games are like that
Sometimes story and characters beat the gameplay

Personally, I don't really mind, but all my favorite games are gameplay-based.
I played a bunch of story-driven and Telltale "games" and while they are memorable, I wouldn't exactly consider them games, more as interactive movies

 

[Deleted member 52057]

I like games where you can create things and use your imagination

 

[Splinter901]

Realistic graphics aren't always good and graphics like ps1 graphics or n64 graphics are pretty much an artstyle by now rather than a technichal limitation as they were before. Sometimes simple graphics like these are beautiful on their own.

 

[HitAndRun]

Realistic graphics aren't always good and graphics like ps1 graphics or n64 graphics are pretty much an artstyle by now rather than a technichal limitation as they were before. Sometimes simple graphics like these are beautiful on their own.


View attachment 2692267

90`s- early 2000`s was the golden era of gameplay and videogames now it`s over with shit like The Day Before Starfield Kong Rise of the Island The New Avatar Game Forspoken Saints Row 5 etc

 

[Luffymaxxing]

No lol

 

[Psychophilly]

No, looks is the gameplay. graphics is just money

 

[Squirtoutmabooty]

Gameplay and artstyle matters more depending on the type of game

 

[gigell]

Some absolutely shit games with shit gameplay like Undertale becoming massively famous with a fanbase in the dozens of millions despite being just point and click or the popularity of TLOU and the new shitty God of War proves that a lot of people are just satisfied with pretty graphics and movie-like gameplay
Some Metal Gear games are like that
Sometimes story and characters beat the gameplay

Personally, I don't really mind, but all my favorite games are gameplay-based.
I played a bunch of story-driven and Telltale "games" and while they are memorable, I wouldn't exactly consider them games, more as interactive movies

Undertale is the worst game

 

[HeightPilledum]

Undertale is the worst game

I know, but the fanbase is like none other
Never seen such a passionate fanbase for a 2bit game

 

[Clown Show]

There are thousands of games with great graphics which completely failed because of no substance and gameplay in recent years.

Gameplay is always the number one.

Then I would say that graphics, art style, ost, story, characters, atmosphere, all share the 2nd place, because in video games all aspects are very tightly connected and must work together in order to bring you a great experience.

But then again you have games like Silent Hill 2 which has 'bad' gameplay but the story, atmosphere, ost are exceptional and it is a really impactful experience. Some games are less mechanical and more interactive narrative, driven experiences, but even in those, graphics are optional.

In the end, people always come back to games who have good gameplay and replay value.

Gameplay mogs graphics

 

[Clown Show]

You can SEE good graphics but you can't objectively define what 'good gameplay' is, which makes me believe it's no different than when people say good looking people have 'good personalities' (aka halo effect).

"You can't objectively define what good gameplay is".

Are you seriously this low iq??

 

[disillusioned]

There are thousands of games with great graphics which completely failed because of no substance and gameplay in recent years.

lol no there aren't. You're mistaking 'decent' with 'great'. It's very rare for games that make you go 'wow!' to not at least sell decently. It's just that graphics are already so realistic as is that it's very hard to do this anymore. It's like Chadflation but for game graphics.

 

[6′2 still over]

Just popped in to say Fromsoftware and all the souls games are Chads of the gaming industry (besides Ds2 that shit is trash) Ds1 still mogs 99% of games despite shit graphics

 

[the_nextDavidLaid]

Storyline, charcater developement, physics etc.

say your a coomer without saying your a coomer

 

[the_nextDavidLaid]

You were talking about aspects of a game:

Bluepill = gameplay (personality)
Redpill = storyline (behavior)
Blackpill = graphics (looks)

This is triggering me so much tbh… Looks are irl but you should change the rules so it matches…

For example personality (bluepilled) is the connotation that presentation and attraction is not the primary factor in determining one’s success in mating… And looks (blackpill) are as said right before…


By that metric, we can conclude that the notion of what’s more widely “accepted” should be considered “bluepilled” so it’d be more like this…


Blackpill = gameplay/less widely accepted
Bluepill = graphics/more widely accepted
Redpill = anything else/ neutral

 

[HitAndRun]

There are thousands of games with great graphics which completely failed because of no substance and gameplay in recent years.

Gameplay is always the number one.

Then I would say that graphics, art style, ost, story, characters, atmosphere, all share the 2nd place, because in video games all aspects are very tightly connected and must work together in order to bring you a great experience.

But then again you have games like Silent Hill 2 which has 'bad' gameplay but the story, atmosphere, ost are exceptional and it is a really impactful experience. Some games are less mechanical and more interactive narrative, driven experiences, but even in those, graphics are optional.

In the end, people always come back to games who have good gameplay and replay value.

Gameplay mogs graphics

RDR2 is the same case as Silent Hill 2 imo but meanwhile SH2 focuses on psychologial terror the latter focuces on ` realism( imo RDR2 gameplay sucks and is overrated af
and sold a lot just because it is a Rockstar games
Imo the real BlackPill are that certain studios have halo effects no matter how shit they are look at for example Beteshda( Starfield,Skyrim VI in 203*) Rockstar( GTA Online and firing iconic characters like Lazlow actor, Houser, etc), Konami , Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, etc)

 

[radicalrationalist]

yes it's cope, but also normies have very low visual intelligence. they don't really notice details and care about proportions, ratios, simulations of physical effects. their requirement for graphical fidelity are not that high and they can tolerate shitty graphics and cartoon environments

 

[radicalrationalist]

RDR2 is the same case as Silent Hill 2 imo but meanwhile SH2 focuses on psychologial terror the latter focuces on ` realism( imo RDR2 gameplay sucks and is overrated af
and sold a lot just because it is a Rockstar games
Imo the real BlackPill are that certain studios have halo effects no matter how shit they are look at for example Beteshda( Starfield,Skyrim VI in 203*) Rockstar( GTA Online and firing iconic characters like Lazlow actor, Houser, etc), Konami , Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, etc)

the only good thing about rdr2 was the simulation elements. the rest of it is boring fantasy crap that only appeals to ignoramuses

 

[Clown Show]

RDR2 is the same case as Silent Hill 2 imo but meanwhile SH2 focuses on psychologial terror the latter focuces on ` realism( imo RDR2 gameplay sucks and is overrated af
and sold a lot just because it is a Rockstar games
Imo the real BlackPill are that certain studios have halo effects no matter how shit they are look at for example Beteshda( Starfield,Skyrim VI in 203*) Rockstar( GTA Online and firing iconic characters like Lazlow actor, Houser, etc), Konami , Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, etc)

I have never play any Rockstar game for more than few hours from just how fucking boring they are(all GTAs are normie bullshit), except for Max Payne 1 and 2 but those are older games. Bethesda same, they produce the most boring games ever. Others that you mentioned had their bright moments in the past but are dogshit now.

It's too bad that those studios and publishers garner the most attention and normies keep on buying their shit just because of the halo effect...

 

[Tai Lung]

cope, i play old school runescape and cs 1.6

 

[News]

no

 

[disillusioned]

no

yes