Gameplay

by Rahman Majere

Created on: October 01, 2010

There is little doubt that both graphics and gameplay are crucial elements of a game. Graphics, audio, gameplay and a number of other factors all form the pillars of what constitutes a game. In that sense, a game is much like a house where the sum is greater than the whole and yet the lack or weakness of any one component can bring the whole construction crashing down. If we were to accept this analogy, we only need to determine whether it is the graphics or the gameplay of a game that forms the foundation of a game.

Let's examine the earliest instances of video and computer games as we understand those terms today. Back in the 1990s, simple video games such as the Super Mario Brothers, Super Contra and even Space Invader were all the rage despite having fairly simple graphics. The Mario titles, in particular, were exceptionally popular. Later on, the first computer games appeared even as the console games continue to improve. The RTS (Real-Time Strategy) genre had their champions in titles such as Command and Conquer and Warcraft 2 while the Might and Magic franchise, Resident Evil titles and a host of other revolutionary games made their way into the collective hearts of gamers everywhere. As computers continue to become faster and more efficient, games such as Alpha Centauri, Final Fantasy 8, Deus Ex and Half-Life appeared to take advantage of the improved processing power of modern computers. Today, we have games such as Crysis and Half-Life 2 become almost routine offerings on the shelves of gaming stores worldwide.

Many of the games mentioned above were revolutionary in their times and some of them continue on to become franchises with numerous sequels and such. The question then remains: Is it the gameplay or the graphics that made these games great? One easy way to know for certain is to simply play some of the best games in the past. If graphics were to be the main component of a great game, then nearly all of these once great titles would be utterly worthless in the modern world of gaming.

Yet this is simply not the case. I challenge any gamer who loves science fiction and TBS (Turn-Based Strategy) games to play Alpha Centauri and not be immersed into the complexities of that game. Likewise, Starcraft 1 continues to be an extremely popular game despite being released a decade ago and in some ways continue to be the standard by which other RTS games are judged. As for platform games, the original Super Mario continue to be a fun game despite being released two decades ago! There are examples in almost every genre that show how strong gameplay overcome most graphical shortcomings. Independently developed games such as Jeff Vogel's intriguing Geneforge series also highlight the fact that even in today's world of eye-candy games, there are still plenty of gamers who're more interested in substance over fillings.

Now if great gameplay can compensate for dated graphics, can the reverse be true? Sadly, this is seldom the case as even the best of graphics cannot cover up fundamental weaknesses in gameplay. This can be seen in the late 1990s trend when commercial 3D (three dimensional) graphics were just developed. Naturally, many game developers tried to jump onto the '3D wagon'. Some of these 3D games were successful as they incorporated 3D successfully into the gameplay mechanics of the game. Many others, such as Heroes of Might and Magic 4, failed horribly because the forced integration of 3D made the gameplay weak.

It seems obvious from the past decade that it is gameplay that makes a great game and yet it seems that many game developers have yet to take this lesson to heart. Even today, we can find numerous examples of huge game companies spending countless resources in making sure that the graphics are as realistic as possible and yet fail in understanding the fundamentals of good gameplay. There seems to be the equivalent of a 'graphics race' right now and as such, there has been relatively few true innovation in terms of gameplay across most genres. Games are looking better and better but they lack substance. Some games lack interactivity and become little more than watching a mediocre movie while others are nothing more than tired incarnations of previous games. There are also games with infuriating control schemes or impossible learning curves which make gaming more of a chore than a recreational experience, regardless of the quality of the graphics.

In conclusion, great games represent the very best polished examples of their genre and often include brilliant innovations in gameplay. Great graphics are there to support and complement gameplay, not compete with it. Even without great graphics, good gameplay will make a game good. However, when all the elements of a game work in harmony with one another and the gameplay is engaging, you will have a great game.

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