Graphics vs Gameplay

What’s most important for you when it comes to video games? Everyone has their own preferences, but I think something that we can all agree on is that having great graphics is always a plus. After all, with great graphics it’s possible to become lost in a game’s world. For some though, graphics are the thing that will make or break a game for them. If the graphics aren’t able to hold up to their expectations then they’ll just leave the game in the dust.

Graphics are without a doubt something that should receive a lot of care. This is a product that you intend for people to spend hours looking at so why shouldn’t it look great. However, I feel like the idea of a game having good graphics being what makes or breaks the game is a bad mindset to have. Sure, there are definitely games whose graphics are just too bad to play. But there are also plenty of games with great graphics but horrible gameplay.

A somewhat famous example of this is Forspoken. This game looks amazing and even has a few good things about it. However, many people have felt that the overall experience just isn’t worth it. Enemies are more damage sponges than actually challenging and while the game does have a pretty good combat system, it fails to utilize it properly since there are no real chances to try. But, what really hurts the game is the horrible narrative and dialogue in the game. It was so bad in fact that many weren’t able to get through the game. And, Forspoken isn’t the outlier here. Anthem, another game with great graphics, has become notorious for how much of a slog it is to play.

Now to look at the opposite case. And what better example than Final Fantasy 7, a game that even now is regarded as one of the best out there despite having some of the worst graphics I’ve ever seen. The story of the game holds up to this day with some even considering it a masterpiece. Combat, while being your typical turn-based system, is still very fun especially with its Materia system. Even now this system can be considered innovative showing that the game can stand the test of time.

Using graphics in video games to determine how good a game is has the risks of overlooking great games. The recent Pokemon games despite having terrible graphics are still incredibly fun to play. Now, that isn’t to assume I’m happy with what Gamefreak did. Companies as big as them should be able to give us good gameplay and graphics. What I’m trying to say is don’t pass up a game just because you don’t like how it looks, otherwise you might miss out on something amazing. It’s like the saying goes: don’t judge a book by its cover.

Logan Floyd-Mcgee | Writer
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