03-16-2018, 11:09 PM
Story is important, but I mean that very loosely. I consider the game itself to be the story, written in real-time based on what you do. However, the world-building, the aesthetic, the enemies, the NPCs, those are all part of the story. If they aren't appealing to me, then I probably won't be engaged with the game. It doesn't even need to be deep or complex for me to consider it good or to encourage me to keep going, but some thought has to have been put into it. I love in Left 4 Dead how you can piece a story together by reading the graffiti and letters strewn about, and by how the ammo caches are placed. I don't necessarily need dialogue or cutscenes to enjoy the "story" of the game, though they certainly help.