When style prevails over substance

[Sotenga]

Are there any games that you actually like more for the aesthetic qualities than the actual gameplay? I'm going to have to say Killer 7 and the Ace Attorney series for this one. K7's "on-rails" gameplay has been put down by many, and I can see why. Personally, I liked its simplicity, but it still did feel a bit stale once I got really far into the game. However, Suda 51 knows how to create some really effing weird yet strangely compelling plotlines. The cel-shaded graphics and ridiculous bucketloads of "dippin-dots" blood (as I call it) don't hurt either.

As for the Ace Attorney games (because of Apollo Justice, I can't just call them the Phoenix Wright games anymore), I still think that the gameplay is original compared to most adventure titles. But while it's the premise of kicking ass in court that brings me to the table, it's the incredibly well-written dialogue and plots, not to mention the unforgettable characters and excellent music score, that compels me to stay.

[G-Boobie]

Many many many games.

Legend of Mana, for example: the music is stunning, and even now there are few 2D games with art and backgrounds as well designed and implemented. Too bad the game is secretly part of the SaGa series. Confusing interface, unnecessary gardening and golem-building options, terrible multiplayer, uninteresting and undeveloped plot, absolutely no direction or explanation as to what you're actually supposed to be doing at any point in the game... But I still played it, relishing the sounds and sights(and doing my best to ignore everything else).

Doom 3 is another one. I love this game, but I totally understand why it has so many detractors. The only thing the game has going for it is the graphics and cheap scares, which is plenty enough for me I guess.

[UK Collector]

ICO has to be one for me, I could spend all day just looking. The gameplay is OK, but just staring at it was great. Bit of an obvious answer, I know.

[Pantechnicon]

Shenmue. I have defended Shenmue in several other threads and while the gameplay is something you can eventually get into, I confess that what kept me interested in the game during the early plodding stages was the absolutely lush graphical presentation. They really didn't cut any corners on that one...

[klausien]

As much as it pains me to say it, Rez is a perfect example for this thread. I personally find it to be a triumph in its attempt at "synesthesia via techno". The fact that you can play it in rhythm, affecting both the music and visuals is awesome, but it is really just a rail shooter. The only difference in mechanics between it and any other game in the genre is that you don't fire projectiles other than the delayed fire from your lock ons. I wouldn't personally put it in the style over substance category (the synesthesia thing is an awesome artistic experiment that succeeds), but I would bet that a good 70-80% of people would.

[Dreamc@sting]

Jet Set Radio did this for me, when I first bought it on Dreamcast I was blown away...yeah the gameplay is great but the look, feel, and soundtrack is what really gets me, even to this day :)

[Valkyr47]

^^ I second Jet Set Radio. That game was loaded with style, and it was the first cel-shaded game i ever played so at the time it was beyond cool.

Im gonna go out on a limb here and say Geometry Wars (Any iteration of it) i mean its nothing more than asteroids on crack, but its all eye candy

[DefaultGen]

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[crazyjackcsa]

Not a style persae but Ecco: Defender of the Future was a game I just played to look at, didn't so much enjoy it.

[Graham Mitchell]

Shenmue. I have defended Shenmue in several other threads and while the gameplay is something you can eventually get into, I confess that what kept me interested in the game during the early plodding stages was the absolutely lush graphical presentation. They really didn't cut any corners on that one...

That's how it is--you do eventually get into it. And when you do, it becomes quite a nice experience.

Some other games that I think fit this bill are some pretty controversial ones.

Bioshock--I love Bioshock. It's my favorite game of the past 10 years. But the gameplay is nothing too special. It's just that the presentation and aesthetics are light-years ahead of anything else on the market right now, and to me that's what's important. Don't get me wrong, the gameplay is fun. But what primarily makes it unique is presentation.

Snatcher-is there a game here really? It's debatable, but damn if you don't have a great time anyway. Snatcher is 100%, totally and completely about style.

The thing about the style-over-substance games it that they're the ones you're gonna remember forever and ever. In my opinion, what makes games even better is when they've got both a well-thought-out aesthetic with some good, novel gameplay (Most Zelda games, Super Metroid, Metal Gear Solid series, etc.)

[Sotenga]

Snatcher-is there a game here really? It's debatable, but damn if you don't have a great time anyway. Snatcher is 100%, totally and completely about style.

GAH! How could I forget Snatcher?! That's like the definitive example of style-over-substance right there. It's just an absolute awesome of gaming without being much of a game at its core. :)

Graham, I'll have to concur with you that style is what will be most remembered about a game, but the best ones are those who back up the game's face with a lot of robust and meaty organs. It's like with Castlevania 3, my favorite game on the planet. Not only does it look and sound incredible thanks to its three-megabit size, but it's an excellent challenge and just an overall fine title that I'm not sure anyone can dislike!

[Poofta!]

style over substance: killer 7, no more heroes, shadow of hte colossus, the shitty def jam games, mark ecko....

there are way too many

[Rob2600]

Are there any games that you actually like more for the aesthetic qualities than the actual gameplay?

Space Channel 5 for the Sega Dreamcast.

The style and art direction were great. The game itself would've been great too, but the timing was off by a fraction of a second. In a rhythm game, that's unacceptable. I'm a musician!

That ruined the whole game for me, but I liked the style so much that I played it all the way through and beat it, compensating for the slight delay.

I remember reading that the timing was off even a little bit more in the Japanese version. If that's true, it would've been completely unplayable for me. I wonder if the problem was fixed in the PlayStation 2 versions.

[DefaultGen]

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[CosmicMonkey]

Yeah, I'd say Jet Set Radio too. Absolutely amazing game, but very dodgy camera/camera controls. Other than that the game really is incredible.

[Graham Mitchell]

Snatcher owns souls, how dare you say it's substanceless. My brain asploded at "Oleen" and the tension of having a Justifier next to you while playing a menu based adventure is *awesome*

Nobody said it was substanceless. Snatcher is probably my favorite game on the planet. But try to get an impatient frat boy or 12 year old kid to sit through that game. They won't tolerate it for a minute. It's atypical. It's more of a comic than a game. Despite this, it's better than 99.9% of anything released on any console, ever (in my opinion).

Warning: rant ahead.

And that was my whole point. To some people, like me, games are really all about style. This is why the Wii is pissing me off right now. There may be some games on it with creative, unique gameplay, but I am sick to my rotten core of games with Mario in them. The aesthetics of Mario games are so cookie cutter these days it's almost as if they lack any style. At all. Mario is becoming the definition of generic--the ideal choice for designers who want to make a game without hiring art directors. Too bad, because Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, for example, is pretty fun. It would be better if it wasn't the 500th game I played this year that took place in the fucking Mushroom Kingdom. Why couldn't it have just been a new Track and Field game or something?

It's to the point that, despite the fact that it is a good game at its core, I really have to force myself to sit through Mario Galaxy. My irritation with Mario's voice is starting to hit a boiling point.

Don't get me wrong, not every game has to wow me over with style as long as it's fun, but when I actually find myself irritated by the presentation instead of just feeling neutral about it, it starts to ruin things.

Okay, rant over.

[Wirestone]

I have to say that I appreciate both, but I give the slight edge to gameplay. Ultimately, these are games, not movies or CDs.

That being said, there are certainly games that bewitch me with their style -- a good example is Psychonauts. It's a competent platformer, certainly, with some intriguing ideas, but it's really about the witty dialogue and character design. Also, Professor Layton for the DS -- the style makes that game.

Actually, one of the reasons I like the Wii is that not everything is Mario related. Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Fit and Wii Music are all Mario-less. Of course, the Miis can be irritating to some folks too.

[Kid Ice]

Gungrave. Amazing game world, no game.

I wouldn't say style "prevails" over substance in Rez and JSR. The games are still fun.

[Streetball 21]

Shenmue. I have defended Shenmue in several other threads and while the gameplay is something you can eventually get into, I confess that what kept me interested in the game during the early plodding stages was the absolutely lush graphical presentation. They really didn't cut any corners on that one...

I second the vote for Shenmue. The cutscenes are just awesome (especially back then) and when I first played it I was very much into the story, it made me keep playing and playing. To this day I still play this game.

[Vectorman0]

I wouldn't say style "prevails" over substance in Rez and JSR. The games are still fun.

Yes, in these the great music and style greatly add to the already solid gameplay.

[spoon]

Would Katamari count? not that it is not a fun game, but, I think that style is a big part of it's appeal.