Gameplay is without a doubt the most important thing for a game to nail, because without that key pillar, all other levels of immersion are completely ruined. You could have the best looking release ever - take The Order: 1886 for example - yet have it fail to deliver on the simplest of gaming tenants, including but not limited to running time and especially game mechanics. Many titles can look beautiful utilising a number of minimalist art styles and cel-shaded looks, so why are older games being dismissed on the basis that they no longer look 'pretty' enough? In that sense, games that are being made today will be deemed obsolete in a few years by a large majority of the community, and whilst it's always impressive to see studios mark a new year with some incredible graphical milestones, it was never - and should never be - the main reason you stay invested in the medium.
Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.
