What makes a great game to you?

[God]

Different things that come together to make the game great as a whole makes a great game. Music is something that I think is often overlooked, and I've always been especially impressed by Bethesda's detail to it. Graphics are always nice, though it pisses me off when people don't like a game because "the graphics aren so bad". If you're talking about a game with graphics above that of Dwarf Fortress, I'm fine with them. Story line is obviously important; being able to tell a story well and at the same time leaving enough options in the game so you could play it again in a completely different mannor another time. I also think how unique the game is helps in some respect. You can take a game like Call of Duty and compare it to Metal of Honor, or Battlefield in a heartbeat. The reason you can, is because it's the same basic premise in all those games; shoot people. Then you can take a game like Pikmin, there's absolutely nothing else like it, which is why it stands out so much as it's own game; not just one of a genre.