Adventure games

[Adagio]

What is most important in adventure games? The story? Puzzles? Characters? Something else?

For me it's no doubt puzzles. If the game has lots of fun puzzles, I can still enjoy the game, even though there's not much of a story and the characters are just skin-deep... On the other hand, I can't enjoy a game, where the story is amazing, but there's no puzzles to solve
Sure, an adventure game without a good story, wont be among the best, but neither will an adventure game without puzzles IMHO

The reason I'm asking this is, that I'm curious to see how people here feel about it... At the moment, the official Dreamfall forums are split in two: One part who likes a good story, without the need for any brain activity, the other part wants something to do, besides watching cut-scenes

[Standup]

For me it's the story and characters. That's probably because I don't have the right sort of mind for some of the puzzles. I've played some games where even with a help sheet i've not been able to work out the thinking behind some of the puzzles.

[Grumbold]

I'm no good at truly complex puzzles, but I prefer games where you need to think and interact to those where you just click along. I think the majority do. There was a spate of "interactive movie" games back in the early '90s but I don't remember many of them being strong financial successes. Ones like Phantasmagoria were limited successes but the genre died out pretty quick.

Meanwhile adventure games with good enough story and good quality puzzles have been consistently successful through every evolution of the PC. Sure there aren't as many now, but the Myst series still sell. In their own way I think the Sims games are part of that genre, but succeed by being less linear or intellectually challenging.

[DrSpike]

Puzzles, immersion and humour in that order.

The greats of the genre has 1 and 3 in spades, which is why they were so successful. The newer games are weaker in 1, but make up for it in 2, which means that Syberia and co are also great games. However, I think there are limits to how much I would like a game which was all about the story with very few puzzles, which is as Adagio describes the TLJ sequel.

[Urban Ranger]

Story is the overarching element that binds everythign together. Without a good or at least believable story, puzzles just lie around like a bunch of pebbles. Not good.

Puzzles are important, but they must be logical, and test character knowledge. Otherwise they just distract from the suspension of disbelief.

Character, well, is part of the story. So see above.