When does a game really pull you in?

[Keane]

As someone who has been actively gaming since as long as I can remember, this is something I value in a game. Personally, I'm pretty easily pleased and will have great fun with Mario Party 5 that doesn't even attempt to live up to the previous games, while everyone else can't stand it. It's the kind of game that, well, pulls me in so to say and really get me addicted. Now, if I were to ask someone what game does this for them I imagine names like BioShock or Rayman to appear. And I can't disagree with them. However, as time has passed and I look back upon the games that I prefer most, I seem to have had a lot of fun with games that others didn't like as much. Wario World is one of my all time favourite games but whenever I hear something about the game it's mostly negative, such as complaints about the repetitiveness of the combat system or having no more then maybe five hours of gameplay. I prefer Half-Life over it's sequel and had (Don't shoot me) more fun with Nightfire then Goldeneye. It doesn't seem to matter much to me whether I am playing that generic, slow Mario Party 5 or the mind expanding Minecraft. I've been wondering: What do other people expect from a game in order to pull them in? Can it only be done by a fantastic story driven adventure or can a average party game give you just as much fun?

[Cairnie]

Almost every Sega RPG ever. ;V;

[Haruka]

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos and Croc 2 are games that stole me many hours as a kid, I love both games.

Other games that hooked me for real were Paper Mario 1, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Oddworld's first two games, Gambys, etc.

[ikke471]

For me it's the games that make you feel good when you win (like a moba), uncover a epic story (like Bioshock) or something as simple as shits 'n giggles (like rayman origins or a party game).

[Disionity]

For me, it is games that are immersive, packed to the brim with living, breathing worlds and characters that feel so human to the point that they could almost exist in reality. Few games have actually achieved it to the proper extent though, a few that have in my opinion are Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil, and the occasional RPG.

[Shrooblord]

When it has good atmosphere. Like Record Day has. yeee