Storyline versus Graphics: What Steam’s Best Sellers are Telling Us

The results are in, and it’s a tie. It has been an interesting research process, and despite my hypothesis, storyline-based and graphics-based games currently share the majority of Steam’s popularity contest. The PC gaming market is a very broad one, and good thing, too. It looks like every angle of research production (when done well) is given its due. At least for now. In looking at the top six most popular games currently being sold on Steam, the score is 3 to 3.

Here’s a closer look at the contenders:

1. Left 4 Dead: Graphics
Yes, it is completely awesome that the gameplay stays the same and functions as a movie, but it’s pretty clear that graphics were the focus for this one. Game developers’ persistence of creating a unique visual experience with each round of play caused their attention to be more focused on color correction, film grain, vignette, local contrast, and stylized darkness. Don’t get me wrong, their attention to such detail definitely merits applause, but the fact of the matter is, when trying to create an experience similar to that of a horror movie, storyline is clearly not your main focus.

2. Counter-Strike: Source: Graphics
In this sense, graphics is a very broad category. The most time and research was put into the game’s variability of skins, modules, and weaponry. And that, compared to its generic terrorists versus anti-terrorists plot, makes graphics the highest draw for the game.

3. Fallout 3: Storyline
Although the graphics are definitely a work of art, Fallout 3’s complex and fascinating storyline is clearly what sets it apart. Many have given it the title of best game of the year. Lou Keston of the Associated Press dubbed it worthy of such a title due to its “powerful story, memorable characters and morbid comedy.”

4. Grand Theft Auto IV: Graphics
Though it was a bit of a hard call, graphics won out for this game. It has an interesting enough storyline (with many variables that really help the realism), but the time and money spent on GTA IV was ultimately for the visual effects of the game.

5. Half-Life 2: Storyline
An easy one to label. Though its graphics are impressive, the exciting and enthralling storyline of the Half-Life series is what makes it one of the best known PC games of all time.

6. Portal: Storyline
Though most of the game is spent maneuvering physical puzzles, the minimized setting in which these mind benders take place point toward storyline as the main focus. Minimalism certainly does not mean unprofessionalism (just ask Hemmingway), but the sheer ingenuity of the game’s plot merits a storyline-based title.