History Main / EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame

->''"The strangest thing about it is, from a cold, critical, non-gushy standpoint, the actual gameplay aspect of ''Franchise/SilentHill'' is kinda shitty... No, intuitive gameplay isn't ''Franchise/SilentHill'''s strong point; we're here to get our story on."''

[[folder:Role Playing Game - Eastern]]

* By far the most praised aspect of the ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' is its insanely thorough WorldBuilding. The plot begins as a ClicheStorm of familiar tropes, only to ground them and its characters into a setting so realized with politics, a meticulous history, the effects of a stock fantasy world getting swept up in the social, technological, and governmental upheaval, and the day-to-day lives of hundreds of {{Non Player Character}}s that the continent of Zemuria is rich with detail. Every NPC has their own subplots running throughout the games with new dialogue added between story events, it's this detail that has players replay the games for hundreds of hours to explore the world and the hundreds of characters that live there. The gameplay isn't bad, it's actually pretty fun at times, but the sheer volume of text ensures it's little more than some battles and several sidequests between story and NPC dialogue. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Trails in the Sky]] FC'' seems to have realized this, as the Cloak Quartz can be found just before TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon which skips all encounters, and can be carried on to a NewGamePlus. The ''Cold Steel'' games offer an alternative - both Very Easy and Easy modes, as well as encounters that are triggered by encountering enemies on the field, which means that almost all non-boss fights can be skipped if the player chooses.

[[folder:Role Playing Game - Tabletop]]

[[folder:Role Playing Game - Western]]

* ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' and ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' tend to fall here compared to the rest of the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise. A lot of the gameplay of both games tends to be very divisive due to the GameplayRoulette making them feel like 3-5 games tacked into one, with even Sonic's gameplay considered somewhat clunky compared to other games. The stories however are some of the most beloved entries in the entire franchise thanks to having significant CharacterDevelopment, their DarkerAndEdgier direction that feels like their [[GrowingWithTheAudience grew with its older fans]], and featuring the debut of several fan-favorite character. In fact, once the series started to focus less on its plot and characters with ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' (itself being this trope's [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory inverse]]), is part of what contributed to the series' BrokenBase as some fans feel like the plot and characters should prioritized while others feel the gameplay should be prioritized.

* A lot of games from the Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog tend to fall here, particularly ones after the series went 3D. A lot of the gameplay tends to be very divisive due to abundance UnexpectedGameplayChange due to the amount of playable characters, and overall jank and clunky nature of the games. The stories however are some of the most beloved entries in the entire franchise that have spawned numerous fan-favorite characters among the ever increasing cast. In fact, once the series started to focus less on its plot and characters with VideoGame/SonicColors (itself being this trope's [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory inverse]]), is part of what contributed to the series' BrokenBase as some fans feel like the plot and characters should prioritized while others feel the gameplay should be prioritized.

* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' is an example of a game perfectly aware that it is just a glorified cutscene. The gameplay's very simplistic and repetitive, but it isn't the main interest of the game, which is essentially an interactive {{Anime}} about an overly muscular six-armed god punching planet-sized monsters in space accompanied by Main/ClassicalMusic. Some of the game's [[DownloadableContent DLC chapters]] are literally anime shorts with no gameplay more interactive than occasional [[PressXToNotDie Quick-Time Events]].

** ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' are somewhat unique as far as the main series goes. The games are often considered to have some of the strongest plots in the franchise, but the legion of bugs ([[GoodBadBugs fun]] and [[GameBreakingBug otherwise]]), framerate drops, and general lack of polish tend to discourage fans from actually wanting to ''play'' them.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' are somewhat unique as far as the main series goes. The games are often considered to have some of the strongest plots in the franchise, but the legion of bugs ([[GoodBadBugs fun]] and [[GameBreakingBug otherwise]]), framerate drops, and general lack of polish tend to discourage fans from actually wanting to ''play'' it.

** Over the years, as the stories have become more complex and the world building has increased, the main series has attracted players who play the Pokémon games for the lore, the characters, and the settings, starting with ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. When the subsequent generation, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', dialed back on the story in favor of exploration and competitive play, these fans were not happy. In response, the generation after that, ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', became the most story-heavy main series Pokémon games to date, whose backlash from fans of ''X and Y'' made it clear that this franchise has both Enjoy the Story, Skip the Game and PlayTheGameSkipTheStory. ** ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' are somewhat unique as far as the main series goes. The games are often considered to have some of the strongest plots in the franchise, but the legion of bugs ([[GoodBadBugs fun]] and [[GameBreakingBug otherwise]]), framerate drops, and general lack of polish tend to discourage fans from actually wanting to ''play'' it.

* The ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series is generally considered to have SoOkayItsAverage, if not NintendoHard, gameplay by both fans and critics, but they developed a dedicated fanbase due to their suprisingly deep plots by Pokémon standards. Some even considering their storylines ''better'' than most of the main series games.
* The main series for ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' gets this too. Over the years, as the stories have become more complex and the world building has increased, the games have attracted players who play the Pokémon games for the lore, the characters, and the settings, starting with ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite''. When the subsequent generation, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', dialed back on the story in favor of exploration and competitive play, these fans were not happy. In response, the generation after that, ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', became the most story-heavy main series Pokémon games to date, whose backlash from fans of ''X and Y'' made it clear that this franchise has both Enjoy the Story, Skip the Game and PlayTheGameSkipTheStory.

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'', and ''VideoGame/Mother3'' are remembered more for their story, particularly the setting and the colorful cast of characters, than for their gameplay, which despite successive improvements and distinctive elements remained very bare-bones and rather dated throughout the series, even when the first game released in 1989.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'' in general seems to be this. Go online and look up forums and there are way more threads dedicated to story or characters than to the actual gameplay.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': Even though the story is regarded by the fandom for being some of ''the'' best story-telling and world-building in the series, there has been a lot of criticism of the gameplay. The root of the criticisms come from the Monastery grinding gameplay advancement to a halt without participating in it, the [[CutAndPasteEnvironments homogenous map design]] and the samey-feeling nature of the class progression system and its balance. It's very easy to simply class every Physical character as a Wyvern Lord and steam-roll the game, which combined with the other mechanics makes it feel for several the story is the best thing about it by a long shot.

-->-- WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation on ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': Even though the story is regarded by the fandom for being some of ''the'' best story-telling and world-building in the series, there has been a lot of criticism of the gameplay. The root of the criticisms come from the Monastery grinding gameplay advancement to a halt without participating in it, the homogenous map design and the samey-feeling nature of the class progression system and its balance. It's very easy to simply class every Physical character as a Wyvern Lord and steam-roll the game, which combined with the other mechanics makes it feel for several the story is the best thing about it by a long-shot.

StoryToGameplayRatio matters here: just as a game must have a significant story focus in order to qualify as an example of PlayTheGameSkipTheStory, so a game must have significant gameplay focus to qualify for this trope. {{Visual Novel}}s, {{Environmental Narrative Game}}s, and some experimental {{art game}}s don't qualify for this, as there's little meaningful gameplay to start with (with certain exceptions listed below). [[note]]That said, an argument can be made that the ENG genre is the LogicalExtreme of this trope, focusing so purely on the storytelling and WorldBuilding that traditional gameplay beyond exploration is outright removed from the equation.[[/note]]

->''"The strangest thing about it is, from a cold, critical, non-gushy standpoint, the actual gameplay aspect of'' Franchise/SilentHill ''is kinda shitty... No, intuitive gameplay isn't'' Franchise/SilentHill's ''strong point; we're here to get our story on."''

* It's generally agreed by the ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' fanbase that the series is mostly about crossover plots and highly-choreographed attack animations. The strategy gameplay is merely a vehicle to tell said stories and heavily uses [[FakeBalance balance by imbalance]] so that players can, for the most part, run their favorites instead of worrying about which units are viable.

->"''{{TabletopGame/Shadowrun}}'': A setting everyone loves, in a game nobody particularly likes, [[ScrewedByTheNetwork owned by a company everyone hates]]."
-->--[[https://reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/comments/10b58wc/is_shadowrun_worth_looking_into/j48kyhx/ Reddit]]

->''"The strangest thing about it is, from a cold, critical, non-gushy standpoint, the actual gameplay aspect of'' Franchise/SilentHill ''is kinda shitty... No, intuitive gameplay isn't'' Franchise/SilentHill's ''strong point; we're here to get our story on."''
-->-- WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation on ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''

* ''VideoGame/EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest'' has gameplay that is seen as decent at best and mediocre at worst. However, it's generally agreed that the gorgeous visuals, the smart script by noted novelist and screenwriter Creator/AlexGarland, and the performances(especially by Creator/AndySerkis, who plays the main character) are what really make the playthrough worthwhile.

* A lot of games from the Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog tend to fall here, particularly ones after the series went 3D. A lot of the gameplay tends to be very divisive due to abundance UnexpectedGameplayChange due to the amount of playable characters, and overall jank and clunky nature of the games. The stories however are some of the most beloved entries in the entire franchise that have spawned numerous fan-favorite characters among the ever increasing cast. In fact, one the series started to focus less on its plot and characters with VideoGame/SonicColors (itself being this trope's [[EnjoyTheGameSkipTheStory inverse]]), is part of what contributed to the series' BrokenBase as some fans feel like the plot and characters should prioritized while others feel the gameplay should be prioritized.

* As per the page quote, ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' is often held up as the pinnacle of the series and one of the greatest examples of the SurvivalHorror genre (some have gone so far to say that its story is one of the best the ''medium'' has to offer). However, most of its acclaim was focused on its story, atmosphere and visual design, with many critics less impressed by its awkward, repetitive combat and nonsensical, unintuitive {{Moon Logic Puzzle}}s. Interestingly, the game featured an option that rendered the player practically invincible, [[StoryDifficultySetting allowing players to experience the game solely for its story and puzzles]].

* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' has a quite a following of fans who care more about the characters and lore than the gameplay. Not that there's anything wrong with the gameplay, it's just that many of the characters are cute, charming, quirky, and hilarious that many people have a few favorite characters. The lore is surprisingly very deep, too, and ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'' (the RPG/dungeon crawler series that Puyo is a spinoff from) introduces some of the crazier stuff that happens that surprises many fans to this day. To said fans' credit, the series has largely gone into MissionPackSequel territory since (at the very least) 2006's ''Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary'', so the stories are one of the primary things that differentiate the games.
** ''Puyo Puyo~n'' is largely praised for going for a more traditional anime artstyle instead of the cutesy art that the series usually embraces, in addition to handling its story scenes in a unique way. ''Puyo Puyo~n'' is also largely derided for being an excruciating, badly-balanced mess of a puzzle game that's geared towards [[FakeLongevity artificially stretching]] a single-player mode that would normally take 15-30 minutes into a multi-hour affair.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' is known primarily for two things: its setting being an engrossing combination of {{Cyberpunk}} and Tolkein-esque fantasy, and its ruleset being one of the most complex and fiddly of any [=RPG=][[note]]its rulebooks often being poorly laid out not particularly helping the matter[[/note]]. While the game's complexity is not necessarily ''bad'' per se, it's often cited as a major turn-off for perspective players. To cater to these people, Catalyst Game Labs created ''Shadowrun Anarchy'', a lighter-weight narrative game designed to allow players to experience the fluff without the complexity.

* ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'''s story and writing are considering top-notch, but the game's [[NintendoHard notorious difficulty]] drags it down gameplay-wise.