Can a game be enjoyable without a compelling story?

Can a game be enjoyable without a compelling story?

Yes, Just Cause comes to mind.

There are good games like Tetris, Pac Man, that don't need a story.

Tetris is more iconic and beloved than any story-based video game will ever hope to accomplish.

And this is down to the games fundamentals and flawlessness in its design. Games with heavy story beats are replicating video games that already exist (majority Cover Shooters or Turn-Base RPG) with pacing issues, removing the player from gameplay segments to tell a story.

With The Last of Us and Resi4 having recent remakes Resi4 has overall better reviews; why? because it is more of a video game, it has stronger and more well refined mechanics/ level design, depth, pacing, replay-value, and less story fluff. When you break it down TLoU is heavily inspired by the original Resi4 but went in a different direction sacrificing gameplay for story-telling.

With that stated those that want a story more than a video game are not at fault, the medium has plenty of room for both and neither is really the factual answer as it comes down to preference. One is simply more well designed as a playable experience and the other is an emotional ride of story-telling.

Most wanting to play a video game however, what a video game. And those looking for a story, are honestly better off reading a book, but if you want interactive story games like The Last of Us? nothing wrong with that either.

This is also why I like Monster Hunter, the story in any entry is actual garbage (some fun and cool cutscenes though) but its the raw gameplay and design that makes the franchise a success. Outside Gen 5 Capcom knows this well and doesn't let story hold much screen time (one of the major flaws with more recent entries) MH is beloved because it's pure joy, extremely well crafted, with an insane level of depth, unrivalled in its genre.

Ghost Recon Advanced Warefare 2 or Rainbow Six Las Vegas.

Too bad realistic shooters dont invest in a stories.

Yes.

Elden ring. Great game. No idea what the story was. People say ohhh you didn’t read the item descriptions! Yea right.

Of course.

The story in Monster Hunter games are garbage. They are just something cooked up the tie the whole thing together...er...badly :P. Still a great series of games.

Mario and Zelda: Same old story and told in a very basic way (though BOTW has some elegance about it). Still great.

Loads more. Story is just not the most important part of a game.

@Skarwolf: From Software ARPGs all have the same basic story.

You are a nobody. Every deadbeat god, dragon, king should die to level you up. With endings leaving the player to believe the 'grand' journey was meaningless.

DeS, DkS, BB, ER all have the same basic outline.

Also, Patches is a jerk_

Of course. You need a story for Tetris?

I prefer games to not have compelling stories, as I find most videogame stories trying to be compelling not compelling and just in the way of fun. I do however love when videogame stories are being told through gameplay, and wish more games would do that instead of pausing the game a lot for cinematics. See Metroid, Half-Life, Limbo/Inside, Hollow Knight, etc.

Sure, I remember enjoying sports game without there being a story whatsoever or city builders, or whatever. I mean, Civ V did not have a story, but I enjoyed it.

Actually my most-played games, for the most part, have little to no story:

• Factorio. Complete sandbox game. The story is...you're an engineer stranded on a planet with alien bugs. The spice must flow The factory must grow!
• Satisfactory. Complete sandbox game. The story is you're a corporate grunt sent to a planet to build a factory.
• Cities: Skylines. No story, just sandbox. Build a city.

There are other story-less games or games with little story:

• Tetris. No story.
• Civilization.
• Most multiplayer shooters

Is this a serious question? Of course it can. If the game has interesting gameplay and it's fun to play, that's the most important thing. These are games, not movies. Story should be secondary.

Imo anyway. Each to their own.

Have you ever played a Mario game?

Yes,