Video games introduce us to another world with a story and gameplay. Games are a good way to relax and many hours can fly by playing them. They are embedded into our culture and can make for a good way to de-stress and have fun. But not every video game is good and not every single one is critically acclaimed.

There are three elements that, in my opinion, make a game terrific.

These three are what can make or break a video game, and what makes it stand out.

Story

This is the most important element, in my opinion, to a video game. Everyone wants to hear a great story and for it to be told right. Twists and turns make the story more intriguing and suspense helps as well. The same as with writing a novel, the story is the most important aspect.

If the video game does not have a superb story, the gamer will get bored and distracted and not want to play anymore. The story is the most important aspect of a critically acclaimed game or a Game of the Year winner. For example, games like "Ratchet and Clank," "Jak and Daxter," "The Last of Us," "Dead Space," "Uncharted," "God of War," and "Bioshock" have each used an intriguing protagonist and an interesting storyline to grab gamers and make the game terrific.

Gamers keep playing a game for its story more than anything. The story will peak their interest and for a near perfect game, they will be itching to know what happens next. This is exactly what a near-perfect video game does. If the story is spot on, the individual could play the game over from the beginning more than once. When the story is also intriguing, gamers will feel tied to the characters.

One of my most favorite games is "The Last of Us," because it has a superb story that keeps me glued to the screen and I felt a lot for the protagonist who is trying to live in a zombie apocalyptic world with a girl he forms a bond with after losing his own daughter. I felt for the characters in this world were believable and the graphics were purely stunning.

The game gave a perspective of what the world would be like filled with zombies and humans turning against each other and fighting for survival. In it, you travel to many different areas where the stakes are high as everyone is fighting for their lives. However, along the way, the gamer learns a lot.

World

The second and more important aspect of a great game is the environments or the world in general. As with the games mentioned above, they have mastered environments. When it comes to horror games, for example, the world matters a lot. The scarier looking it is, the more added suspense and fright it has. Games like the "Bioshock" series have mastered this with different environments that make the world perfect.

Game series like "Ratchet and Clank" and "Jak and Daxter" take you to different planets, or environments, making the game fun. The "Grand Theft Auto" series has equally thrived by bringing a gorgeous open world with tons of possibility and mayhem.

Gameplay

The last element is, of course, the gameplay. Without good gameplay, nobody will want to play the game and either be bored or quit after a while. For games that are amazing, the gameplay keeps gamers from getting disinterested and helps hook them to the story and world. Unparalleled freedom sits at the core of some good games.

A game that is perfect for this example, is series "God of War," where the world was terrific, filled with Greek mythology, and also having addictive and fun gameplay.

Using many different weapons and pummelling enemies was satisfying and using finishers on boss battles equally.

Gaming today is taking a different shape with virtual reality being the future. Virtual reality puts the gamer right into the action and causes them to feel what is going on even more.

When they look at a terrific game or a near perfect one, gamers can easily see that these three elements are what truly matters in a video game. Each game blends these three ingredients together in order to be successful.