What do you look for in a game?

I thought for today we might all discuss a little about how we each view the hobby. 

What do you look for in a game?

     Specifically, what in a project makes you stop and take notice? Is it the back story? Is it a games competitive arena? The sculpts themselves? A certain genre?

     I firmly believe there is no "right answer" to this question, and that the hobby is... no, needs to be... big enough to encompass everyone's views and play styles. 

     For myself, I like things epic in scope. This means not only larger forces clashing on the field, but that those forces stand for something. Or, at least, feel that they do. A game can be seven flavors of bad guys, but each one of those forces needs to inherently believe they're doing it for the right reasons. 

     To this end, for me, the genre itself is unimportant. Since the first day a primitive man hit another with a rock, mankind has waged war for his beliefs. I don't feel this will ever change: Mankind will always fight to secure what it has, and fight to gain more- for "all the right reasons."  Similarly, while I appreciate having a fair chance to win,  recognize that History hasn't always been so kind. Indeed, some of the most monumental battles are remembered not for their victories, but for their stance against an insurmountable foe.  I don't mind playing The Alamo or Thermopylae occasionally... hell, every once in a while you win those games too. So, perfect game balance (if such a thing can exist) is nice, but not a requirement for me to have fun. 

     Model quality is often important to me as well- I enjoy the immersion in the game, and high quality models lead to greater immersion. That being said, one of my favorite games ever was Belgarath97 and I play testing a concept in development using nothing but scraps of paper as markers. 

    So, what's your story? What drives your hobby? I'd like to know.