Gameplay + Design > anything else. (please note Gameplay also includes PERFORMANCE. If 12FPS you cant really play the game = bad gameplay)
Tetris does not need story.
Mario Kart or Forza dont need story.
etc etc.
Gameplay has to be good otherwhise the game is crap (not an ipinion fact. If you disagree my condolences)
Story and graphics just need to be sufficient.
E.g
Princess is kidnapped you have to save her (is sufficient and enough)
Aliens attack earth. You are a soldier defend earth (sufficient)
Players just need to have a plausible reason for their actions. Everything else is nice but not required. (this does obviously only apply in games where you play a character. There is no need for it in Tetris)
Graphics also just have to be suffcient. They should look like the world makes sense. The world should have a desisgn where everything fits together and that does not look cheap.
If I have PS4 textures on 1 object and PS1 textures on the second object the world falls apart and is not believable. The visuals should have some variation so the player does not get tired/bored (everything looking the same etc) but there is no need for having lifelike humans or rocks with 1billion polygons. If I can see that something is supposed to be a rock then its sufficient enough.
That does not mean that a super ugly game or a very stupid story cant result in a bad game.
