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[ukulele]

They have to be skill based, thats basically my n1 concern, i want to feel how i do better not just by character progresion but becouse im better at the game, i like to have huge gaps between a new player and an OK player, and even a greater gap between an OK one and a "PRO" one.

[Mongol13524]

A good vertical element in multiplayer FPS maps. If you make a level, use all 3 dimensions!

[Spaghetti7]

The lack of invisible walls. I mean seriously, slap a mountain or a door or wall or something tangible there, don't just stop me from going places I can see. If they're gonna tempt me, let me go there.

[MonkeyHead]

The ability to solve issues in many different original ways, without any rock, paper or scissors balancing. Homeworld did this well if you were creative, as did Morrowind, even if overdoing it in Morrowind broke the game a little - 100 Jump enhance + slowfall spell for example, or alchemy intelligence exploit..

[RedKing]

Good voice acting is definitely a plus in my book. Portal 2 is just drenched in it, and I'm just now getting into the Mass Effect games and finding it there too.

Clever writing is another big thing, although YMMV depending on genre. It's crucial in an RPG/adventure game, not so much for a strategy game or pure shooter.

I like optional subtitles, if only because my hearing is starting to fail and sometimes dialogue is difficult for me to pick out. Kinda breaks the immersion, but it's a worthwhile trade-off sometimes.

In-game cutscenes. Seamless area transitions (again, nothing breaks immersion like a big ol' LOADING... screen).

For strategy: Customizable units (And I mean *real* customization, not just different skins or picking one of a couple basic designs). Not every game has to be Aurora, but I do like having some control over how I build up my forces.

Complex research trees. I'm particularly fond of research trees that aren't 100% predictable (like SotS or the semi-random nature of Victoria II's "inventions").

[Shook]

Dynamic challenge is a good one for me. As in, the game keeps throwing genuinely new obstacles in your direction, so you have to adjust your playing style to match. If there's just one kill-it-all strategy, things get boring pretty quickly.

And, in the same vein, varying visuals to go with different areas. I can live with being stuck in a single world if it's nicely designed, but having multiple awesome environments beats it by miles. Exploration is entertaining, especially if coupled with dynamic challenges.

Also, a proper combat system that depends mostly on the player rather than an arbitrary value. Hammerfight is an excellent example, hands down the most entertaining combat i've ever engaged in. DF does it nicely too, but in Hammerfight, i'm actually swinging the weapon myself rather than saying "oi bro slash that sword at his toe". That degree of response is just amazing.

AND FINALLY, clever level design, as is prominently featured in Rayman Origins. Levels that are as fun to speed through as it is to take your own time are bloody amazing, because you can really see how much effort that they put into streamlining your progress, yet without making it an automatic rollercoaster. Frequent input required, but man it feels good when you do it right.

Oh, and good voice acting, obviously. Wheatley from Portal 2 stand out here, obviously.

[pilgrimboy]

I've actually seen one or two other games that do that item shop thing. One was an online game, and they eventually took it out because it was needlessly complex and threw off the economy. Most people would just rather immediately sell their stuff than wait for someone to buy it.

Elona actually did it well.

[nenjin]

The ability to name your own characters. Such a small thing that does so much for your sense of ownership of the game.

[Sowelu]

Games with balanced, difficult challenges that you can't grind to beat.  A lack of open spaces and waiting.  I've rarely played an FPS with the balance of Quake 1 (where running out of ammo on harder levels is a valid concern), or an RPG with the balance of FF4 (You get these five guys today, deal with it).  Coming up with your own solution is only fun if that solution is still challenging, and doesn't take grinding to get to.  FF5, I'm looking at you.

Looting random scrap to sell for cash is terrible.  A strength score that determines your carrying capacity is terrible, because you're trading a game advantage (other stats) for a personal advantage (not being annoyed by constant trips).  Seriously, who maxes out their carrying capacity with /useful/ objects, short of Nethack?

Weapon balance that isn't awful.  I'm looking at you, almost every game.

Sniper rifles in an FPS should only occur in a sniping game, unless it's multiplayer.  Sniping games are very different from other games.  Sniping in Fallout:NV, or Borderlands, or anything else:  "I'm going to sit here on this rock and shoot you and you can't run up to me in time to kill me, sucks to be you, boy this is boring".  Run-and-gun shouldn't really occur in a sniping game, because it sucks:  "God damn it, why do I have to dodge these mortars, this isn't the game I paid money to play."  The only games I've ever seen pull off a multi-game-type combination in a way I enjoyed was, uh...Modern Warfare, because it was practically a minigame there.  Of course, then they blew it by turning it into an escort mission, with a guy who couldn't move.

No escort missions.  Defending someone else sucks.

No "hurry up and wait".  I'm looking at you, Hitman series.

Dialogue options should either be selectable by number (every good RPG) or proceed automatically when selected by a button (Alpha Protocol).  AP was awesome.  Instead of "wait for the other guy to say something, then conversation pauses while you pick something", it was "pick your stance, change it whenever, conversation isn't going to pause for you".  Kind of like Mass Effect 1 but with no pauses.  It was great.

Equal rewards for being a good guy and being a dick.  Alpha Protocol did this very well, and aided roleplaying.  You got a bonus if your handler likes you.  You got a different bonus if your handler hates you.  You get a perk from letting an arms smuggler go, a different perk from arresting him, and a different one still from shooting him in the head.

Multiplayer co-op games should have assloads of variance.  Left 4 Dead did this to a godly extent.  You can play a mission four times and hear four different banterings between your teammates.

If two NPCs are voiced by different people, never give them the same lines.  Ever.  Taking an arrow to the knee is just the most obvious example, but a good 3/4ths of games with random townies walking around do this.

[Dutchling]

No or very short reloading time in a FPS (Unreal Tournament). I don't care if it's realistic or not, reloading is just plain annoying.

No voice acting in an open world RPG (Morrowind). There is literally nothing you can talk about in Oblivion and Skyrim, especially compared to Morrowind.

Hundreds of playable nations in a grand strategy game (Paradox games). If I want to play as Albania in World War II, I want to be able to do so.

[GlyphGryph]

Multiplayer in RPGs (Baldurs Gate, Seiken Densetsu 2/3, a couple FF games, etc. and so on.)

[SirAaronIII]

I like when you can keep attacking an enemy's dead body and it's actually affected by what you do, like the needle gun blowing them up in Halo or maybe just when they wiggle when you hit them in Oblivion.

[Rakonas]

The lack of invisible walls. I mean seriously, slap a mountain or a door or wall or something tangible there, don't just stop me from going places I can see. If they're gonna tempt me, let me go there.

This.
Probably one of my biggest appreciating things is quality, memorable music in a game. If I'm humming a game's music then I can't help but like it.

[Orangebottle]

Character editors. I always tend to play games that you can make your own characters in.
Great music is nice too, because it helps me get into the game easier.
Semi-realistic physics is a must(barring magic).

[-Firestar-]

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