it's about the character (Score 2, Insightful)

More important than the overall story is the main character. When you play a game you take control of the character and if that character has no purpose, no meaning and no motivation, what do you have? Do you have a plane that simply shoots down other fighters with mega weapons or are you a rogue fighter on a philosophical task (with mega weapons)? Are you driven to play because you want to see what this character can do, or what the plane can do?

If you're going to develop a character you're already on your way to a story and I just can't say that I don't want to know what my character is thinking. I want to be able to agree or disagree. I want to be able to take risks that I may or may not think my character is capable of doing, not just what I think I can do by controlling the character.