Gameplay

Gameplay...we talk about it all the time what do any of us actually know what it means. The first thing that pops into my head is the way a game plays, the intensity, speed and drama. Then again it could be many other things. It could simply be how a player gets to the next level, or just the interactions between the player and computer.
Many games will have similar gameplay styles such as first person shooters and racing games. They pretty much follow the same principle, get from here to here, shoot some dudes, go around in circles quicker than the others etc etc. However, there are some unique ones out there too. Portal for example was just a test to see if the design would actually work, and look at it now, a fantastic puzzle game, completely different to anything else on the shelf. The thing is, now that i have actually thought about what is gameplay, I'm not sure how to describe Portal's gameplay. I could just say that the gameplay is unique, but then that really isn't reviewing it is it?
The question, "Can it be designed into a game" is a yes. All the ideas put together, the sounds and graphics create the gameplay experience. The designers may not actually say, "right, the gameplay must be this this and this", it will just evolve from each area.
Is Gameplay important, it has to be, because in my mind, poor gameplay equals a poor quality game. But then again, who actually knows what gameplay is exactly, what I just said could be rubbish. Bah, back to stage 1.