They made some excellent points, but I also think they floundered on many others, and simply didn't get the point on many things. I must say though, I am getting increasingly tired of this sort of elitist cynicism from certain gamers, press or outlets. Watching them play through Advanced Warfare was a prime example. They looked like they had their minds made up long before even attemting to play the game. Rather than even let the story tell it's tale, they ridiculed every aspect. Hardy har my friend died, let me laugh and joke about it etc. These are jaded gamers who live to pick apart these sorts of games, that don't fit their narrow criteria. Better to accept that people enjoy both types of game, for good reason, and because variety is the spice of life.
And really you get more immersion pressing that button and watching that terrible looking Mario jump, than firing a gun in Advanced Warfare? Despite Super Mario being a classic, I'm going to have to disagree on that one. The physics, visual effects, overall graphics and sound effects to me at least, make the latter feel far more immersive, even if it isn't necessarily the better game. Super Mario may be more demanding in terms of skill, and as such require greater attention and commitment from the gamer, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is more immersive. A lot more goes in to immersion than simply gameplay feedback or challenge. The basic premise is you press a button and something happens. In one game you do a weird physics defying jump, in the other you fire a weapon with a mostly realistic looking and feeling reaction.
To me the new Mario games are more immersive than the old ones, and it's partly because of the more advanced physics, graphics, effects, shaders, colours etc, that give me that impression. The world around you in Super Mario Galaxy for example, feels more believable, scalable, explorable and magnificent, and as such is more immersive.
Button prompts and QTE's.
Also, whilst I agree button prompts staying on screen all the time is too hand holdy and unnecessary, I think they miss the point of QTE and button prompt implementation in certain games (though they are right to ridicule it in others), and why they cannot be compared to gameplay in games like Mario.
Button prompts for example, exist largely because trial and error gaming can be a right pain in the ass. When visuals and technology has gotten to the stage that in expansive realistic world's and environments, that cannot be completely open and free due to development resources and budget (as well as increased monotony and boredom in gameplay scope), we can no longer tell what is or isn't do able, a prompt can help give us visual feedback informing us of this. In Super Mario you basically just jump around platforming. There's not much information to signify beyond yes you can jump here or you can't, which you can usually tell from just distance, so it's easy. In other games, especially games you are constantly changing move set and abilities it's much, much harder. For example, how do I know in Advanced Warfare I am able to pay my respects by the Coffin unless there is a button prompt? Do these guys realise that not having such a prompt, and instead offering such an unguided scope for input, opens the gateway to mass aimlessness, and gamers not having a clue what they can or cannot do, and having to worry that they may have missed button clicking a million things throughout the game? That would be damn annoying.
Then there's the thing about QTE's, which also follows on from what I said above. Mario's movement and visual feedback is basic, and never really changes much, which is why it never needs QTE's. God of War uses QTE's as a method of not only adding some timing or skill to a more cinematic and elaborate sequence, that in other games would otherwise be cut scenes, but also gives players feedback on when or where these moments are possible, as they are completely dynamic, fall completely outside of the regular move set, and completely change based on the enemy type, boss, or sutuation. Not having QTE's as visual feedback in these moments, again just broadens the scope of randomness in trial and error, and would ultimately make the combat less fun. God of War would be a less fun, less focused and less spectacular game without these QTE sequences, but for those that don't like this sort of design, it's nice we have games that explore a mixture of approaches, so there's more diversity for everyone.
