I’ll give my example and I think I’m going to get a lot of hate for it. I DESPISE Dark Souls 3. It is such a mediocre game when it comes to the actual gameplay. There is like zero build diversity, the combat isn’t indepth and, while the other souls games have at least decent RPG mechanics and exploration can make things easier, DS3 just demands you rolly polly your way to victory. There is no weight to like anything, you feel so floaty and light, and you fold like a peice of paper when you get hit. And so many attacks don’t care about your positioning, and instead only if you mashed the dodge button at the correct time, something Elden Ring kind of does too, but it adds a jump button to retain some offense and I find that I’m able to out position bosses and enemies more often in it without actually dodging.
Dark Souls 3 is such a mindnumbingly boring game for me, I feel zero excitement playing it.
Love DS1, DS2, Bloodborne and Elden Ring though, great games all around.
And the music for DS3 is amazing and I do love the Pontiff Sullivan fight.
I do agree with your observations here, especially when it comes to GTA V.
One Rockstar game that I thought did a good job with the gameplay loop was Max Payne 3. Near-death, running low on ammo and diving to the side of an enemy’s shot in slow-motion whilst you line up that last headshot and see the animation as the final bullet hits it’s target. THAT felt satisfying. It’s not a perfect game by any means, but I loved the gameplay.
GTA V on the other hand did feel like a chore at times with its uninspiring gunfights. I think it actually shined most during the unscripted moments - being chased when a stray bullet pops a tyre, forcing you to fight your way out of a battle on the side of the road before running for your life, stealing another car and getting away. I guess that’s what you mean when you say a storytelling engine.