The answer has been and continues to be clear in the indie scene. Many of the most memorable and beloved games have not been high fidelity, but rather unique an

The answer has been and continues to be clear in the indie scene. Many of the most memorable and beloved games have not been high fidelity, but rather unique and thematic. Consider Mario Kart, Portal, Braid, Slay the Spire, and Balatro. Even games that continue being played after decades like Counter Strike, World of Warcraft, and Skyrim. While some of these may appear to be very high fidelity, they aren't the massive open worlds with millions of polygons. Most are either 2D sprite based or use relatively simple 3D models with distinctive textures. I see the graphical spectacle of many new games similar to 3D movies. They catch your attention initially, but it quickly fades into the background. What keeps you playing and makes for an enjoyable experience are the mechanics, characters, and story. Beautiful themes and appropriate sounds really help with immersion. None of this requires hundreds of thousands of hours from hundreds of artists. What it does require is creativity and artistry. The reason these AAA games fail is because they are bland, repetitive, uninspired gruel. With such large budgets they are driven to make their games as low risk and widely palatable as possible, which paints them into a corner of median, average, well-trodden ground. The potential upside of a break out classic isn't orders of magnitude above the average, but the downside could be a total loss.