I don't think I agree, there's a lot to play... They're just not generation defining titles that shape creative intentions for the rest of the industry, like Uncharted 4 or GOW 2018 did. There are good games coming out every corner, they just don't inspire confidence on the industry as a collective and I feel that's been evident for a while now.
I think you both are saying the same thing. he's just being a bit overdramatic with nothing to play.
like you said, we just dont have those boundary pushing genre defining titles releasing anymore. not in terms of graphics, and definitely not in gameplay. everything feels safe. no offense to RDR2 and its my game of the generation, but aside from graphics, its the same exact game as gta5. linear as fuck mission design. no real sandbox gameplay outside of maybe hunting. And again thats the best game in the last 10 years or so.
the biggest mistakes this talented studios made was making straight sequels that ended up taking 5 years anyway. HFW and GOW Ragnorak are perfect examples. no real innovation, copy paste gameplay, just more of the same. if they had innovated and taken the series to another level then things might have been different. if ragnorak was actually a game built around war mechanics with all out war going on between titans and gods instead of the same exact formula as gow 2018 then we would not be sitting here talking about this. if GG had actually managed to deliver a big war scene at the end of forbidden west instead of literally making it a cutscene, we would not be talking about this.
the studios got complacent. they lost that ambition gene. the drive to be better than everyone. thats why i went so nuts when i first found out so many sony studios were making cross gen games, i knew they no longer wanted to be the best and it would trickle down to not just graphics but also gameplay innovations and the scope of the games.
thankfully, rockstar is still leading the fight. they still want to be the best of the best. but they are a dying breed. ubisoft is phoning in games. sony studios are now phoning in games. sucker punch just the latest casualty of mediocrity and complacency thats swept sony studios. ms studios are phoning in games. though they never really delivered anything great anyway. japan is a lost cause. people wanted something new this gen after two generations of samey bullshit, but nope. and now the industry is in deep trouble financially.