Im tired of collecting and managing. Im playing Ghost of Tsushima, and I just cant let myself enjoy it because I obsessively do side quests and find stuff to upgrade. Honestly all the big adventure games these feel like they pull from the same formula, its all just different skins for The Witcher 3. This is why fromsoft games are so much more memorable imo, look at the experience playing sekiro vs ghost of tsushima.
Sounds pretty gamey to me. The same impulses that drive you to do side quests and collect all the upgrades are the ones that designers are exploiting in apps and reward systems in order to "gamify" work and life.
You claim you don't like getting played yet you still game.
So by mostly playing shit like Contra 3 and Wild Guns I'm fighting the system? Cool!