It would be cool if some of the large level designs in some of these games were made more widely available to other developers. They could sell it, doesn't have to be free. Seems like it could be a decent business model.

I had no intention of playing it, but I have been known to love a crappy masterpiece.

It's a good article that showcases the way AAA games are basically hollow. They wear a lot of art, incredibly elaborate, expensive, art, but none of it comes together to make the experience it promises. Everything is built in separate pieces and stuck together later, and its boring gameplay that shows no interest in being art of its own is the glue. I remember Yahtzee did a video about the first Destiny that made this same point, about how the environmental art in a few areas was fascinating and clearly full of effort, but the gameplay was a slog that lacked the same ambition.

I thought we were calling AAA games 'Corporate Games' now. Is that trend over already?

To an extent that level of beauty in the scenery creates the lackluster gameplay. If you've finished one of these jaw dropping environments, only to realize late in the day it's mediocre gameplay-wise, you simply can't redo it. It would take months.

This is oversimplifying a bit, but not by much honestly.