EA's markting did a good job, obviously... ;)
Taking complexity and depth out of systems is ALWAYS dumbing it down, no matter how you call it. You can like a simplification of systems, you can like a game that offers less options, depth and systems, but it's still a dumbed down system. That's just what it is and there is nothing to agree or disagree upon. Whether you like the changes or not is a whole different question, a question you can actually disagree upon.
Had nothing to do with marketing... it's just how I felt after playing them.
And I still disagree with the term "dumbing down". Just because a game simplifies & fine tunes it's systems, doesn't mean it's "dumb"... that makes it sound like a bad thing, which in this case it certainly isn't (you disagree obviously). But it's not a categorical thing like you're suggesting.
But hey, it doesn't look like we'll ever agree here.. :)
Dumbing down indeed means simplification (but yes, RPG fans often use the term in order to also state their disgust for such practices). If your prefer the term simplification you can use that one. ;)
But no, the systems in ME2/3 are not "fine-tuned". That's just not true. They are truly simplified which means they are changed in a way that is less complex, less deep and offers less options. Almost all RPG and gameplay systems were changed in order to reduce complexity, to raise the action rate and to increase the accessibility.
I'm not denying that they simplified the systems in ME2/3, but you make it sound like it's a bad thing. I totally disagree... I think they made it better overall.
Look at a lot of examples in life... simpler usually means better.
This is the problem. Most "RPG" fans prefer deep systems over simplification. They just take that out of all games now (at least we have the throwbacks like wasteland 2, divinity, and poe, but nothing big budget like in the past).
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