I disagree with this statement (and I'm not a huge Assassin's Creed-fan myself). Don't get me wrong, it may very well be true for you, but I can't let it stand like this, written as if it were objective truth.

Alright, so here's the thing, the "you just press a single button!"-argument is always a tricky one, because at the core, this argument works by oversimplifing the game to make it sound dumb. You can do it with any game, too ("Mario is so easy, all you do is hit jump when there's a pit"). I'd argue that the challenge in Assassin's Creed is played out on a higher level - the challenge is to plan out attacking routes or your escape. So your focus is not so much on where your character is right now, but a few steps ahead, figuring out where to run to escape (or whatever). This is fun and a legitimate gameplay choice - only forcing you to press one button is, on this level, a design choice to focus the gameplay to what it was most likely intended to be. Forcing you to press a button for all these things would make it impossible or at least much harder for you to focus on the higher playing level of figuring out your plan. Consider Mario: The focus is always on the challenge you're on RIGHT NOW, then you go to the next challenge in the level. But from a gameplay-standpoint, all that are just disconnected platform challenges. Fun and interesting, sure, but held together only by its narrative (they're all in the same level). AC, I suppose, wants you to see two, three challenges ahead and asks you to make the most of that.

Additionally, there's merit in great visual design. Tomb Raider is great fun because of the atmosphere it creates. It really feels that the places you visit are real and interesting, though of course - like any other videogame level - that won't stand any close inspection. Despite this, the locales are visually interesting (and they, too, provide puzzles - Tomb Raider is, after all, famous for it's puzzle encompassing the entire level).
This doesn't mean that I agree that Tomb Raider/Assasin's Creed mechanics are uninteresting - I had fun with both of those titles. I just think their focus is somewhere else, and that is fine.

Superku is, in contrast, much closer to Mario: A focus on movement and navigation as a process (as opposed to as a means as in Assassins Creed). This is also fine and fun, but its just different to the other games, not better.


Of course, you're well in your rights to say that you prefer that type of game. But, again, others may disagree.