I usually have a little bit of both for every game I try, but if I had to pick, it would be Elite: Dangerous. I really love the visuals and how immersive it all is, but the gameplay gets repetitive and boring really fast. I guess I’m part of the problem, since I only did exploration and exobiology (if a game gives me a pacifist route, then I’ll pick it in a heartbeat); maybe I should try something like mining or hauling, eventually.

I also have some nitpicks concerning the gameplay, like, if I’m in a planetary rover, I have to use the laser turret intended for combat instead of a dedicated mining drill/laser. Or, when I’m collecting genome samples for exobiology, I can only gather from one species at a time. Considering that you only gather data for a single population, which usually spread out far and wide, gathering genome data on a single planet takes a long ass time.

EDIT: Also, traditional roguelikes (Brogue, Cogmind, Dwarf Fortress). They look awesome, but holy shit do they make me stupid

EDIT 2: Also, Etrian Odyssey games. For the same reasons – top notch visuals and presentation, but frustratingly difficult and obtuse gameplay