> This lowers the bar for casual players to get into a game. But at the same time, makes for a (somewhat) more passive experience. You explore a pre-designed environment vs. create a good part of it yourself.

I think this is less about aesthetics and more about directed versus undirected gameplay. Mainstream/AAA modern games more or less tell you exactly what to do and exactly where to do it, which makes for a significantly more passive experience as you don't need to think at all to progress.

An example is if you played chess with an AI telling you what moves to make. The player playing without thinking is due to a lack of player agency, not the pretty graphics of chess.