I actually don't trash games like DMC anymore, learned to respect them, in a way.
But I think the main reason Demon's Souls skyrocketed in popularity was because it was more grounded and realistic, as opposed to the gamey, flashy shenanigans people were used to in spectacle fighters. You can see the swings, hear the swooshes, feel the weight and for many people this is much more appealing than the 30-seconds-juggling-in-the-air carnival.
I'd have never gotten into action gaymz without Souls-likes, even though I can only go so far. Stuff like DMC5 is already way too over-the-top for me.
I don't think slower, more grounded games are worse because they are less gamey.
Those types of systems can obviously be great as well and have their place (Nioh, Severance and For Honor are games of that type).
I simply believe it's a fallacy to think realism=quality.
Videogames are not simulation but an exageration reality.
So even in "grounded" games, there must a prevalent element of abstraction or simplification or hyperbole, for the sake of having some good design - obviously actual simulators work the other way around.
As for too over the top, let me give you an example.
Do you also don't play shooters like Doom and Dusk because you think they are too over the top compared to Rainbow 6 and SWAT?
I played ninja gaiden black on one of the xbox's when I was REALLY young kid and I liked it a lot but I never got really far and I don't remember much
Too bad those games aren't on PC.
There's something called emulators though...
If you want to try Ninja Gaiden 1, download the PS3 emulator - RPCS3 - and Ninja Gaiden Sigma.
As a warning, after some deaths the game will asks you if want to abandon the ninja way, select no otherwise the game will make fun of you and send you to easy mode (which is called Ninja Dog).
After you complete the game is normal you unlock hard mode, then very hard then ninja master - NG doesn't fuck around and NG2 is even worse.
DJOGamer PT Whenever I watch DMC combat videos, the combat looks really similar to games like those batman games or those newer lotr 'shadow of mordor' type games where basically you spam "xxxxxxxxxxx" and the character just bounces around doing all the combat for you. Is that how it actually is or was my assumption wrong?
It's your assumption.
You can't do any moves in DMC by mashing a button. You have to do everything manually.