I disagree with the thesis of the original post but I need to do some equivocation to do so. "Criticize" has two common meanings. The first is to point out the flaws and shortcomings. This is the meaning used in the original post. I prefer to use the other meaning of criticize, which is to examine closely taking careful note of all the features and how they work together. In this sense, all games can be criticized. I think the really good games should be to understood how and why they work. In so doing, hopefully, more good games can then be made. Unfortunately, that understanding rarely occurs in developers as they'll latch onto one or two usually inconsequential elements of a popular game and just copy it. This is how bad games get made.
