There's a phrase I've been hearing every now and then over the past few years that really bothers me.  When I hear it, it's being used as a criticism of a game, and it just kind of hits a bad chord with me.  That phrase is "It made me feel like I was playing a video game".   You might hear different variations like, "it never made me forget I was playing a game," or "it would do things that reminded me I was playing a game," etc.  Whenever I hear this kind of statement, it makes me clench my jaw, and I can feel a slight nerd rage build up.  I just want to shout, "Of course it feels like a game!  You are playing a video game for crying out loud!" 
 
Now I'm not harping on the criticism itself.  I get the idea behind it, and it can be a valid point.  There can be elements in a game that can break the "immersion", if you will forgive the cliche.  The way the HUD is designed, the way the controls work, and/or the way the in-game tutorials are designed are just some of the moments that can spark this comment.  Sometimes I'll agree with the commenter's point and sometimes I won't.  The idea behind the comment isn't what I have a problem with.  It's the comment itself. 
 
Describing something as "gamey" or calling out something because it made someone remember they were playing a video game just irks me.  It makes me think that this person wants a scenario where they're playing a game, look down at their hands to see the controller, and they experience a moment of utter confusion.  "What the...why am I holding this?  When did I...Oh yeaaaaaaaah.  I'm playing a game."  I can't imagine that the real issue here is that someone doesn't want to remember that they're playing a video game.  I like video games and want to play them.  I believe that the people making these comments do to, considering that they are usually game journalists.  Complaining that you can't forget you are playing a game makes no sense to me.  Is the problem that the interface is too obtrusive?  Or intrusive?  Are there rendering problems that mess with the cut scenes, or is there an issue with pop-in textures?  Call out the specific complaint.  Saying it feels like a game doesn't help me understand in the issue with the game; It just irritates me.  Of course, some people will go on to describe what part of the game bothered them and made them feel this way.  In that case, I feel like the 'game' comment is just there for the sake of being snarky.  And hey, I make snarky comments all the time, so I'm not going to call someone out for doing that.  It's just that this one in particular grates on me and seems out of place.  
 
Am I the only who gets bothered when this statement gets made?  Or even notices went it gets made?