I’m looking for action hidden gems, preferably scripted and linear—no open world or procuderal generation (roguelike, roguelike-like, or roguelite)
Some of my “usual suspects” favorites are Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, and Ninja Gaiden II. On the shmup/twin-stick shooter side: Crimzon Clover, Ketsui, and Assault Android Cactus+.
I also love Catherine, so I wouldn’t mind some puzzle thrown in there.
As nonlinear as I can go: The Deadly Tower of Monsters.
Haven’t played other Nier games but I think older entries are quite different in general. If you didn’t like combat of Automata then it’s probably a dead end.