I get the reasoning in theory, but... it doesn't work for everyone.
Speaking for myself, I don't appreciate the anxiety. I only played XCom EU but the timed missions were the ones I hated the most. I just didn't want to play a game that was just that every time. It doesn't make me thrilled, it makes me stressed. I do actually want to inch my way through every mission, so I can stay prepared for danger, since the game will pop out a bunch of enemies with free actions at any moment. I felt like the commander of an elite team whenever I managed to badly damage any enemy even before they got the chance to attack.
When they "fixed" me "optimizing the fun out of the game", they just took me out of the game entirely. What they see as fun or not fun is not universal.
Some might say that if this is how I think maybe that's not the game for me. But if having both possibilities is an alternative, why shouldn't I be able to play the way I actually like it?
I haven't played Pikmin but when it comes to BotW/TotK I still would prefer if weapons didn't break. Seems to me that it creates grind and it takes away flexibility, because more situational options take the same slots as raw power, and get spent just as quickly. Comes to mind also how XCom 2 insisted on turn limits, and one of the first mods it got was to remove the turn limits.
Sometimes designers insist on certain limits to prevent that players "optimize the fun away" but they don't realize that some players legitimately do have more fun without those limits.
I unironically love that game. It was equal parts bold and stupid. Where else you can find a game about a cartoon mascot character who can side with a alien-demon invasion to try to kill the president and the hero protagonist? SEGA can be judged for many things but they weren't afraid to dare.
I also really like how they did multiple endings. I know ultimately there is a single canon one but it's still interesting to see all the others.
Compared to Sonic Heroes which was released during the same generation, I like this game much more.
If you want something really different but really cool you should look into Invisible Inc., rogueline turn-based tactical stealth in a cyberpunk setting. The way they handle the levels of alertness and challenge ramping up as you remain for too long and take risky actions in each level is really interesting.