I honestly think it's a social criticism on the rote and student-trivializing nature of modern education.
I never thought about the minigames this way, but that explanation actually makes those minigames a lot more clever.
When it comes to open world games in general, I love when you get enough stuff to become overpowered. I love the progression of starting out with next to nothing and amassing tons of gear, and tons of perks. Bully doesn't ramp up in ways that are enjoyable to me. Eventually you get kicked out and live in your own place, you get a motorized scooter. That kind of stuff is neat contextually for the main character, but it isn't that neat for me as the player. The incentive to play is the game's charm and characters I feel.
I've recently put a large amount of time into Saints Row 2. The stuff you unlock from activities and doing main missions is incredibly rewarding. Buying storefronts, buying and decorating cribs, collecting cars, earning cars. Getting unlimited sprint, automatic pistols with infinite ammo.
The progression of cash and gear is why GTA San Andreas is still a contender for the best GTA game. The pacing is perfect for unlocks, along with the game giving you enough activities from the start to get really cool perks and a ton of cash. By the end of the game you should own all the property in San Andreas, have a couple million dollars left to spare, the best weapons, fully modded vehicles, fancy clothes.
