Take RPG's for instance. They rely on the story, but also the improvement of abilities in the story at the right moment,well at least some of them do. It adds more meaning to the story along with intensity. In an action game, it can be a bad thing to have nothing but non-stop action. RE4 is known as one of the best games of all time because of how well the game's events, weapons, and gameplay mechanics are introduced. Plus the game is not completely non-stop action, there's also the shooting gallery for liesure time, and it's not useless either. The cut-scenes in the game are good to look at, including some of the conversations on the radio because they give the player a resting period and a time to collect themselves for the next fight.
RPG elements seem to give games better pacing because they add depth to the gameplay, in which most action games seemingly lack in terms of strategy. RE4 gave you the chance to upgrade the power and speed of your weapons among other things.
This will only take a moment of your time. *steals your watch*
