OK now, before you all go talking about flame bait and trolling and whatnot just hear me out. 
 
I just want to talk about the differences in the combat systems in both games and the resultant divide between most of the audiences that play and enjoy each respective style. God of War employs a more accessible and easy-to-use combat system which aims for more awesome reward with less effort. Devil May Cry has a deeper, more complex combat system with a bigger focus on timing. As a result, on average, there are less less awesome moments but a greater satisfaction when pulled off. Like me, the God of War audience don't mind this kind of combat where you can fudge it a bit and get away with it since the feel of the weapons and the feeling I get after simply pushing the circle button and seeing the vicious carnage that ensues. From what my friends who are fans of Devil May Cry tell me, that crowd go for crazy juggling combos and S Ranks and the satisfaction from the challenge of the game. There's nothing wrong with that.
 
My problems comes with them coming up and telling me the gameplay in God of War is respectively worse because you can pretty much button mash your way through it. I guess to an extent  that can be said but it's the great feel and visceral, visual reward that comes from simple combos that hits the spot for me. I mean, seriously mashing the circle ain't anything, but when you also see him slamming a door repeatedly in the man's face, it gets pretty awesome. When did harder and more complex combat mean better gameplay? What do you guys think? Do you think I'm wrong? Do you think I'm right? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

OK now, before you all go talking about flame bait and trolling and whatnot just hear me out. 
 
I just want to talk about the differences in the combat systems in both games and the resultant divide between most of the audiences that play and enjoy each respective style. God of War employs a more accessible and easy-to-use combat system which aims for more awesome reward with less effort. Devil May Cry has a deeper, more complex combat system with a bigger focus on timing. As a result, on average, there are less less awesome moments but a greater satisfaction when pulled off. Like me, the God of War audience don't mind this kind of combat where you can fudge it a bit and get away with it since the feel of the weapons and the feeling I get after simply pushing the circle button and seeing the vicious carnage that ensues. From what my friends who are fans of Devil May Cry tell me, that crowd go for crazy juggling combos and S Ranks and the satisfaction from the challenge of the game. There's nothing wrong with that.
 
My problems comes with them coming up and telling me the gameplay in God of War is respectively worse because you can pretty much button mash your way through it. I guess to an extent  that can be said but it's the great feel and visceral, visual reward that comes from simple combos that hits the spot for me. I mean, seriously mashing the circle ain't anything, but when you also see him slamming a door repeatedly in the man's face, it gets pretty awesome. When did harder and more complex combat mean better gameplay? What do you guys think? Do you think I'm wrong? Do you think I'm right? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

Can't really compare them, Devil May Cry is a Japanese action game, just like Bayonetta, among many others, God Of War is an American action game. Just Like JRPGs vs American RPGs, there are fundamental differences in terms of gameplay. Its not right to compare them together, they're for different audiences.

To add a bit more, sure you can button mash, but there is some real depth in the combat, and its way more brutal then Devil May Cry, i think its a better game to come home to after a stressful day.. but that's my personal opinion.

the difference is simple. DMC is about style and GOW is about brutality.
 
that said, a deeper combat system obviously adds depth to the game, and it works wonderfully in DMC to make combat really layered and precise, but in GOW beating the shit outta dudes till you can play a mini game to rip them to shreds totally fits everything else that game's got going for it.

I find the GoW style combat to be more fun to play, but the DMC style combat feels more rewarding (I think I prefer GoW if I had to pick one).  Anyways, I think my favorite combat in a game is Ninja Gaiden 2's.  It sort of feels like a mix between GoW with the execution kills and extremely fast gameplay, and DMC with the more punishing and timing based combat.

i think there is a level a skill to GOW system. just play it on a harder difficulty and you'll see. people who are really good at it master each enemy and know all of their attack patterns and can blow through fights without receiving any damage. 

For the most part I see GOW as being 'auto-awesome' where pretty much everything you do is going to be impressive looking, kind of like if you play with the Easy/Automatic setting turned on in DMC. It takes a lot of practice for DMC combat to be as smooth and impressive looking as GOW, but that's kind of the point. I think it depends on what you want in a game.
 
It's like the difference between a well done Hollywood summer blockbuster with great production values and a Jackie Chan movie with great fight choreography and awesome stunts. Similar, in the same basic genre, but distinctly different.

" the difference is simple. DMC is about style and GOW is about brutality.  that said, a deeper combat system obviously adds depth to the game, and it works wonderfully in DMC to make combat really layered and precise, but in GOW beating the shit outta dudes till you can play a mini game to rip them to shreds totally fits everything else that game's got going for it. "