If you limit interactivity to such a narrow, “practical” purpose, what does that accomplish?
On the contrary, I don't see it as limiting but as enriching. It opens up potential for richer games. Take the game Doom for instance. It had its atmosphere but it was gameplay over story. It wasn't bound to story telling concerns so it could deliver the gameplay joy it was meant to be. This old game is still a richer game than all the shooters out there which try to follow story/emotion rides.
but to objectively state that storytelling in games can't be anything more than shallow is presumptuous.
You can perfectly have a valuable story in games, presented in cutscenes, in written form or other
directed forms. I just doubt that telling stories through interactivity is potent, it may add to the experience here and there though.