The notion that achievements or trophies detract from the game itself in any way seems extremely nit-picky.
In the case of Brutal Legend, I didn't even notice I was unlocking stuff until I was about half way through the game. I was like "Oh, that's cool I guess. Back to playing". Beyond getting a little 5-second blip in the corner of your screen telling you what achievement you inadvertently earned, it doesn't take away from the gameplay at all.
In some cases, little rewards can enhance the replay value of a game. I played Clive Barker's Jericho on hard mode several times just to unlock concept art dossiers and other goodies. Not making the achievements ridiculously ungettable makes a significant difference as well.
Inversely, I wouldn't play a game I didn't already enjoy just to unlock crap. If the game isn't already fun and compelling, then I couldn't care less about it's achievements.
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