Well talking about a game like Minecraft, the graphics are among the most astoundingly beautiful I've ever seen. The textures are what gives the game a sort of 8-bit vibe that some people like. Your friend merely has textures and graphics confused.
Graphics don't make a game good. I'll play a game that has graphics that make it hard to distinguish from real life, or a game with graphics that will make your average CoD player vomit. It doesn't matter to me.
The one, most important thing about any game: Your ability to play it.