Traditional PS1 era FF games didn’t have a formula they can adapt today.
They had a formula but couldn't make it work in the 3D era due to the lack of technology on their part
You reach a certain point in game world, it will trigger a cut scene and take you to next area. Such games SE still makes today in top dows 2D games like Bravely Default.
That's very reductionist because you could say the same thing about any game. There were many moments where storytelling was interwoven with gameplay, making them feel ambitious and like pushing the medium forward
To make something equally compelling, they will have to innovate and come up with a new game design.
I will phrase it as: They need to bring back the old design and innovete on top of it
Personally I feel they should just take the easy way out and make their version of Witcher 3. People play these for music, graphics, story. Just focus on that. No need to build long dungeons, mini games etc.
that is an Issue.
When you compare the design sensibilities of the old FF games 7, 8, 9 with modern game design, especially after the boom of open worlds, and then contrast how their own entries (X through XVI) have been 'evolving,' you'll notice that the old games didn't incorporate:
- Checklists
- Waypoints
- Sidequests presented in the modern way
I will argue that these three points are among the worst design aspects of open worlds. now add the total failure of SE to deliver the true FF experience since X, and instead, we have been getting:
- Corridors
-mismatch art direction (NPC main characters)
- Weak character/stories
- Stagnation in gameplay
- Not a true FF open world (flying)
It feels like FF has not been able to reach the highs it once did and, most importantly, that they're lagging behind in a medium where they were once at the bleeding edge of technology and storytelling
FF doesn't need to follow the western open world desing. (Ubisoft, Rockstar, Guerrilla, CDPR)
They need to find a way to achieve what the old ones did but with innovations and advancements you would expect to see today.
The closest one to achieving this was FFXII. After that, every game felt like a step backwards.
and as many have said, nostalgia is doing the heavy lifting for FFVIIR