I think that's a bad example.
God of War is still an action adventure game. It does have wildly different gameplay than the original trilogy, but that's what makes FF so different, each game had for the most part pretty wildly different gameplay,
. I am not that sure. all of them are basically "Menu Selection Games"
there are nuances here and there. sure.
but remained in the genre.
Genres are embracing and mixing all kinds of influences now·a·days.
I think the problems of FF12,13,15 are mostly tonal rather than gameplay and I think they're learning the wrong lessons.
all of them had severe development issues. and Square Enix is shit.
Persona is growing in popularity and pokemon is as popular as ever. This idea that turn-based isn't popular or that it's just for an older generation doesn't make logical sense.
Pokemon
. i feel disgusted just thinking in that fucking lazy-ass, nostalgia driven, unambitious franchise where people buys the MVP and even buys broken ass games.
Persona, despite its growing popularity is still quite niche and i dont think it could be compared in term of budget to a main line Final Fantasy game
Why is Pokemon still selling well but Final Fantasy is seemingly struggling?
Pokemon is the call of duty of Nintnendo.
I think the answer is pretty clear and has more to do with Tetsuya Nomura than anything else. We just haven't liked the plots and characters of FF games since FFX.
now you are talking about another point... Story/charteres and related stuff. and yes!!! it has been shit/failing to reach its full potential since Square Soft became Square Enix.
The reality is you can make engaging turn-based gameplay, they've done it for decades and people still go back to play their old games for more than just nostalgia.
well...the reality of the situation is that since Square Enix; Final Fantasy has been loosing its prestige.
the old folks asking for Turn base gameplay can go and..
...you know what is next.
the the things is..
....what is most important aspect in a FF game?
what is the thing that old fucks want from a FF game?
what is the essence, magic that makes a Final Fantasy game feel truly magical?
if we look at old entries (before voice acting)
We could argue that the music accounted for 50% of the experience (if not more). It was so important that each theme was a character of its own, creating the vibes and atmosphere of the places you were exploring.
what's Next? the FMVs they felt so fucking amazing to look at, always a treat.
you felt like "oh shit". the gravitas of the situation.
The turn-based gameplay felt just like a means to an end, which was to represent the actions of the characters in a flashy way. It was almost like a concession due to hardware limitations.
the vast majority of the time your were exploring and talking with NPCs. But some times you had moments like this:
bruh. these moments felt so fucking AAA/Blockbuster so "cinematic".
All of these aspects is the reason why Final Fantasy felt so ahead of its time and ambitious despite being constrained by the technology in which it was built.