I could see the argument that this is more of a glorified DMC-type action game than an RPG that's a bit on the easy side, and its tone and characters are decidedly unFinal Fantasy in a lot of ways, but XVI still manages to wear the heart of the franchise on its sleeve through its amazing atmosphere, strong worldbuilding, and excellent soundtrack. And overall I still find the combat to be more engaging than XV, the characters and story more compelling than XIII, and it feels like the first non-MMO mainline game in a while to feel like a cohesive, uncompromised vision as-opposed to a messy product of development Hell and contrasting perspectives.