Yes, it is real. It is a mainline entry. But that's where it stops it fails in every regard.

I'm not trying to trigger you, but people have failed to show me how this game defined itself. Every other mainline entry has done something to push the limits of the genre while still maintaining core elements like rpg mechanics, parties, that sort of thing.

Ff16 on the other hand, feels like a dmc5 skin, that does nothing to innovate even in that genre, in some respects dmc5 feels better actually. It doesn't really innovate anywhere, and that's the most upsetting part. Final Fantasy has always pushed the boundaries every entry, yes even 13, even 15.

It's clear from the mmo entries that cbu3 (except spoken) has very little creativity and talent, and they're admitted that themself. In ffxiv, the whole game feels like a world of war craft clone, and it doesn't do anything to push the genre either. In fact I'd say the main reason people even swap over is just because cbu3 is consistently good, and WoW is consistently bad.

Stop flicking blame and saying we are dragon quest fans, no we are not. This game is just bad, and it's not really final Fantasy. It doesn't share anything with the previous entries, and the argument every entry is new only holds if every entry is innovative.

Even the things it does right, it didn't do that right, because they're tied to other weak elements. Good story? Doesn't matter because weak characters. The main standout is the music, that's about it.

Leave the mainline entries to the pros like Nomura, kitase, toriyama and ito. Stick with your mmo stuff and don't ruin the main brand further.