: Even Final Fantasy has to a lesser extent gotten this reception as it
: constantly seeks to reinvent itself by changing its combat systems, its
: party system, and its leveling system, all while neglecting world building
: and storytelling (X and XIII were extremely linear with no overworld, and
: XIII's storytelling and characters are divisive amongst fans). Ever since
: FFX's release in 2001, the series seems more like Final Fantasy in name
: only. It doesn't feel like Final Fantasy anymore, but rather like some
: other JRPG that has the FF attached to it for marketing purposes. Of
: course, I already know you hate old-school JRPG mechanics, so, y'know,
: whatever. Just trying to explain it through the lens of an old-school FF
: fan.

Interestingly, I think that the old Final Fantasy games are just as linear, but just do a better job to hide it. In 3D, it's more obvious when you are being led down a straight path. Many people think X is the best. Many people think VI is the best. Many people think VII is the best. (VIII is actually the best). At least they are trying new things, and I'm glad I got different experiences with XIII.

: Mega Man added new moves to his
: repertoire as the series progressed, first adding a slide in 3, then the
: charged Mega Buster in 4, then the dash and wall jump in X, but never lost
: that distinct Mega Man-ness (other MM sub-series didn't feel very much
: like Mega Man, though, thus marking it as a series that works best within
: established bounds, namely a 2D side-scroller in the vein of the classic
: & X series).

It was progress though. But now the Megaman games are hopelessly outdated. I would really like to see Megaman make the jump to 3D as a third person shooter. Legends tried but was a misstep. I think it can work now the the kinks of the genre on consoles has been worked out, and dual sticks are standard on controllers. Maybe I am just killing for another game like Vanquish.

: But far too often we see innovation for innovation's sake. Innovation is
: often treated not as a means to an end, but an end unto itself, and
: something that is a prerequisite that trumps everything else. More often
: that not, innovation is considered more important than actual quality
: gameplay, and some reviewers and fans will let a mediocre game slide
: because it's innovative. But I'd rather play something iterative that's
: polished and well-executed than something that relies entirely on its
: supposed innovations but lacks polish or is just plain bad and/or boring.

This is absolutely true, and why refinement is often the way to go (which consequently ends up making games more and more niche).

: Mega Man 9 backpedaled away from later 8-bit MM games by removing
: sliding and the charged buster, yet was one of the best digital games of
: the past generation. Shovel Knight is as retro as they get, yet has been
: well-received.

This is a good example for me to use. I disagree 100%. Megaman X took the Megaman formula and updated it, and pushed the limits. The X games are significantly more complex, interesting, faster, and more fun than the original series. Better graphics, more weapons, dashing and walljumping (which led to a completely different approach to level construction and boss design). Compared to X, Megaman 9 is old, clunky, and stuck in the past. It even compares unfavorably to the later NES games where sliding and the megabuster were used in interesting ways.

: (it's pretty bad that AotCR remains the pinnacle of big, open
: level design after 13 years, while Halo 4 ended up being the most
: constrained in the series),

It's fairly clear this was the result of prioritizing the graphics. The levels had to be restricted in scope, and there were tons of 'tricks' used. This is also why they don't have films - the moment you move the camera somewhere you wouldn't be in normal play, those tricks are revealed and the world falls apart.

: It's almost like the ones with the final say on what Halo is to be now have
: decided that they want Halo back on top of the FPS heap and back as the
: flagship game of MLG and other e-sports groups, and to do that they feel
: they have to take a slice of CoD's pie... by emulating CoD and the rest of
: the FPS status quo.

A stupid goal to begin with. E-Sports is really dumb, and a bane to the art of videogames.

: I have serious concerns about the direction the franchise is taking.

The interesting thing, is that even though I praise Mario for changing with the times, I do not like the 3D Mario game, nor the Metroid prime games. I do like the originals. By changing to stay relevant, you will inevitably lose some fans, but that is better than being stuck in the past.