the main word I would use to describe FFXVI is "lean" and that's unusual for a modern big game release. it's not weighed down by a ton of bloated RPG systems that only exist to give you dopamine m&m's in regular intervals
gear is very simplified, the skill tree only confers a few gameplay abilities, the world has virtually no explorative elements, side-quests are straightforward affairs, and the main story is entirely linear to the point of eventually losing access to earlier areas and side-quests
I'm so used to games having this stuff that it almost feels weird to play a modern game without systems on systems to artificially generate the happy brain chemicals. I would bet the reviews scores would have been higher if they had built the game that way. I'm very glad they opted not to, it's refreshing