Watching FFXVI, all I can think is that having a game about playing as nonhuman entities with feral fighting styles like Ifrit and tracking down & fighting other creatures, Monster Hunter-style, would be an extremely strong concept for a game

Marvel Suns is good in an overlooked way: it is remarkably open about what is expected of the player without overbearing. When you finish the tutorial in the hub world area, they tell you (twice!) that you don’t have to do it anymore. It’s constantly telling you stuff is optional. Regardless of how good that stuff is (it seems fine!), imagine just telling your players something is actually, honestly optional.