I watched the series of the early 2000s and 2010s and compared them with the series closer to the 2020s and directly felt the difference, as if the authors really tried something before, I really cried when watching or was happy for the characters. The same with games, I played several games from the 2000s, and one sank into my heart, even after playing it a few years later, its plot still evokes vivid and pleasant memories, which has not yet happened with any game from the 2010s and even more so from the 2020s.
I’m not the only one, am I?
I will say I used to get quite emotional more often playing good story driven games compared to now. Whether that’s because of the inferred change, or I’ve become more cynical and dead inside…who knows (I suspect the latter).