Xillia introduced links, and it's insanely fast by comparison, so you might have to get used to the slower pacing of the older games. I do believe in the older ones you are forced to walk the overworld as the protagonist and not a character of your choice (I think? it may have been altered in a few possibly more recent ones I haven't played as much or don't remember as much). But otherwise the feel and atmosphere and pacing is similar. Battles are always real-time for instance