Totally agree. Especially about the music and having a world to explore. I feel very strongly that since voice acting came around the musical score has, like you said, taken a backseat. I can remember the music so distinctly from the PS1 era of games so much that they trigger nostalgia just hearing them. But since the PS2 era this hasn't been the case. Of course, I still have some tracks that stick out, but i find the majority just fade into the background.

And the world. Again, one of the things I loved doing in the previous games was exploring and seeing the world react to changes or simply go about its business. It made me feel like I was part of something bigger, rather than the sole reason anything happens.

So yeah, good list, Wolf!

Edit: Didn't FFXIII have difficulty options? If so, its probably likely that they will have that option available in FFXV.