In the past, when technology advanced, devs were eager to implement new stuff. For example, from Might & Magic V to VI: Mandate of Heaven, one of the very first things that they did was to add flight spells into the game. Same for Ultima Underworld, the game implemented levitation magic spells not presented in the mainline of Ultima games. Sadly, nowadays RPGs are all about taking cool stuff from older games and iterations and removing it.
But just imagine how cool they could be if, for example, instead of dialog wheels, each NPC could be talked to like a chatterbot. IF instead of removing ways to open doors, in older RPGs like Arcanum, you could bash, disintegrate doors with spells, magically open with unlock cantrip, lockpick, use dynamite, etc., to open any door or window. In modern RPGs, you can only use a lockpick. With all advancements in physics engines, real-time RPGs could have realistic physics, allowing, for example, a very powerful psion to telekinetically hurl a car at a building, and the game could simulate the impact, damage, and other factors in a realistic way. The AI of monsters in real-time RPGs could be as advanced as FEAR. Axe strikes could decapitate enemies and mutilate enemy bodies in a realistic way. With the advancement of AI, we could have P&P modules ported into CRPGs, and the DM could react to PCs out-of-the-box thinking. Think of using animated objects in very creative ways to bypass puzzles or, IDK, sneaking into the boss with an army of invisible animated bag of holdings to drop nasty stuff upon him. An AI DM would be able to react to such ideas. The AI would also be able to counter the PC party in TB games and force the PC to adjust its strategy. Could be even more advanced than KoTC2. Other game genres to take the advancements in physics and AI.
But instead we got... dialog wheels, bullet sponge enemies, the same QTE/cooldown managing boredom for endless gear farming, stat-sticky itemization, nonsensical stupid armor design, pronouns in character creation, etc.
