The one thing I miss the most isn't so much a result of modern CRPGs, but the result of the rise of the Internet.
I miss not knowing ANYTHING about a game before it's released - and I miss the personal discovery that you get when you sit down with a game that no one else has ever talked about - and in which features exist that you have absolutely no idea will be a part of the game.
The mystery of a game is definitely what I miss the most, and which I consider one of the biggest losses in modern gaming.
Beyond that, I miss developers catering to passionate fans before they cater to the mainstream.
Meaning, developers who made their mechanics very intricate because they knew that's what the fans liked - and where you had to invest in both mechanics and gameplay to be able to succeed. A truly challenging game is something of a rarity these days - and the games that have challenge tend to cater to a smaller audience, because the mainstream won't accept it.
We do get some of that with indie games, true - but even the indie games tend to appeal wide when they can.
Also, I really miss the days when "AAA" developers had the balls to take more chances.
That said, I don't begrudge anyone any of this. This is just the natural result of the market becoming so large - and publishers having to please whatever amount of shareholders and what not.
Agreed on all points here.
Last year I went back to an older, lesser known title and relived that sense of discovery I used to experience in the past. It's not one the media covers often, and you're unlikely to see it in any "Top X" lists because it doesn't generate clicks and isn't instantly recognized by the general gaming public.
But after a lengthy playthrough from start to finish (including all side quests), it instantly became one of my top favorites. I took a few months to debate whether it was the honeymoon phase appreciation I had for it, or the air of mystery surrounding the game. It turned out to be just an honest, beautiful game, and not hearing or knowing anything about it really,
really helped. A year later and it still remains among the top.
Additionally, developers prioritizing customer and fan concerns is another thing I miss. As Darth already stated, you're more likely to encounter that among indie developers, but even their games can draw a massive following and change in direction as a result. My love for an indie title dropped off once it became too big and the lead developer no longer was involved in the project. Updates and future content were passed to the (at the time) new employees who had their own vision for the game, and fan suggestions grew less important.
Still, fan priority does seem more consistent among them. I can name a number of indie titles off the top of my head in which I would continuously praise the developers for quality-of-life changes requested by fans. AAA games seem much less open to this in my experience, and for good reason - who would want to wade through thousands of requests, most of which are probably nonsensical?
And finally, I also attribute this to the rise of the internet, something I've personally cited many times in other boards of discussion. It's been both a curse and a blessing. Thankfully, the internet has helped shift my focus toward indie developers which is often where I rediscover that magic again and again.
Edit: Two other major points I wanted to make regarding older games. Firstly, limited space forced the developers to get really creative and use neat little tricks to go beyond their boundaries. Nowadays there aren't many space limitations, so developers are not pushed as hard to come up with some creative ideas.
Secondly, graphics. Games are much more detailed than they have ever been. At the same time, however, I feel that less and less is left up to player imagination to fill the gaps. I think imagination is critical in allowing the player to personalize their experience.
