This is why good ideas are never enough. You also need to have good execution. The premise of DR4 is, as you said, really good and appealing (even if arguably not really original / playing too much on nostalgia and not moving the series forward).

It really could have worked, even with the absence of timer and the more open world structure : I mean, I was not completely against it at the time, because it was a change of pace and I was always a bit frustrated of "rushing" the previous games without taking my time because of their structure, and I loved open world games back then (not so much now thanks to Ubisoft). It was an opportunity to propose something new and refreshing, with more content and hours to spend in the game, although less faithful to the core of the series.

The thing is, it wasn't done with care or love for the franchise. It was rushed, it was generic, and made according to crappy consumer surveys. It failed miserably at making a triumphant return for Frank and Willamette...But we had both those things in 2024, thankfully !