There are mechanics the game COULD have used to make the fights clearly unwinable without resorting to just "down for the count if you get him to 50%".

There's both evil and gravity magic coded in the game, all you do is code his auto attacks to be evil (completely unblockable and unmitigatable) damage for 10% of your HP (rounded down), and trigger down for the count when you go critical.

To counter healers who can heal themselves you just give his normal abilities interupt on the cast bars. You either stand still, and get hit, and thus can't heal, or you move, and can't heal.

You could even have him get stacks of attack up that increase the gravity a few % at a time.

I've used nothing that isn't already coded into the game in one place or another, but I've also produced a fight that feels like he's TOYING with you, that you absolutely can't win, but you won't instantly die or go down for the count from full health.

Thing is, if I can do that... Why didn't they? Did they WANT the ludonaritive disonance? Or was Stormblood just a low point for them too?