Maybe if he wans to be able to make games for longer, he needs to dial it back and get a manager that can plan to reduce the amount o crunch needed, ideally to zero. The attitude that crunch should be normal in creative projects is atrocious and needs to go.
I’ve downloaded some old PS2 era games. Some of the gameplay is quite dated, but I really enjoy the retro feel of the environments and graphics. Perfect photorealism isn’t always necessary to enjoy a game. I’ve been playing Burnout and Ghost in the Shell SAC.