It is possible to recover from a stall without MCAS, but the handling characteristics have changed. The requirement is that the force on the yoke increases with

It is possible to recover from a stall without MCAS, but the handling characteristics have changed. The requirement is that the force on the yoke increases with the angle of attack, but in the case of the MAX, the stick force becomes lighter at a certain point. As I understand it, Boeing was mainly trying to avoid training pilots for any changes.