Within the PS5’s September event was the rumored announcement ofFinal Fantasy 16, the next entry in the mainline series. Many were expecting a reveal soon, but players may have been surprised at what they witnessed. This upcomingFinal Fantasyis in a lot of ways a return to form, but also something completely new. Returning to a traditional high fantasy setting, after years of futuristic fantasy stories fromFinal Fantasy 13toFinal Fantasy 15, was a welcome surprise.
Fans have one game to thank for this, a game that actually came out betweenFinal Fantasy 13and15:Final Fantasy 14. Or perhaps more accuratelyA Realm Reborn,Final Fantasy 14’s revival and resurgence in popularity is one of gaming’s best comeback stories.Final Fantasy 14’s resurrection seems to have had a strong impact onFinal Fantasy 16in pivotal ways. In a lot of ways,Final Fantasy 16is making a welcome return to the series' roots, while still attempting something brand new for the franchise.
Final Fantasy 14 Alumni Are Working on 16
The blatantly obvious reason why this is true is becauseFinal Fantasy 14’s director, Naoki Yoshida, is a producer onFinal Fantasy 16. Alongside Yoshida is Hiroshi Takai, someone who’s been working with theFinal Fantasyfranchise (and its many online endeavors) for years. Both are veterans of the development teams, but they bothmade pivotal impacts on the development ofFinal Fantasy 14’s initial andA Realm Rebornre-release. Those responsible for one of the most popular MMOs to this day are now in charge of helming the mainlineFinal Fantasyfranchise.
It’s clear the enduring success ofFinal Fantasy 14has spilled over intoFinal Fantasy 16’s development. Many of the character scenes and some combat elementsseem representative ofFinal Fantasy 15, but it’s clear the overall aesthetic and tone has been deeply inspired by the success ofFinal Fantasy 14. How Yoshida and Takai’s influences will spill over intoFinal Fantasy 16remains to be seen, but as of right now it’s clear the two are bringing their expertise into a fully singleplayer experience.
A More Mature, True-to-Roots Final Fantasy
Specifically the story inFinal Fantasy 16seems to be taking on a more traditional setting and narrative, more akin to that ofFinal Fantasygames prior to the fifth entry. The same setting was largely the goal ofFinal Fantasy 14andFinal Fantasy 11before it, to create an MMO in the most traditionalFinal Fantasyworlds. That means more Dragoons, more Chocobos, more castles, more Moogles, and more political intrigue. Blood feuds between nations, and knights fighting large scale battlesseem to be the norm in this world ofFinal Fantasy.
Some have even made references toGame of ThronesinFinal Fantasy 16’s trailer, which isn’t too far off base. The game seems to be setting itself up for a mature fantasy setting, with plenty of gore and violence among warring kingdoms. A lot of these characters and concepts are stemming fromFinal Fantasy 14’s inspiration, but the game still seems to be wholly its own. There obviously won’t be as much character freedom like an MMO, as the game’s story seems to be centered around two playable warriors, but the overall dark tone is there. There’s talk of murder, protecting noblemen, and child princes turning intoFinal Fantasy’s iconic summons.
RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 Seems Nothing Like FF15, But That’s a Good Thing
Returning to Tradition is Good for Final Fantasy 16
A chance to return toFinal Fantasy’s roots, whilst also building a unique and mature story, can only be good forFinal Fantasy. Some of the more recentFinal Fantasygames have been riding the wave of futuristic/sci-fi fantasy that was pioneered byFinal Fantasy 6/7for a while. In a way,Final Fantasy 16is essentially playing the moremodernized role of whatFinal Fantasy 9achievedback in 2000.Final Fantasy 16reflects a clear desire to return to whatFinal Fantasyalways was initially, a desire that’s been echoed by fans for a long time.
Whereas aFinal FantasyMMO basically is required to stick to the series' conventions, mainlineFinal Fantasygames have been far from traditional for the last decade. With the exception ofFinal Fantasy 14, every subsequent mainline entry has been heavily focused on the sci-fi fantasy worlds ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeand the Fabula Nova Crystallis games. Whileit is possible thatFinal Fantasy 16could harken back to Fabula Nova Crystallis, it’s already made clear from the trailer that this game will be very different from its predecessors.
Final Fantasy 16is in development as a timed exclusive for PS5.
