Final Fantasy 16 Won't Be Open-World, Will Have Mature Tone
In an interview with Famitsu magazine, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida talks about why the game won't be open-world and more.
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| Final Fantasy XIV Will Have Mature Tone, Won't Be Open-World |
Earlier this month, upcoming action role-playing game Final Fantasy XVI by developer/publisher Square Enix reveals a new trailer during State of Play showcase, highlighting combat, gameplay and a window of release set for summer 2023.
Final Fantasy 16 is currently in final stage of development and producer Naoki Yoshida recently talked details about not having open-world elements, exploring more mature themes and how it is different from other Final Fantasy games.
In a latest interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu, producer Naoki Yoshida opened up about why FFXIV won't be open-world. Seeing a lot of newly released in-game screenshots, many fans assumed it to feature an expansive RPG world.
However, FF16 producer Yoshida clarifies that is not the case and instead dev team focuses on area-based game design much like Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which players originally believed to be an open-world experience during reveal.
Despite not being an open-world game, Final Fantasy 16 takes a lot of inspiration from a variety of triple-A RPGs. Yoshida and his team found that majority of younger generation never played a Final Fantasy game or have any interest in it.
To see what may excite core fans and interest new generation, dev team played a lot of recent triple-A open world RPGs. Nevertheless, Yoshida avoided an open-world design and focused on area-based game design to offer a better feel.
Naoki Yoshida also confirms that Final Fantasy 16 adapts to adult themes and will have a more mature tone, compared to previous games. Without even trying to make FFXVI more violent or explicit, he choose to tell a story he wanted to.
At latest State of Play broadcast, Square Enix showcased FF16 summons, dubbed as Eikons and how they are controlled by Dominants. All six realms are seemingly based on European fantasy, each having a Dominant to command an Eikon.
Yoshida choosing not to pursue a traditional open-world setting may seem surprising to many but fans should also remember that Final Fantasy XV was heavily criticized for having a mostly barren and under-developed open game world.
Final Fantasy XVI is currently a timed exclusive for Playstation 5 consoles and may get released for PC, according to Nvidia GeForce Now leak. Meanwhile, Square Enix is launching Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Remaster on this winter season.
