thoughthaver
Chain Chomp
it went from selling 2.5 million on launch day in japan alone to barely selling that worldwide and getting outsold by stuff like ring fit adventure. final fantasy is absolutely washed as a series.
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The Future of Final Fantasy, discussion thread
- Thread starter SpaceGodzilla
- Start date
Sturmgeist
Resident Hollow Knight and FFVII Superfan
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It may be washed, but it still outsells every other JRPG series. So what does that say about them?
Thunder84
Gerudo
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Hit the nail on the head. Despite the quality and quantity being higher than ever, JRPGs as a whole just aren’t selling big numbers lately. Breaking 10M is a pipe dream for even the biggest franchises not named Pokemon.
The franchise should realistically be focusing on lowering budget and increasing output rather than increasing the scope and changing the direction. It feels like Square is trying to dramatically improve sales numbers by constantly changing things up, and that most likely just isn’t gonna work for them.
Agnezenn
Cappy
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Yeah, I think this sums it pretty well. If anything, I would say XVI's combat system is more conducive growing the fanbase than a lot of the alternatives people would like. Hardly the deepest or most satisfying combat system in the world, but it's easy to pick up and fun and stylish.
The biggest thing the game is really missing is an open world aspect. I also prefer the series being more linear and focusing heavily on (good) story, but I'm almost shocked at the linearity. Pleasantly surprised it even reviewed as well as it did.
Lugia667
Gerudo
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Pokémon also persona is getting quite close
thoughthaver
Chain Chomp
i thought it wasn't a jrpg
AoiHana
NINTENDOOMED
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TBF, no JRPG not named Final Fantasy or Pokémon has ever sold over 10 million copies—not even Dragon Quest! (That’s the peril of not being a huge franchise outside Japan for ya…) Even selling over a million copies is considered impressive by JRPG standards and long has been. Final Fantasy 7 was lightning in a bottle, and Pokémon might as well be the only franchise out there with a lightning rod.
I think people tend to overestimate how common 10 million+ sellers on consoles really are. Even the PS2, aka Literally The Best-Selling Console Of All Time, only has 4 games which cracked 10 million. Nintendo really is unique in that regard, especially considering they only make, y’know, exclusives.
Thunder84
Gerudo
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Didn’t mean to give the impression that I thought there were many. JRPGs have never been big sellers, you’re absolutely right.
My main point is that Square seemingly wants Final Fantasy to become a massive blockbuster with the direction and budget the franchise got for XVI, and it just ain’t gonna happen.
Which is what I said. FF as a brand has declined from arguably being the genre king. But it's still one of the most relevant JRPG series out there.
Agreeing with everyone saying battle system is not the problem. If anything I'd attribute the "lack" of popularity to FF16's story not resonating in a way Square might have expected it to. I can't really offer anything more substantial than that given I've yet to play 16 myself.
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Honestly the combat they went with was a bold choice imo. I’ve seen many write it off as “trying to get mass appeal” with an action game relative to turn based. But I don’t think that captures the whole picture.
Like if someone told me the tone of XVI - more low fantasy, GOT-like - I would’ve assumed the combat would be something more grounded, slower-paced, methodical and brutal than it is. Like if they really wanted to go all in on western appeal, I think they would’ve done that.
Instead it’s flashy, stylish and gets anime as fuck. Taking inspiration from the very niche genre that Bayonetta and DMC occupy. Leads to a really unique blend of Japanese and western sensibilities.
Like if someone told me the tone of XVI - more low fantasy, GOT-like - I would’ve assumed the combat would be something more grounded, slower-paced, methodical and brutal than it is. Like if they really wanted to go all in on western appeal, I think they would’ve done that.
Instead it’s flashy, stylish and gets anime as fuck. Taking inspiration from the very niche genre that Bayonetta and DMC occupy. Leads to a really unique blend of Japanese and western sensibilities.
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They're smart to not bank everything on 1-2 massive budget entries per decade?
Mekanos
YOU は SHOCK
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Are Souls games not JRPGs?
D
Deleted member 4720
Guest
it was the devloper who was talking about mass appeal
John Omaha
Moblin
Jokes aside, this is what Square-Enix should be looking at if FF16 does not meet their goals.
“Final Fantasy is what the development team at that time thinks Final Fantasy should be” sounds cool but it means nothing. Making a game the devs think they should make is not an identity, it's just what every game development team does. In practice, mainline Final Fantasy built itself around certain recurring elements that appeared in every game until 12. They are:
- A fantastical world, often with some kind of strange or exotic flair.
- The protagonist goes on an epic globe-trotting journey through said world to vanquish some kind of threat. The bigger the scale, the better - most FFs happen on a planetary scale at a minimum.
- The protagonist is joined by a party of generally likeable and memorable characters that grow alongside them throughout the journey. This can be narratively, mechanically or both.
- Great music.
- Crystals, chocobos, spell names, etc.
Notice how “cutting-edge graphics” and “turn-based combat” are not on the list? That’s because I don’t think they are fundamental. The first five games were not really cutting-edge, but still firmly established Final Fantasy as the top console RPG series worldwide, and second only to Dragon Quest in Japan. 14 is neither cutting-edge or turn-based, but it’s currently the most popular and commercially successful FF game. It does, however, prominently feature the above five elements.
In fact, if you look at every mainline game, you’ll notice that most FFs that are generally well-liked (even if they are poorly designed like FF8) follow the above conventions. The controversial ones either underdeliver on some of them or forego them entirely.
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You know what's funny? For how niche as it is genre-wise, DMC5 might legit end up outselling XVI. In fact, DMC5 has a good shot at having outsold every mainline Final Fantasy from FF7R - Rebirth (I consider the 7 Remakes mainline, but that seems to be considered shaky to some).
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Personally I think the whole discussion about how many JRPGs did or did not hit 10m+ doesn't matter, because Final Fantasy should be at a point in its history where genre labels don't matter. Final Fantasy's appeal should be way beyond "just another JRPG", and for the most part, it is. It's an extremely popular multi-media brand, with a very popular MMO. So it gets kind of weird when we use being a "JRPG" as an excuse. There are limits to Final Fantasy's appeal, but it's not so much that it should be limiting the appeal so much.
It's also funny because, like, in order to argue that Final Fantasy is the only JRPG to hit 10m+ besides Pokemon, you have to make increasingly narrow distinctions. Let's not include Monster Hunter because it's not an "RPG", even though stats are more important in Monster Hunter than in XVI. Ok. Let's not include Elden Ring because "it's too action-y", even though Final Fantasy has been like that since XV. Ok. Let's not include Ring Fit because it's an "excercise game". Ok. I'm not even saying any of those are JRPGs necessarily (though saying Elden Ring and Ring Fit are seems stretching it), the point is that there's clearly something wrong when other japanese fantasy games are hitting it big and finding a way to tap into the market.
I was going to posit reasons and think of solutions, but now I'm too lazy.
Final Fantasy not being able to sell 10m+ doesn't have anything to do with it being rare, at least for triple A games.
It's also funny because, like, in order to argue that Final Fantasy is the only JRPG to hit 10m+ besides Pokemon, you have to make increasingly narrow distinctions. Let's not include Monster Hunter because it's not an "RPG", even though stats are more important in Monster Hunter than in XVI. Ok. Let's not include Elden Ring because "it's too action-y", even though Final Fantasy has been like that since XV. Ok. Let's not include Ring Fit because it's an "excercise game". Ok. I'm not even saying any of those are JRPGs necessarily (though saying Elden Ring and Ring Fit are seems stretching it), the point is that there's clearly something wrong when other japanese fantasy games are hitting it big and finding a way to tap into the market.
I was going to posit reasons and think of solutions, but now I'm too lazy.
That isn't how software sales work. In fact, 10m+ seller mega hits have become more common, not less. The PS2 being the best selling console of all time doesn't matter. AAA games have never sold more than they do now. Seriously, we live in an era where every Resident Evil released since 2017 will hit 10m+ (except for maybe REmake 3). It's not even a Nintendo exclusive thing, Sony's games hit 10m+ all the time. Both God of Wars, Ghost of Tsushima (last updated 9.73 million more than a year ago), Horizon (and probably the sequel by now), Uncharted 4, The Last of Us, The Last of Us 2, etc.
Final Fantasy not being able to sell 10m+ doesn't have anything to do with it being rare, at least for triple A games.
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Maronic03
Chain Chomp
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This is Ring fit erasure.
Mekanos
YOU は SHOCK
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Realistically I think FF's only path to being a consistent 10m+ seller is going open world. I know we all gripe about open world games but they're a proven sales success. Outside of Resident Evil, I can't think of any third party Japanese series that reliably hit these numbers without an open world factor. I guess Tekken?
Like, if FF wants to stay in the 5 million range with linear action games, that's not a problem for me, but Square wants this to be their blockbuster IP and these days that just doesn't cut it, unfortunately.
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I think it depends what you mean by "consistent" and "reliably". Because for example, I'm not sure any Tekken game has done it besides 7? Something like the Souls games I think are going to be pretty consistent going forward, they hit 10m+ before Elden Ring with Dark Souls 3. Sekiro was below that, but that's less Soulsborne than the other games and isn't as appealing. Another series is Monster Hunter. It might have only had 2 entries that sold 10m+ so far, but they're realistically the only ones that matter for gauging worldwide success, and the 3DS entries are close to 10m (in fact including ports Generations might be there). Honestly legs on software have gotten so crazy I could even see Street Fighter 6 hitting 10m despite a very tepid launch. I wouldn't put money on it, but after 5 ended up selling well despite all its issues anything is possible.
I think it's important to mention that there seems to be a trend of software sales getting way bigger from about 2016 onwards, there's a huge shift for 10m+ sellers beyond that point. Like, we live in a world where Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 sells 11m+. You're right that there isn't much consistency, I'd still say Monster Hunter and Soulsborne are there though, and I could see other series getting there entry to entry like Tekken. Consistency is hard to discuss, with a lot of these trends being relatively recent.
I don't think open world Final Fantasy is a bad idea, and it was something I was going to posit. I can imagine spells changing how you interact with the environment in some very BOTW ways. Whether or not fans would accept open world FF, I'm not sure. At this rate, it almost feels like Square isn't even trying to appeal to FF fans anymore anyways.
ertaboy356b
Resident Troll
An open world final fantasy featuring the 4 heroes of light + job system would be awesome. You would have to start from any Crystal you can first find and work your way through the world.
PixelKnight
Observing the process
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@SpaceGodzilla
Would you (or anyone else) object to me changing the thread title to something more neutral like ‘Future of the Final Fantasy series’, as at this point the quote is a bit outdated and the discussion has moved on to a kind of wider view of the series going forwards.
Would you (or anyone else) object to me changing the thread title to something more neutral like ‘Future of the Final Fantasy series’, as at this point the quote is a bit outdated and the discussion has moved on to a kind of wider view of the series going forwards.
AoiHana
NINTENDOOMED
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In my defence I forgot Soulsborne and Monster Hunter existed for a moment, but IIRC Elden Ring is like, literally the first Soulsborne game to crack 10 million. Same goes for Monster Hunter World and Rise. Only time will tell if those sorts of sales figures stick, but they were definitely niche series for a hot while. (Compare people forgetting that literally no Zelda game had cracked 10 million on a single release before Breath of the Wild.)
Admittedly I’m counting single-platform sales rather than multiplats here, which Dad of Boy 2: Dad Harder technically is. (Lest we forget that PS5 has no other games…) Still, even then the PS4 has like 7 releases that cracked 10 million; Nintendo has 7 Switch releases that cracked 20. Their sales successes for games that are single-console exclusives—not even cross-gen, a certain high-profile 2017 release notwithstanding—are borderline unique in the industry. Literally every other game in the 10 million club these days is available on at least two console models, whether they be cross-gen releases, multiplat or have PC versions.
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Mekanos
YOU は SHOCK
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Dark Souls 3 was officially reported to have sold 10 million - but based on outside tracking, all Dark Souls games most likely sold over 10 million individually.
Dark Souls
Dark Souls is an action role-playing game series developed by From Software and published by Bandai Namco outside Japan. The series has sold more than 34 million units worldwide. It began as a niche series that went on to earn mainstream popularity, due to critical acclaim for its skillful...
I don't think there's any simple explanation for FF's lack of growth other than Square failing to make games that can capture the larger market the way other developers have been able to.
AoiHana
NINTENDOOMED
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I think we’re forgetting that Final Fantasy XVI is a single-platform release on an expensive new console that until recently was notoriously difficult to purchase with no previous-gen version that could have helped to shore up sales and no PC version whatsoever for at least the first few months. It’s simply not going to do Final Fantasy 7 numbers under those conditions, let alone Monster Hunter World or Elden Ring numbers. Like I said: Pokémon is basically unique in that regard, one PS1 release from way back in the 90s notwithstanding. If sales keep floundering (and TBH I doubt they are even now) when the PC version drops, maybe it’s time to do some navel-gazing over whether Final Fantasy is doomed. Until then, though? I don’t think we can predict squat.
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Right, that makes a little more sense, but I still don't really agree with the original comment in that case. 10m+ console exclusives are not really rare in the AAA space, least as far as Sony and Nintendo go. I guess 10m+ third party exclusive games are, but thats because third party AAA exclusives are a dying breed and are usually timed. Either way, using the PS2 was faulty logic. Software sales are better than ever nowadays, installbase doesn't determine software sales nearly as much as people think.
I also don't get why you keep mentioning Nintendo. Everyone knows they sell software better than everyone else. The 10m milestone isn't why. Seems like a weird tangent.
What's being talked about is reasons why Final Fantasy is failing to grow, not whether the sales are ok relative to a single platform release. Platform exclusivity is but one of the problems Square has for getting new fans, a problem they willingly engage in. There's pros and cons to this and one of the cons is sales, no one is claiming otherwise.
I feel like part of the point is being missed. Final Fantasy is having a hard time being a cultural phenomenon at all, exclusivity notwithstanding. It's not as if there's 4 million PS5s and XVI sold 3 million copies. It had a pretty good launch but it's probably not even going to be one of the best selling PS5 games by the end of the gen. It's not just exclusivity, it's not capturing the cultural zeitgeist. And hey, not every series needs to be that big. That's fine. But it's weird because there's really no reason it shouldn't at least contending with comparable series, other than Square keeps making weird decisions.
That's part of why I think the Pokemon JRPG 10m+ point of comparison is off. 10m makes sense as a metric nowadays because it means a triple A game is very huge. But the cultural penetration of something like FFVIII or FFX, on a single platform, is way bigger than 7R or XVI, even if sales were slightly below 10m. If FF can get back to that remains to be seen.
We could just start a new thread
terribleidiot
Cappy
Yo! New user here. I registered just to contribute to this thread.
I think Final Fantasy's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. Changing it up every time keeps things fresh, but you also lose a lot of people.
I was a big FF8 guy, and I've played 9, 12, 13 and 15 (which I hated) but I've got no interest in this one, because for me Final Fantasy is about turn based combat. That's fine. I'm OK with that, not everything has to be for me.
For a lot of people, FF14 is their big Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy means completely different things for them.
But it does mean the fans are completely divided and scattered, and you can't rely on previous fans to pick up the new game. You can't create momentum.
Persona on the other hand? I'm probably going to pick up Persona 6, because that series really knows what it is. From 3 they've been building a very consistent through line.
EDIT : Thinking about it, I guess really hating 15 soured me on 16 too. It's like Batman and Robin. That film performed OK at the box office, but it hurt the brand and a follow up would have sunk. I think of 15 as a less extreme example of that.
I think Final Fantasy's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. Changing it up every time keeps things fresh, but you also lose a lot of people.
I was a big FF8 guy, and I've played 9, 12, 13 and 15 (which I hated) but I've got no interest in this one, because for me Final Fantasy is about turn based combat. That's fine. I'm OK with that, not everything has to be for me.
For a lot of people, FF14 is their big Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy means completely different things for them.
But it does mean the fans are completely divided and scattered, and you can't rely on previous fans to pick up the new game. You can't create momentum.
Persona on the other hand? I'm probably going to pick up Persona 6, because that series really knows what it is. From 3 they've been building a very consistent through line.
EDIT : Thinking about it, I guess really hating 15 soured me on 16 too. It's like Batman and Robin. That film performed OK at the box office, but it hurt the brand and a follow up would have sunk. I think of 15 as a less extreme example of that.
PixelKnight
Observing the process
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Yeah probably a better idea
Koren Lesthe
Turrican, Terranigma and ESO lover
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EDIT :
Aaaand I really need to improve my english...
Sorry.
Aaaand I really need to improve my english...
Sorry.
Terraforce
Keyblade Wielder
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I think to say XVI is just another DMC is a gross misunderstanding of it. It's still very much a Final Fantasy game to its core. It's also not just the series moving in a "western focused" direction. XII was also more medieval than fantastical, Classic FF (I-III) were based on Western ideology with DnD, and games like IV and IX went heavy on the classic medieval style as well. If anything XVI has even more sci-fi elements than a lot of prior games.
A lot of people seem to be putting XVI in this box from off glance impressions and statements about the game. Outside of combat this is very much still FF. And inside the combat there are still aspects that make this feel more than just another DMC. If you go into XVI looking for more DMC you probably won't be satisfied.
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This is literally FF16 lol
Sturmgeist
Resident Hollow Knight and FFVII Superfan
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Feels like we're just going around and around about the same things and nobody is changing their minds, so I'll see y'all when Rebirth comes out. Take it easy, y'all.
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Using magic abilities acquired for exploration purposes sounds like a good idea, open world or not.
John Omaha
Moblin
FF16 is missing the party leveling/customization element. You don't get to pick them, level them, pick their abilities or have a say in how they act in combat, which is something you could do to various extents in every mainline FF game. In the MMOs, your co-op crew is your party. And no, Torgal does not make up for the lack of a classic party.
While this is a bit less important,
the story also takes place on a much smaller scale (a single landmass + Ash) than most of the other games. No, going into space for the final battle is not enough to make it large-scale.
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Weird how that wasn't in the listed points I quoted. You even say characters who join you can have their growth be narrative, which is a large emphasis in this game.
This whole discussion where the game needs this and that or is just this and that is what kinda gets me. I'm not gonna stan FF16 to death. I'm pretty deep in, and while I like it, it's gonna end up not my favorite FF game. It's got some problems and things that are definitely worth criticizing. Just a lot of the criticisms and finger pointing going on this thread are going in wildly different directions from my experiences of actually playing it. It's got so many things about FF in it that it checks every box except having menu based combat. And even then the combat/level design is a customizable and build/strat driven thing that very closely resembles Kingdom Hearts, not DMC or anything close.
I can see where the game is also going to lose some of its mass appeal and critical appeal by playing it, I just really disagree with the whys that people get onto in this thread. Just feels like people yelling at a boogeyman based on the brand name rather than actually looking at what the game does.
John Omaha
Moblin
That was a misstep on my part. The only reason why I separated narrative and gameplay growth is because there was little to no characterization in FF 1-3 due to the nature of most NES games. What I meant to say was that all mainline games feature some kind of stat/ability growth system for your party members, and that later games also added the narrative angle. Some FFs lean more into one aspect than the other, but both have been present from FF4 onward, until 16.
OP
OP
SpaceGodzilla
Did You Get that Thing I Sent You?
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Go ahead
soundchaser
DA CHEAT
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There’s actually a bit of this in Stranger of Paradise, which is one of many reasons everyone should play that game.
Using magic abilities acquired for exploration purposes sounds like a good idea, open world or not.
He's the most handsome guy in this thread.
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See, now we're onto something a bit, because I do agree that part is removed. I also think something like that should come back into the game, but probably for different reasons than you do. I don't think micromanaging your squad's gear is really all that important or a hook that would work well within FF16. Especially if you want to look at making something appealing for sales and critics, that's probably the last thing you want to do. Trying to reduce menu time by cutting this is probably a good thing.
Where I think it could benefit is helping the characters we do have join us feel more "alive and important" while also widening the combat system. The supporting cast are all pretty great and likable, so adding a mechanical reason to see them more would be cool. The combat is also lacking in some sauce, particularly accessible ways to change your approach for people who aren't going to bother figuring out how to string Eikon ability combos together. The Torgal assist system is actually kinda neat since it allows universal combo extensions regardless of Eikon and without complicating Clive's moveset, but it's dreadfully undercooked and kinda clunky. I'd imagine most people forget to even use him.
You could probably kill two birds with one stone here by incorporating the companions into the assist system, and just making them strong and easier to use. They are already sitting there casting all kinds of wild shit, so incorporate it into player control. You could also have the assists increase in strength the more they are used, or the further the character progresses. Tie character driven sidequests to new/stronger assists and call it a day. This way the combat has another layer that's inviting to new players or useful to combo movie makers, and for people who want to have that feeling of a party progressing they get that too.
What I do understand here is I'm asking for more development resources, it's not just magic to add in this shit and it'd be a substantial amount of work to make it happen. I do feel like appropriating some resources towards that would've gone a long way rather than into some of the more bloated parts of the production. Again though, I'm not a dev/producer so Idk how feasible any of that really is. Just kinda seeing where the game is lacking and how it could be patched up to suit multiple needs.
PixelKnight
Observing the process
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Updated thread title, I preserved the original title in italics at the bottom of the OP just in case anyone reads it, thinks ‘I’ve already seen this thread!’ and gets confused
John Omaha
Moblin
Right on. What you describe would go a long way towards giving the game a stronger party dynamic.
I think this is where the focus on more fast-paced and combo-heavy action combat kinda limits the overall battle gameplay. You could probably implement a more elaborate command system for your party members through a sub-menu, similar to how you can set up dozens of different abilities on the cross hotbar in FF14. However, the combat demands so much of your attention that it would be quite difficult to weave in other abilities while keeping track of everything else.
ziggyrivers
thunder
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I was gonna suggest that FINAL FANTASY follow the THE LEGEND OF ZELDA route, but then remembered that, as Zelda, FF has some traditional conventions:
• Group of people fighting an evil force they thought was simple, but the story unravels it as a bigger threat;
• Some repeated stuff like Cid, Chocobos, Moogles, spells, equipment, currency.
I thought FF had an identity crisis, but I don’t anymore. They used to during the FFXIII days, but that was more of an experimental era that would have been interesting if it wasn’t locked down on the FF13 Trilogy.
Right now, FF has an appeal crisis. I really think quitting the Roman Numerals convention is the best thing they can do. That way they can do FF’s for all sorts of demographics, without the backlash of not appealing to other types of consumers.
Like Strangers from Paradise. This is clearly not a FF title for everyone.
• Group of people fighting an evil force they thought was simple, but the story unravels it as a bigger threat;
• Some repeated stuff like Cid, Chocobos, Moogles, spells, equipment, currency.
I thought FF had an identity crisis, but I don’t anymore. They used to during the FFXIII days, but that was more of an experimental era that would have been interesting if it wasn’t locked down on the FF13 Trilogy.
Right now, FF has an appeal crisis. I really think quitting the Roman Numerals convention is the best thing they can do. That way they can do FF’s for all sorts of demographics, without the backlash of not appealing to other types of consumers.
Like Strangers from Paradise. This is clearly not a FF title for everyone.
D
Deleted member 2258
Guest
Ah, now that the topic is "the future of Final Fantasy", I'm ready to write my essay lol.
Jk I'll keep it short, but I do have a lot, a lot of thoughts on this franchise. I think it's historically and academically a group of video games with a lot to discuss. So I'm all in favor of this more broad direction of the thread.
So I think the Final Fantasy games - really going back to the beginning - are fascinating time capsules where each game shows big ambitions of how to make a bold, new, ultimate game while also paying homage to various parts of past games. And their failings have generally been very interesting too.
So these games, I think, become more valuable over time. It's so interesting to play Final Fantasy 13 for example and see the opening cutscene that wants to be The Matrix so bad and you see the team trying out all these big things like new combat systems, beautiful graphics, and some hella misguided stuff like whatever augmented reality superstar sort of stuff they were trying to do with Lightning. Anyways, each game is equally as interesting to play and think about from that video game history perspective.
Final Fantasy 16 has also been a lightning rod of discussion for good reason. Personally, I am disappointed and kind of exhausted with Square Enix for their complete lack of diversity in the game and doubling down on its whiteness when pressed. It kind of takes the air out of thinking about this particular game in that "time capsule" way for me. The one wish I have for the franchise is that they stop trying to embrace whiteness so fully and truly make a diverse video game. These games are so smart in so many ways, why do they have to be so maliciously dumb in this way?
I am all about the spectacle, trying new things, and I especially like that they are emphasizing the negativity that has been associated with the term JRPG over the years and wanting to escape that. Anything is possible with this franchise.
Jk I'll keep it short, but I do have a lot, a lot of thoughts on this franchise. I think it's historically and academically a group of video games with a lot to discuss. So I'm all in favor of this more broad direction of the thread.
So I think the Final Fantasy games - really going back to the beginning - are fascinating time capsules where each game shows big ambitions of how to make a bold, new, ultimate game while also paying homage to various parts of past games. And their failings have generally been very interesting too.
So these games, I think, become more valuable over time. It's so interesting to play Final Fantasy 13 for example and see the opening cutscene that wants to be The Matrix so bad and you see the team trying out all these big things like new combat systems, beautiful graphics, and some hella misguided stuff like whatever augmented reality superstar sort of stuff they were trying to do with Lightning. Anyways, each game is equally as interesting to play and think about from that video game history perspective.
Final Fantasy 16 has also been a lightning rod of discussion for good reason. Personally, I am disappointed and kind of exhausted with Square Enix for their complete lack of diversity in the game and doubling down on its whiteness when pressed. It kind of takes the air out of thinking about this particular game in that "time capsule" way for me. The one wish I have for the franchise is that they stop trying to embrace whiteness so fully and truly make a diverse video game. These games are so smart in so many ways, why do they have to be so maliciously dumb in this way?
I am all about the spectacle, trying new things, and I especially like that they are emphasizing the negativity that has been associated with the term JRPG over the years and wanting to escape that. Anything is possible with this franchise.
ProteusRidley
Famiboards one and only Lost Kingdoms simp
Either the next games should be like FF7R or FF16. The action elements are what I find appealing about these games. Side quests need an overhaul if they ever end up doing em like 16 again though.
JorgenRaft
Chain Chomp
The Eikon battles are great in 16 and obviously the Eikon powers themselves are infused into the normal combat as well. Though idk if that's something they'd revisit again in 17 or if they'd just keep that as 16's specific gimmick.
TheMindOfThomas
Kalosian
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I’d like for them to go back and do something reminiscent of the PS1 games. Since we’re almost at ten games since FF7, I think it would work.
- Top down style with ultra high quality models and backgrounds.
- turn based or ATB combat
- more thought and care put into iconography and world/character design.
Maybe this could be a spin-off instead of FF17, but I’d really like something that feels more in line with what I’d consider to be the franchise’s peak era.
- Top down style with ultra high quality models and backgrounds.
- turn based or ATB combat
- more thought and care put into iconography and world/character design.
Maybe this could be a spin-off instead of FF17, but I’d really like something that feels more in line with what I’d consider to be the franchise’s peak era.
TheMindOfThomas
Kalosian
- Pronouns
- He/Him
EDIT: Whoops, didn’t mean to double post
PixelKnight
Observing the process
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Isn’t this close to what Octopath is though?
