Contrary to appearances, Final Fantasy XVI is not a game with a typically open narrative. So far, we thought that the title would go towards the construction of the fifteenth installment of the cycle. Recent reports indicate that the world map is based on a scheme once developed in Final Fantasy X, but not only. In the flood of games based on the generation of the open world, Square Enix’s proposal tempts the senses. Such a decision is associated with numerous benefits in terms of setting and gameplay. The story is written in medieval print, but let’s forget about the charming aura of FFIX. PEGI and ESRB gave the game the highest age rating compared to the base hits of the series. May this not be the only historical merit of this story.
Although the developers emphasized last year that Final Fantasy XVI “would not be a typical open-world game”, we still did not know the details. “ In previous interviews, I mentioned that FFXVI is not open-world. What exactly did I mean? Does that mean a linear construction? Well, not really. ” Producer Naoki Yoshida tries to point out that non-linearity can be achieved without merging the game into one big world. Since the debut of Elden Ring , we strongly believe in Japanese developers who aim for unusual, expansive locations. Former Squaresoft did so, e.g. from Final Fantasy X, although system limitations did not allow much. Looking for inspiration, we will also see something from the twelfth installment of the series .
The division of the world
Valisthea stretches along several kingdoms. A mysterious plague calls for chaos. In the foreground is Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria, who embarks on a path of revenge. This is a very common theme, but we will know the full context when the title goes on sale, so in just over two months. Past State of Play provided some answers. If you believe the creators, Final Fantasy XVI is the first game in the history of the franchise that can be classified as an action-rpg.. How much truth is there? We will find out on June 22 at the earliest. But we know one thing. Final Fantasy XVI is not another open-world. Square Enix seems to have had enough of FFXV and Forspoken. Although the latter is a completely different game, it resembles the previous achievements of Luminous Production. It was coldly received, as evidenced by a significant drop in the price of the game. Recently, you can buy it for the magical PLN 99.
Final Fantasy never needed a fully open-world, integrated world to delight . When we turn the clock back to 1997, to the historic moment of Final Fantasy VII’s debut , we’ll learn a handful of lessons. Arranged on three discs, the game contained a piece of the open world. After the events in Midgar, we went into deep water. The map of the world, although small compared to current developments, was something innovative. And it offered nothing more than locations to go to to push the story further and clashes with opponents. And while we’re still talking about a kind of imitation rather than a true open world, I didn’t mention the “big seven” in vain. From reading Final Fantasy X-2: Ultimaniareveals that there was a boy named Shinra in the game’s universe. Sounds familiar? Ultimania is a release released exclusively on the Japanese market. This is an original guide to the world of a given game from the FF universe, or rather the multiverse. It is not known whether the producers of FFX and FFX-2 used the same names for nostalgia or maybe FFVII and FFX are set in the same world? With a time jump of several hundred years.
When Final Fantasy X hit the market, the press melted over the quality of the game. Such a beautiful setting has never been seen before. It was the beginning of the great PS2 era. Meanwhile, FFX did not offer open space, but a map of the world. From its level (after reaching a certain point in the game’s plot), players could choose an interesting location, although most often the order of visiting resulted from the successive letters of the scenario. To preserve the wonderful setting, the developers decided to divide the map into several areas. If this world were condensed, who knows if the setting would not deteriorate. Now, as fans around the world prepare for the 16th chapter of the over 35-year-old series, Square Enix is using a similar narrative method. The game features a kind of powerful HUB called Hideout. Reaching this place also determines the story progression. Any analogy? FFX appeared only on one platform, while FFXVI will also be released (for now) only for PS5. Naoki Yoshida claims that the division of the world into several areas results from the desire to obtain much more detailed locations. Let’s admit, however, that the world present in Final Fantasy XV did not reject, while the landscapes were the material for many holiday postcards.
Inspiration from years ago
Final Fantasy X was the inspiration for the world design, at least in terms of level selection. Unless Yoshida misled us, each of the lands visited is a large area. There are also nods to Noctis and his hunts for creatures. Here, too, bounties for the beasts have been implanted, which we will fulfill. In moments free from saving kingdoms, we will go hunting, although it’s not a Monster Hunter, which is a pity. On the one hand, we feel tired of the open world trend. In recent years, several larger series have also been forced to this “restructuring” . Hence, the solution used in FFXVI smells a bit NioHem. In Team Ninja’s game, we select the level via the world map. And the sections are not the smallest.
Final Fantasy XVI also resembles the twelfth installment of the series. The main character, Vaan, like the protagonist of the latest game, grew up in the Kingdom of Dalmatia. In both cases, the heroes grow up in the capitals of their kingdoms. In both cases, each kingdom faces an unknown force. FFXVI has as many as six kingdoms, while in the world of FXII we have only seen two. Which does not change the fact that the creators are equally inspired by the tenth and twelfth installments in terms of world construction. Let’s add a medieval setting. We last saw him at the beginning of the millennium when the wonderful Final Fantasy IX saw the world. If everything goes according to plan, one of the most interesting stories set in this (multi?)verse awaits us. None of the numerical installments of Final Fantasy were plot-connected, but as the motif of a boy named Shinra shows, the creators like to tease the fans. Can we find similar references here? We will start exploring this world on June 22.