Gaming News After Resident Evil 4, what if Final Fantasy was inspired by Capcom?
For nearly six years, the Resident Evil saga has never been better. Alternating between novelties and remakes, Capcom has found the winning formula for its series of horror games. What if Square Enix did the same with Final Fantasy? This is the trend that seems to be emerging, we explain.
A history of perspective
This article is an opinion piece, it is inherently subjective. The opinion of the author is personal and not representative of that of the rest of the JV editorial team.
Summary
- Resident Evil and the Remakes, a rolling business
- The future of Final Fantasy between remake and novelty?
- A model change for Japanese games?
for some years, The video game industry has accustomed us to releasing the same titles regularly but in updated versions, from remaster to remake. Rather than launching a new license that is likely to fail, publishers prefer to capitalize on games that are already known and appreciated by players to ensure commercial success. And Capcom understood that a long time ago with Resident Evil.
Resident Evil and the Remakes, a rolling business
In the 2000s Capcom had already tried remakes with Resident Evil on Gamecube, informally known as rebirth. The test went well as the title quickly gained cult status by graphically sublimating the base game and adding some new features. Despite this success, the Japanese publisher shelved the experiment for more than ten years before officially announcing it The very popular Resident Evil 2 should be entitled to a remake
Without too many surprises Resident Evil 2 (2019) is a hit as the work done is impressive and the experience is exhilarating. Fueled by these very positive results, the Japanese publisher decided to continue its momentum by releasing Resident Evil 3 (2020) and more recently Resident Evil 4 (2023) to the commercial and critical success we know today. With a Metacritic index of 93, the title also sold over 3 million copies just two days after its release.
Despite the buzz surrounding his remakes, Capcom continues to release new episodes of Resident Evil, alternating between these two offerings from year to year. Resident Evil VII in 2017, Resident Evil 2 in 2019, Resident Evil 3 in 2020, Resident Evil Village in 2021, Resident Evil 4 in 2023… you get the variety. With this emerging trend, all of this reminded me of the situation of another major Japanese video game saga that seems to be heading in the same direction, namely Final Fantasy. let me explain.
The future of Final Fantasy between remake and novelty?
Today, Final Fantasy News consists of three main games, not counting the subtitles. First off, we have Final Fantasy XVI, the renumbered installment of the franchise, due out on June 22nd. Secondly, we find the sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake, namely Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is scheduled to launch in “Winter 2023”, suggesting a release for early 2024. After all, Final Fantasy XIV functions as a “game” in all of this. -service” of the series, since it is an MMORPG that receives regular updates and whose next expansion is expected to be available in 2024.
Beyond FFXIV that allows players to play Final Fantasy all the time, The saga is therefore divided into novelty, represented by FFXVI, which is the new opus seven years after the last one, and the remake of Final Fantasy VII. In addition, the project proved that it was more ambitious than a simple update of the original game, offering a new interpretation or even a sequel. For this reason, Square Enix has decided to spread the process over three games, the final installment of which should appear in the second half of the 2020s – a different approach than Capcom, then, but which is understandable given that Final Fantasy is much longer than every episode of Resident Evil.
In addition to everything we officially know, Where Capcom’s Square Enix series seems to be taking inspiration is in Final Fantasy IX Remake. If the title is still just a rumor at the moment, let’s remember that Yoshinori Kitase, the central character of FF, declared earlier in the year that an important announcement would be made this year and that “it wasn’t the case”. . about FFVII. Where this idea seems most likely is thatWe offici ally know that Square Enix is producing an animated series based on the 1999 PS1 game
Pre-order Final Fantasy XVI for PS5 on Amazon
A model change for Japanese games?
If there were to be a Final Fantasy IX remake, it would be two ambitious remake projects in quick succession for FF. We would then be entitled to ask if Square Enix didn’t openly take inspiration from Capcom since its formula worked with Resident Evil. In other words, switch between new releases and updated versions of old episodes. Also, it wouldn’t be the only Japanese publisher to have worked this way, as Konami seems to be heading in the same direction with Silent Hill. So, in the future, we could see Square Enix continue to bang in that direction with, for example, a Final Fantasy X-3 or a Final Fantasy VI HD-2D Remake.
After, whether this is a tempting possibility or not is anyone’s guess. On the one hand, we can say that it’s a shame that part of the Square Enix teams are constantly working on the same universes, while the DNA of Final Fantasy is to create new worlds every time. This is why FFXVI makes so many players dream. But then again, we can imagine that This strategy would allow old titles to be rediscovered for new audiences, while veterans could enjoy a brand new experience. And then we would have a lot more Final Fantasy that way than a new episode every four to seven years. It’s up to everyone to judge what’s best for the saga, but in any case, we can’t wait to discover the announcement Yoshinori Kitase was talking about this year.
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