The Final Fantasy license made its name based on turn-based combat. FF16, meanwhile, will be even closer to action games in its approach to confrontations and won’t be to everyone’s taste.
It seems a long time since Final Fantasy 16 was bricked in grave silence. Since the new trailer aired on State of Play, the director has been regularly providing new information through interviews. Today, the project’s thinking head discusses the struggles likely to be shared.
An action-oriented game, a necessity
Naoki Yoshida continues to tour Japanese newsrooms. The director of FF16 discussed this with our colleagues Comic Days where he addressed the issue of the combat system. Led by Ryota Suzuki, who officiated in Devil May Cry 5, the clashes are even more action-oriented than usual. Decision making far removed from the traditional turn-by-turn that marked the license’s heyday. However, for the JRPG producer, it was necessary to open it up to as many players as possible. Especially since he thinks Final Fantasy as a franchise lags behind the games of today.
We want the whole world to play the game, especially the younger generations. Today games mainstream are intuitive: you press a button and the character fires his pistol or strikes with his sword. They are not at all familiar with the traditional RPG with turn-based controls (Editor’s note: For younger audiences). Also, people are becoming less and less familiar with the old-school RPG style where you fight by choosing an order each turn. Because of this, Final Fantasy 16 battles are very action-oriented. We want people around the world to think that Final Fantasy is a great game.
Naoki Yoshida, director of FF16
Final Fantasy 16’s battles won’t please everyone
For Yoshida, many gamers heard about Final Fantasy in their late teens or twenties but never played it. It is therefore crucial for him to reach this target group. So the increased focus on action RPGs is a blessing in disguise, but it’s not for everyone. The director is aware of this, and he’s formal on this point: FF16’s combat is clearly not going to please everyone.
Of course, it is impossible to fulfill all wishes. It’s not about what’s good or bad, but there’s a big difference in terms of age preferences. There is also a big difference between controlled and turn-based gameplay. They are often confused, but they are two very different concepts. I know how much fun command-based RPGs are and I want to keep developing them, but first and foremost I’m thinking about Final Fantasy 16’s sales forecast and the impact we should have.
