Final Fantasy XVI, a more action-oriented take on the RPG franchise, clearly draws inspiration from a lot of other popular media. As game informer Back in May, Square Enix reported that it drew inspiration from blockbuster movies and hit series game of Thrones, godzillaAnd Neon Genesis Evangelion during game development. And it’s this final source of inspiration that draws attention after players noticed a detailed homage to the mecha anime series.
ResetEra Forum User Lady Bow posted a video comparing a fight between anime protagonists Shinji Ikari and Sachiel Neon Genesis EvangelionTokyo-3 (a post-apocalyptic version of Tokyo) is about a disastrous battle between Phoenix and Ifrit in the early hours of the morning FFXVI.
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The Ifrit fight (which is playable in the demo, by the way!) takes place between two summons that manifest in FFXVI basically turning the player into a giant kaiju version of a deity. At the beginning of the game, one of the outposts in the game’s fictional kingdom is shown Rosaria will be mugged. Phoenix does its best to protect it from the rampaging Ifrit. Unfortunately, the phoenix who gets ripped from ass to appetite in this scene is Joshua, the younger brother of FFXVI Protag, Clive. You can check out a GIF of the video below.
And just like in WITH with Shinj and Eva Unit 01, This fight features a point-of-view style depiction of the gargantuan kaiju mounting his opponent and delivering savage punches to the face before knocking them down with a double-armed hammerfist punch.
The similarities between the fights make it all the more tragic that Clive begs the giant titan to stop his attack. Clive’s desperate pleading somewhat mirrors Shinji’s request to his father, Gendo Ikari, to stop his mecha from smashing his friend’s input plug after his unit disappeared. They’re like poetry because they rhyme.
And there you have it: It’s not just that Final Fantasy XVI a video game with similar heaviness and political cunning to George RR Martin’s game of Thrones Series and bombastic Devil May Cry-style action, but it’s also the newest video game to worship WITH The complete works of the creator Hideaki Anno. We love to see it.
