Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida said in recent interviews that the latest entry in the long-running JRPG series will be tackling more “mature” themes than its predecessors.
The game was rated first two years ago and received the distinction of being the first M-rated mainline game in the history of the series. Yesterday, Yoshida finally addressed the game’s age rating Interview with GameSpot, who said he wanted to explore a “clash of ideals” and whether or not people should follow their destiny. It sounds like typical RPG fare, but Yoshida said the team intentionally went for a higher rating to allow for more creative freedom.
“When you’re trying to tell a story with difficult adult themes, those judgments can end up becoming a hindrance. And you find yourself changing things that you wanted to do in the game based on that rating,” Yoshida said. “To ensure we can tell the story we wanted the way we wanted, this time we decided to aim for a mature rating in most regions where the game will be released.”
While it’s about more mature content, the rating doesn’t necessarily mean that FFXVI will be more graphically violent or contain more boobs than before. Yoshida was still relatively unclear as to what specific content could bring the game to the top final fantasy‘s usual T rating. “It’s not because we simply wanted to make the game more violent or explicit, but because we felt it necessary to give ourselves the opportunity to explore those more mature themes that the game is tackling.” In a separate interview with the Washington Postthe producer mentioned that FFXVI becomes “not a happy story”.
The game has a lot to prove, which may be the reason for the developers break with the bad reputation his immediate predecessors, Final Fantasy XV and the first iteration of the MMO Final Fantasy XIV. Younger players aren’t as familiar with the 35-year-old series, so Yoshida wanted to make the new addition accessible FF newcomers. He seems like the right person to set the stage for the franchise’s future with this new title, as he was previously able to do so Stimulate players’ enthusiasm to the FFXIV after disastrous early years.
FFXVI is currently slated for a Summer 2023 release on the PlayStation 5.
