While we wait for more news from Final Fantasy XVI, and with a stream of PlayStation State of Play that could host an update along the way, my thoughts have returned to what we might expect from the game. A question about how the game will be played is also a point of contention for some fans: what about the holidays?
By that I mean: will FF16 have a traditional “party” system, where players will take direct control of more than one character? Will Clive travel for a long time with a lot of allies? This has been a staple of the Final Fantasy franchise, but from what we’ve seen of FF16, I think this could be the game to break that tradition.
These are all conjectures and assumptions, of course. We will learn more soon. But why do I believe that? Well, let me explain what feeds these thoughts.
When you look at the few images of FF16 released so far, we have what appears to be an action-focused combat system where summoning powers, at least in part, take the form of small movements executed in mid-combat. In the first trailer, we see the Phoenix wing summoned to send enemies flying into the air ready to be combined with the air, and Titan’s fist used to hit the enemies to break the guard. Scrutinizing these images last year, I also heard that we saw what surely looks like a jump-cancellation to follow a launcher attack. Basically, it seems much more dynamic and action-oriented than the more traditional combat offered in FF7 Remake. It looks more like a pure action game.
All of this makes sense when you consider part of the likely endowment of FF16. After all, you can learn a lot about what a game can be like by examining who makes it. That’s why we previously presented a great profile of FF16 director Hiroshi Takai, but in this article I want to look at another staff member in particular.
A few years ago it was widely reported that designer Ryota Suzuki had left Capcom and joined Square Enix, and was working as a battle director on a large-scale project within the business division led by Naoki Yoshida, producer of FF16. While Square Enix has offered no confirmation, it seems inevitable that Suzuki will be the FF16’s fighting leader.
Why does this matter? Well, Suzuki’s story is revealing: she was recently head of design at Devil May Cry 5. Prior to that, she worked on the truly legendary Dragon’s Dogma. These are single-character games, although of course Dragon’s Dogma has its own “pawn” system where the protagonist joins AI comrades. These are the types of combat systems that Suzuki has the most history with, and you can definitely see the DNA of Devil May Cry in the images we’ve seen of the FF16 fight so far.
Naturally, Suzuki could be working with others on Square Enix to combine a more traditional party system with the type of combat for which it is known. But then the images we’ve seen so far of FF16 seem decidedly solo. Only in one clip do we see another AI-controlled character joining Clive in combat, and it’s very brief.
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Then there is Naoki Yoshida himself. In 2016, he called God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn the kind of game that was “frustrated” that Square Enix wasn’t doing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Yoshida play a game like this. If FF16 has much in common with God of War, it would make sense. Part of the strength of these games is their determined focus on getting players to identify with a single protagonist. That doesn’t stop these games from having a strong support cast, but it does mean that there is a more laser-focused approach to leadership than is traditional in FF.
In the context of the series, I also think it makes sense. More than anything else, FF15 was a love letter to friendship and the concept of the unbreakable bonds of a group of four Warriors of Light. A more solitary protagonist, on a revenge mission, would make a big difference. And while FF15 was a story about a party, we must not forget that it was first released without any control of the party, just a few AI colleagues. In this sense, it seems as if, even with the focus of history, party fighting is also a later idea.
To be clear, my suggestion is not that Clive be a complete loner. Obviously he will have friends: we already have a couple of other FF16 characters who will play a key role in the revealed story. Inevitably there will be others; relationships are a key piece of Final Fantasy that cannot be attacked. Some guest characters will inevitably come and go, such as Spider and Iris in FF15.
What I doubt is that Clive will ever form the head of a permanent group of adventurers, or that players will have direct control over anyone other than Clive. I just feel like the stars line up for FF to move away from these systems for this entry.
The question is, if this is the case … does it matter?
Whenever I’ve casually suggested my belief that FF16 might take that direction sooner, for some fans it’s clearly blasphemous. But I don’t see too much of a problem myself. The biggest strength of Final Fantasy is that it is always changing and growing, and often taking examples from other popular games of the time. It’s natural for FF to be able to orient themselves in a game like God of War or The Witcher 3, and that, in general, shouldn’t preclude the delivery of an original, exciting, and totally FF-worthy experience.
In addition, there is a secondary factor: the ongoing adventures of Cloud and his group of friends in FF7 Remake. We are also waiting for the second part of this, where the team of this game will continue to be based on the best modern interpretation of turn-based and match-based ATB combat so far, which means that fans who want this type experience will be fine. served in a relatively short time.
That’s my argument and reasoning, at least. I understand that for others the issue is more complex, however. What do you want from the FF16 combat system? Would the lack of a party be a deal breaker? If nothing else, it’s fun to think about it while we wait for the revelation of more information, including a confirmation of how Clive’s adventure will be played.