Final Fantasyhas kept itself fresh over the years by constantly changing its formula. While iconic visual elements and concepts have been shared across most of the series, how the player engages in combat, as well as progression and equipment, varies greatly. Beginning with a similar gameplay style toDragon Quest,Final Fantasyquickly began experimenting with its Job system.Active Time Battles (ATB) debuted inFinal Fantasy 4, and became astaple untilFinal Fantasy 10.
Final Fantasy 12and13both used reinterpretations of the ATB system, andFinal Fantasy 11and14borrowed from other MMORPGs.Final Fantasy 15marked the franchise’s shift into real-time action combat, though theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeincorporated the series' classic menu structure into a real-time-with-pause system.Final Fantasy 16is set to carry on whatFF15started, aiming to be a fast-paced action game that could have open-world elements. However, that’s where the similarities end between these two titles. From its announcement to release,Final Fantasy 15comes off like a totally different project made by a distinct team.
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Final Fantasy 15began life asFinal Fantasy Versus 13in 2006, an entry into the Fabula Nova Crystallis anthology alongsideFinal Fantasy 13andFinal Fantasy Type-0. It was initially helmed byTetsuya Nomura ofKingdom Heartsfame, and was conceived as a PS3 exclusive. After six years of unsteady development,Versus 13becameFinal Fantasy 15, and Hajime Tabata was placed in the director’s chair. By contrast,Final Fantasy 16was always intended to be the first numbered PS5 entry, and is being made by the development studio behindFinal Fantasy 14. Producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai have held their positions throughout development, andFF16’s reveal suggests that the game’s direction has been clear for a long time.
Final Fantasy 15’s tumultuous development was obvious in hindsight. It got a lot of marketing leading up to its release, but there was a feeling that things weren’t coming together. Several updates amounted to showing off incomplete content, as if Square Enix was obligated to do so given how long the game had been in development. The E3 demo of protagonist Noctis fighting Titan went poorly, and two different demonstrations were released as bespoke demos. Square Enix also surroundedFF15with multimedia crossover products, including a beat ’em up, mobile game, anime, and a movie.Final Fantasy 16revealing its concept in one trailer and, apparently, its near-complete form two years later is about as far removed fromFF15’s marketing as possible.
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Reality Versus Fantasy
Differences carry into the games’ visual theming and approach to genre. Even thoughFinal Fantasy 16is not out yet, it represents a massive tonal shift from recentFinal Fantasygames. There is a clear effort to go back to themedieval fantasy aesthetic of olderFinal Fantasytitles, leaving behind the science-fantasy elements that have been with the series sinceFF6. Fans see a war inFF16’s world fought through footsoldiers, mercenaries, cavalry, and magic fueled by summoned creatures. Valisthea is a world firmly entrenched in high fantasy, even more thanFinal Fantasy 14. It also looks like a particularly dark entry, but more context will need to be seen for its full scope.
From the beginning,Final Fantasy 15drove far in the opposite direction.Even asVersus 13, the game was pitched to be fantasy based on reality. Characters wore modern clothing with some emphasized fantasy elements. The main party, despite their political ties, was a group of friends taking a road trip. The enemy empire used armies of mechanical soldiers deployed from airships. One stop at the Hammerhead gas station afterFF15’s opening tells players everything they need to know about how this fantasy world blends into the real one.
Final Fantasy 15 and 16’s Character Journeys Could Be Very Distinct
The design approaches toFinal Fantasy 15and16permeate all their content.Final Fantasy 15revolved around the journey of four friends seeking to save their kingdom, each of whom contributes something to the battle system. The player was eventually able to control all of them in DLC and theRoyal Edition.Final Fantasy 16, meanwhile, appears to be totally focused on Clive Rosfield, an up-and-coming warrior who experiences the destruction of his family and nation firsthand and becomes a bitter mercenary set on taking revenge. It’s not clear ifFinal Fantasy 16even has a partyoutside of Clive, which would be a first for the main series.
Final Fantasy 15had an unfinished back half, and thesecond season of DLCintended to fully delve into its lore and conclude the story for good. There was also a bizarre multiplayer side mode that some players feel has a better combat system than the base game. It’s not clear ifFinal Fantasy 16will have any DLC, but it is in its final stages of development.Final Fantasy 16will not have the aesthetic approach, development cycle, or marketing strategy ofFinal Fantasy 15, and its story and characters may end up being a massive departure as well. After sitting with the unfinished15since 2016, fans should welcome this breath of fresh air.
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