Final Fantasyis one of Square Enix’s biggest franchises and the next game in the series has finally been revealed. It has been nearly six years since the release ofFinal Fantasy XV, which was met with a lot of backlash due to the cancellation of the remaining DLC as well asFinal Fantasy Versus XIII. However, Square Enix has been making it up to fans this year by revivingFinal Fantasy Versus XIIIin the DLC forKingdom Hearts IIIand expanding onFinal Fantasy VIIwith a remake that pleased most players despite making a lot of changes.
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Most recently, Square Enix revealedFinal Fantasy XVIduring the PS5 Showcase. Fans are excited for the upcoming release and though a lot has already been shown off, there are still some questions that are in need of answers.
10What We Learned: Return To Fantasy
Despite its name, mostFinal Fantasygames, especially recent releases, are sci-fi games. They take place in cities such as Midgar, and have modern technology like the Regalia. Strange creatures and magic still exist but they are not the main focus of the games like they were in the earlier installments.Final Fantasy XVIhas a muchstronger focus on fantasy. It takes place in a medieval setting where knights and a castle were shown. It looks like the team is finally interested in fantasy again.
9Question We Have: What Is Happening To Joshua?
One of the new characters shown in the trailer is a young boy named Joshua.The main character, whose name was not revealed in the trailer, says that he is “Joshua’s shield”. The young boy, presumably the prince of this kingdom, witnesses someone get murdered. That person’s blood lands on Joshua as he screams in agony before transforming into a creature. What he’s become and how it happened are one of the greatest mysteries in the trailer. The plot will most likely be about the main character trying to find a way to save Joshua.
8What We Learned: Platforms
In the modern day of video games, there are a lot of different platforms for gamers to play on. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are releasing soon, adding two more consoles to the list. In order to sell consoles, companies need to have the best games, and there are not many RPG franchises that can compete withFinal Fantasy. As the game was announced during the PS5 Showcase,it is releasing on the PlayStation 5.Final Fantasy XVIwill also be available on PC.
7Question We Have: When Does It Release?
As of right now, there has been no announcements on when the game will release. Unfortunately, fans may have to wait years before they can play it. Square Enix is known for announcing games when they begin development. As a result, players do not get their hands on the games for a very long time.
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Final Fantasy VII Remakewas announced in 2015 and released earlier this year.Kingdom Hearts IIIwas announced in 2013 and came out last year. If the pattern continues, fans may have to wait as long as the end of the PS5’s lifetime for it to release. Luckily, this trailer did show a lot so the game may come sooner than that.
6What We Learned: Genre
With its recent titles, the franchise went from being a turn-based RPG to an action RPG. Instead of making choices for players' parties in between battles, they now battle enemies in real-time, causing players to make quicker decisions and face more challenges.Final Fantasy XVIis continuing the pattern and leaving the turn-based RPGs to other Square Enix properties, likeDragon Quest. However, unlike other games in the series, fans have only seen one playable character.
5Question We Have: Will There Be A Party?
As fans have only seen one playable character who is all by himself, this game may not have a party.Parties have been a core elementof not onlyFinal Fantasygames, but of the entire genre. They keep the story interesting by having more interactions and character development. Without their parties, Cloud wouldn’t have joined Avalanche,Squall wouldn’t have passed his exam, and Noctis wouldn’t have gotten any gas for the Regalia. Fans are concerned with how the story will play out without a party. However, as not much has been shown so far, Square Enix may have decided to only show the beginning of the game. They are known for spoiling too much in their trailers so perhaps they decided to take a different approach this time around. Time will tell.
4What We Learned: The Team
Final Fantasy XVIhas revealed some of the people working on the game. Naoki Yoshida is the producer. He is mainly known for his work as the producer and director ofFinal Fantasy XIV, as well as the director behind some of theDragon Questspin-offs. Hiroshi Takai, the director of the upcoming entry,also worked onFinal Fantasy XIV, as well asThe Last Remnant. Ryota Suzuki is the battle director, and previously worked onDevil May Cry 5.
3Question We Have: What Are Icons?
Like parties, summons have been an important aspect of the franchise’s gameplay. Summons are used to bring powerful beings into battle that can put odds in players' favor. Well known summons throughout the series were shown in the trailer.
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However, one of the characters refers to them as an “icon”. Whether an icon is a new term used for a summon or if the two are somehow different is currently unknown. If icons and summons are the same, it will be interesting to find out why Square Enix decided not to use the traditional term.
2What We Learned: More Info In 2021
Fans are anxiously waiting for more news on the upcoming game. However, they are going to have to wait at least a few months before learning anything else about the title. Naoki Yoshida has stated that more info will not be revealed until 2021. Hopefully, more info will be revealed in the beginning of the year rather than at the end. For now, they can look forward to other Square Enix titles coming soon such asKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory,Bravely Default 2, andBalan Wonderworld, which will all release soon.
1Question We Have: What Is The Importance Of The Mothercrystal?
Crystals have been important objects throughouttheFinal Fantasygames. Mothercrystals are a type of crystal found inFinal Fantasy XIand a character inFinal Fantasy XIV. Mothercrystals are returning once more inFinal Fantasy XVI. The kingdom that Joshua and the main character live in are after their enemy’s mothercrystal, which seems to be a very important part of the story. But what they plan on doing with the mothercrystal and why their enemy has it remain to be a mystery.
