Final Fantasy 15 (FFXV) is a large open world game. Players have the freedom to explore where they want and how they like. It was one of the biggest open world maps in the franchises’ history — and it may well be the last.
Some players criticized the games’ vastly massive world. Some players even called the series “unfinished” due to its massive size and cancelled DLCs. The new Final Fantasy installment however is moving away from the open world game engine. Final Fantasy 16 (FFXVI) will featured a more linear style role playing narrative.
To open world or not to open world
Naoki Yoshida, the Final Fantasy XVI Producer, confirmed during an interview last year that Final Fantasy XVI would not be an open world game. Yoshida said he and the team decided to “avoid” an open world game as they are limited to a single space, and that there was a specific story the team wanted to tell.
Furthermore the development team stated that in order to build the world, game, and story they wanted for FFXVI it would have taken them 15 years to build.
But there’s nothing to fear. Because the game promises to be great! During the Final Fantasy XVI Pre-Launch Celebration stream, Yoshida and his team confirmed several features that would be coming to new Final Fantasy 16 (FFXVI) game. Through an interpreter, Yoshida said that he and the team wanted to deliver the “best narrative and gaming experience” with FFXVI.
What else do we know about the game?
The Final Fantasy XVI Pre-Launch Celebration revealed a lot about the new gameplay and style of Final Fantasy XVI. Talking on the style of gameplay, Yoshida added that each “Final Fantasy game is basically what the creators at the time think what is best for the series.” Thus there are many different games and gaming styles. These differences, as a whole, define the series. It seems Yoshida is implying that Final Fantasy FFXVI will still have the “significant Final Fantasy feel.”
In terms of the combat, it seems we can expect some exciting action. The combat system will feature similar mechanics as Kingdom Hearts since the same team worked on both titles. The Co-Director of Kingdom Hearts IV, Tai Yasue, is calling Final Fantasy 16 an “exceptional experience.”
It’s also worth noting at Naoki Yoshida confirmed FFXVI is being developed alongside FFXIV. If you’re an MMORPG player, you can rest assured that FFXIV will continue to be supported and developed.
If you missed the live stream, check out our guide on how to catch up. You can also find out where to play the FFXVI demo which has already been released.
