The director of Final Fantasy 16 revealed in an interview that the upcoming RPG, which is set to release on June 22, 2023 for PS5, will be "like God of War."
In an interview with two of Final Fantasy 16's directors and its producer, Naoki Yoshida, on WellPlayed.com (opens in a new tab), it was revealed that the game's team drew on many inspirations ranging from the expected to the unexpected. left of the field. . When asked what media sources inspired the game, Yoshida replied, "For me, it has to be the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, as well as the Game of Thrones TV show."
This is apparent with even the most cursory look at one of Final Fantasy 16's trailers. What isn't obvious, however, is how game director Hiroshi Takai added that he also "found God of War really inspiring" by create the game Combat director Ryota Suzuki also mentioned some of his own inspirations: "Those would be the moves from John Wick and Blade. You could probably feel them in what I created.
Yoshida returned to God of War later in the interview, saying, "You can compare the closest Final Fantasy 16 to something like God of War. As a picture of how the game loop works, you'll have a main story map of the world. God of War of War style… In this hub you can choose to continue with the main story and unlock new areas, or you have side quest opportunities where you go back to areas you've already visited and have this side content there.
Sweet sixteen
While I was certainly surprised to see God of War, a real-time third-person action series, so high on the list of cinematic inspirations, I certainly wasn't surprised to see the developers of Final Fantasy 16 talk about their attempts to capture a certain je ne sais quoi cinematic in his game.
It's nothing new for a Final Fantasy title to draw inspiration from cinematic cornerstones. Final Fantasy 7's aspirations are perhaps further bolstered by the existence of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which uses real-time combat art and beautiful cinematics to fulfill the ambition of its original namesake. Case in point: Self-centered villain Sephiroth was inspired by Stephen Spielberg's classic thriller Jaws (via TheGamer).
Given God of War Ragnarok's emphasis on graphical fidelity and cinematic quality, it stands to reason that Final Fantasy 16 high rollers would see it as something worth emulating, especially when it comes to combat.
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Some are disappointed to see Final Fantasy 16 continue to move away from traditional turn-based battles in favor of real-time action. However, it's important to note that turn-based combat has only existed as a substitute for cinematic combat which, due to technological limitations, game consoles of the time simply couldn't achieve. In 2023, we no longer have these restrictions.
I love turn-based combat. The likes of Octopath Traveler 2, Bravely Default 2, and Trails of Cold Steel are truly my happy place. However, I see Square Enix's willingness to embrace modern sources of inspiration as a good thing. This demonstrates a desire to move the series forward, a goal that I wholeheartedly appreciate.
Final Fantasy games have always been at their best when they allowed for organic evolution. This is partly why Final Fantasy 14 is so successful. Reflecting cutting-edge cinematic sensibilities and storytelling, Final Fantasy 16 will only go from strength to strength. I can't wait to get my hands on the title.