One of the eldest ongoing franchises in modern gaming is Final Fantasy, a game that has been introduced to different generations throughout the years. However, the quality of these titles has proven that it doesn’t matter how old you are; you can still discover and enjoy the most authentic classics in the industry. The Final Fantasy franchise has figured out how to keep its games relevant and attractive to a broader audience. This announcement and development of a brand-new Final Fantasy game led to a very interesting declaration from its producer Naoki Yoshida.
In the latest issue of the Japanese magazine Famitsu, Yoshida shared some thoughts about the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. He particularly addressed the issue of a specific feature, the turn-based combats. As many of you already know, that’s a significant one for the franchise, but it won’t appear on the new title.
Here is what Naoki Yoshida. had to say about removing the turn-based combat mode from Final Fantasy XVI. Thanks to Video Games Chronicle for translating the entire message!
“I’m from a generation that grew up with command and turn-based RPGs. I think I understand how interesting and immersive it can be. On the other hand, for the past decade or so, I’ve seen quite a number of opinions saying ‘I don’t understand the attraction of selecting commands in video games.’ This opinion is only increasing, particularly with younger audiences who do not typically play RPGs.
For several console generations now, all character expressions can be done in real-time. Actions such as ‘press the trigger and your character will shoot a gun’ and ‘press the button and your character will swing their sword’ can now be easily expressed without going through a command system. It’s now common for gamers younger than me to love such games. As a result, it seems that it does not make sense to go through a command prompt, such as ‘Battle’, to make a decision during a battle.
This is not an argument of what is good or bad, but there is a difference based on the player’s preferences and age. Furthermore, there is a big difference between a command system and a turn-based system, and these are often conflated, but are two different concepts.
RPGs originated with tabletop RPGs, and I think gaming RPGs were invented by replacing tabletop discussions with commands in video games. As I said, I believe I know the fun of command system RPGs, and I want to continue developing them, but I thought about the expected sales of Final Fantasy XVI and the impact that we have to deliver.
At times, I said that it was okay if the development team would explore new options, and the system would be only half-finished, and as a result, it would be remade many times. It’s the same feeling as not utilizing an open world: if you have a good idea, you should approach it, but if you feel differently and think ‘it’s better not to have a command system’ instead, I don’t mind.
From this, I think it is definitely possible that the next Final Fantasy may also utilize a command system again, or be an open-world game. However, at this point, if we were to develop it, Final Fantasy XVI will be like this.”
Do you think Yoshida’s move could be appealing to younger audiences? What are your thoughts on the evolution of Final Fantasy? Let us know in the comment section!
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