As we await new news for Final Fantasy XVI and with the PlayStation State of Play streaming hosting an update along the way, my thoughts return to what we can expect from the game. One question about how the game will be played is also a problem for some fans: what about parties?
By which I mean: will FF16 have a traditional “party” system in which players will take direct control of more than one character? Will Clive travel for a long time with a bunch of allies? This was a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise – but from the little we saw at FF16, I increasingly believe it could be a game that breaks with that tradition.
These are all assumptions and conjectures, of course. We will learn more soon. But why do I believe in this? Well, let me explain what feeds these thoughts.
When you look at the meager footage of the FF16 released so far, we have something that seems to be a focused action combat system, where summoning forces at least partially take the form of small movements performed during battle. In the first trailer, we see the Phoenix Wing summoned to send enemies flying through the air, ready for an air combo, and Titan’s fist strikes enemies to break their guard. Looking closely at these shots last year, I also felt that we saw what certainly looks like canceling a jump to follow a starter attack. Overall, it looks far more dynamic and action-focused than the more traditional battle offered in the FF7 Remake. It’s more like a pure action game.
All of this makes sense when you consider some of the likely FF16 staff. In the end, you can learn a lot about how a game can be by researching who makes it. That’s why we presented a big profile of FF16 director Hiroshi Takai earlier – but in this article I want to look at another employee in particular.
A few years ago, it was widely reported that designer Ryota Suzuki left Capcom and joined Square Enix and worked as a Battle Director on a large-scale project within the business department led by Naoki Yoshida, producer of FF16. Although Square Enix has not offered confirmation, it seems inevitable that Suzuki is the FF16’s combat leadership.
Why does this matter? Well, Suzuki’s story is telling: it was most recently the lead design for Devil May Cry 5. He had previously worked on the truly legendary Dragon’s Dogma. These are single-character games – although, of course, Dragon’s Dogma has its own “pawn” system, where the main character is joined by AI satellites. These are the types of combat systems that Suzuki has the most history with, and you can definitely see the DNA of Devil May Cry in the footage we’ve seen from the FF16 battle so far.
Suzuki could, of course, work with others in Square Enix to mix a more traditional party system with the kind of battle he’s known for. But then the shots we’ve seen so far from FF16 seem definitely solo focused. In just one video, we see another AI-controlled character join Clive in battle – and that’s awfully short.
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Then there is Naoki Yoshida himself. In 2016, he called God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn because the games he was “disappointed” with did not make Square Enix. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Yoshida play in that spirit. If FF16 has much to do with God of War, it would make sense. Part of the power of these games is in their strong focus on identifying players with a protagonist. This doesn’t stop these games from having a strong supporting cast – but that means they have a more laser focus on the lead than is traditional in FF.
In the context of the series, I also think it makes sense. More than anything else, FF15 was a love letter to the friendship and concept of the indestructible ties of a group of four Warriors of Light. A lone hero on a revenge mission would set him apart. And although FF15 was a party story, we must not forget that it was first released without any party control – just some friends with AI. In this sense, there is a feeling that even with the focus of history, the party battle was also overdue.
To be clear, my suggestion is not that Clive be a complete loner. It is clear that he will have friends – we already have several other characters from FF16 who will play a key role in the revealed story. There will inevitably be others; relationships are a key element of Final Fantasy that cannot be attacked. Some guest characters will inevitably come and go, as Aranea and Iris did in FF15.
What I doubt is that Clive will ever lead a permanent group of adventurers, or that players will have direct control over anyone but Clive. I just feel like the stars are aligning for FF, moving away from those systems for this record.
The question is, if so … does it matter?
Whenever I’ve carelessly suggested that the FF16 could go in that direction before, for some fans it’s blasphemous. But I personally do not see a big problem. The greatest strength of Final Fantasy is that it is always changing and growing, and quite often takes cues from other popular games of the era. Naturally, FF can look for directions in a game like God of War or The Witcher 3 – and this in general should not preclude providing an original, exciting and fully worthy FF experience.
There is also a secondary factor: the ongoing adventures of Cloud and his group of friends in FF7 Remake. We are also looking forward to the second part, where the team of this game will continue to build on the best modern interpretation of ATB turn-based and party-driven battle so far – which means that fans who want this kind of experience will be well served. in a relatively short time.
This is at least my argument and argumentation. I understand that for others, however, the problem is more tense. What do you want from the FF16 combat system? Will the lack of a party disrupt the deal? If nothing else, it’s fun to think while we wait for more information to be revealed – including confirmation of how Clive’s adventure will play out.
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