Summary
Final Fantasy 16was released last year and marked some of the largest shifts in the established and expected design principles of Square Enix’s popular RPG series. With more of a focus on a single central character, Clive Rosfield,Final Fantasy 16followed the storied tale of his life from childhood as a conflicted noble to a rebel leader set on defeating the god Ultima. Not only didFF16forgo the usual multiple party member system, but it also introduced real-time combat for the first time in the franchise. This break from conventions, though, threatened to erode its core identity in the eyes of fans and was divisive to some.
While the story andcharacters ofFinal Fantasy 16were incredibly realized and engaging, its combat mechanics could take some getting used to, especially for longtime fans acclimated to the previous systems. Prior toFF16and earlier this year,Final Fantasy 7 RemakeandRebirthprovided a solid balance between the old school turn-based/Active Time Bar system and live combat. And although there is currently not much known aboutFinal Fantasy 17, it can nevertheless take some lessons learned fromFF16and theFF7remakes to ensure its combat system is versatile and satisfying.
Producer Naoki Yoshida shared some thoughts onFinal Fantasy 17’s potential direction and development earlier this year.
Final Fantasy 17 Should Split the Difference Between FF16 and FF7’s Remake Combat
Final Fantasy 16’s Combat Was One of its Most Contentious Aspects
WhileFinal Fantasy 16was an intensely personal tale, containing multiple themes that the series has explored before, like identity, loss, and redemption, its approach to combat was flashier and faster-paced, along the lines of games likeDevil May Cry.Final Fantasy 16’s Eikonic abilitiesmade for some truly epic and memorable fights, but it was still quite different from how it was normally done, and thus could be a bit more difficult to handle at times. Fewer controllable party members and more limited options made mastering Clive’s skills more of a necessity, and the difference betweenFF16and previous styles could stick out, not always positively.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth’s Combat Struck a Great Balance
Final Fantasy 7is one of the most beloved and renowned JPRGs of all time. Square Enix thus had a lot to consider when completely reinventing it in a new trilogy for modern generations, especially its combat design and philosophy. The remakes featured a reworked version of theActive Time Battle systemthatFFis largely credited with inventing and popularizing. The array of party members inFF7 RemakeandRebirth, coupled with a mix of real-time and ATB mechanics, allowed a more strategic use that was responsive and visually striking.
How Final Fantasy 17 Could Make Use of a Hybrid of FF7 Remake and FF16’s Combat Design
However elseFinal Fantasy17 looks to advance and iterateon what’s come before, its combat system will no doubt form one of the pillars of its direction and experience. WhileFF16was an interesting experiment, it might be best if Square scales back a bit, and integrates more of the vision for theFF7 RemakesintoFF17in this area. This could still allow it to have a system similar toFF16, but also create a link to the ATB design that would help it play and feel more like a traditional entry, making it more familiar and accessible for all fans.
One simpler method to achieve this might be to include an option to switch between them, something theFF7 Remakesdabbled in to a degree, although players could not use a fully turn-based system. Still, streamlining and fusingFinal Fantasy 16’s more intense actionwith that of theFF7remakes could create a great dynamic that takes the best of both worlds to please many sides of the fanbase, while moving the franchise into the future.
Final Fantasy 16
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An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
