Final Fantasy 16

[AquilaTempestas]

I'm not overly familiar with the world of FF but I know there's many fans here.

@Zadien @Nirianne @Hikari @VectorLogic  @Stubborn Saber  @Exelior @TJMike @Caffeinearted

So, what are your thoughts?

 

[Zadien]

I'm probably in the minority but honestly, this game does not interest me at all. If it hadn't had the Chocobos and the FF theme, I wouldn't have looked at this and said, oh that's an FF game. I know they're trying to break out and do different things and evolve as a gaming company but honestly, for me, I like the old games. I like exploring places with a party of friends with specific skills, I like the humour, the banter, the more light hearted form of fantasy.

I really think they did a spectacular job with FF7R, not just because of the nostalgia element because I'm not a super fan of 7, but I loved that game.  It's separate from every other in the franchise because it's on another level. The plot, the characterisation, the storytelling, the battle system. It was amazing. I loved every moment of both playthroughs and I will go back and play again.

But this game makes it seem like they've learned nothing.

FFXV didn't do anything for me either when I saw the trailer. And this game builds on that, trying to go more realistic with their settings and characters, darker and grittier with their plots, but that's not what I'm looking for in these games. If they're trying to go more Witcher/GOT vibe and as a FF fan, this does not appeal. I also have zero interest in playing one male character, so I hope later game play will set it up that we have a party of people who are equally important to the plot. But honestly, this is low on the list of games I am interested in. Also no release date means we might not even see it for another 10 years where it could change massively and not resemble anything like this.

On saying that, the people working on it have delivered big on previous titles such as FFXIV but I never played because I'm not a online player. So I can't comment on that. I hope that means the story is good but I think for the moment, I'll wait for FF7R-2 and replay old games like 8, 9, 12, 13 etc.

[Hikari]

As for me, I’m still reeling over the fact that they decided to release footage of the game this early on.

At the very least, it seems that the combat is going to be more enjoyable than FFXV’s, and I think that that’s a good sign. I enjoyed XV to an extent (then again, I haven’t even beaten it yet, haven’t had the time or motivation).

I personally don’t mind a game set in the “high fantasy” medieval-ish kind of genre. Then again, I haven’t watched Game of Thrones or even experienced games such as the Witcher so I guess I might be relatively unaffected by the high fantasy burnout. On the other hand though, it’s kind of hard to say how this FF will turn out. I’d like to know more about the setting and the story because I could hardly tell what was going on in the trailer haha

Though the trailer looks cool to me, I’d like to see more before making a final decision. It’s difficult to say what this game will be. Will the protagonist really be by himself, for example? Because FF is usually a good mix of banter and serious stuff, and you can’t really have too much banter if you’re by yourself....so yeah I want more party members too.

I do admit that 7 Remake is a masterpiece, it’s so fun and amazing. I hope that, somehow, that same sort of fun experience can be recreated in the newest installment of Final Fantasy. Because I know that XV disappointed a lot of fans.

Honestly, I might be blinded by nostalgia and biased as heck, so you take my words with a grain of salt lol

[VectorLogic]

This is interesting for me. It does look like it plays similarly to FFXV with it being action oriented instead of the classic RPG that I've been used to, the story does look like it has some promise, like I'm getting some Type-0 vibes from it. At least they didn't try to have it in a modern setting like 15 did, and besides, 7 did it first and did it better, and the idea of a war between eikons and their followers (at least that's what I think it is plot wise) can work. The major problem I have with it is that it is trying to be dark, story wise, and lighting wise, there were some scenes where I couldn't even see what the hell was going on. We are getting this some time in 2021, so I'm hoping that they iron out a few wrinkles before launch.

[Zadien]

When FFXV came out initially, the first trailer with Stella, there was a lot that they showed, including that scene with Noct coming down the steps with his flashy swords. But then as time went on, the trailer changed, the game changed considerably and it lost a lot of what drew people to it. I do hope this is the opposite, because while I love high fantasy style stuff, Final Fantasy needs to remember that it's not a dark and gritty game and it's been consistently veering in that direction and it's not been a benefit for them.

Type-0 was super hyped at the start, does anyone talk about it anymore? FFXV, the game they agonized over so much that someone had to be told to leave the scenery alone now, is not one of their best releases. People generally want to finish a final fantasy game feeling good about themselves. The last couple of games haven't done that because they keep trying to be edgy and realistic and it's not working for them. Also yes, I do agree, there's too much darkness. I hope they bring some light to the game because some of my favourite parts of FF is the colour and brightness you get in those games.

Also I really dislike how they're not using female characters anymore as part of the main plot. I don't want a damsel in distress, I want female characters with agency who join in on the action. Sometimes it feels like FF is going backwards. Here's hoping they take some criticism on board and go back a little to what we love the older games for. They don't need to compete with games like Witcher or Elder Scrolls. They need to do their own thing and excel. 

 

[AquilaTempestas]

As an outsider, I do like the look of it. Looks a bit influenced by the Soulsborne series actually (heck, a lot of RPG games are these days).

For the fans - do you think they are trying to cater to a new generation of players? Or do you think they're following other games that are popular and trying to do something similar?

[VectorLogic]

Well, FFXV was suppose to be a love letter to the fans, it did have a lot of promise, but fell short in some areas...its still a fun game to be honest. With FF16 though, I think they're trying a more darker take on the franchise, and at times it does work, like with Twilight Princess and Pokemon on a few occasions, but it all comes down to one MAJOR factor: Execution. It looks good though, I just hope this good idea is executed perfectly

[Zadien]

From any of my friends who I’ve talked to who are huge final fantasy fans, the take has been that from that trailer it looks too much like it’s going in a Souls direction and this is probably going to be a deal breaker for them. Which I get it. If I wanted to play a souls game, I’d play that but I don’t have any interest in those types of games. I really like the older final fantasy games.

But in saying that, final fantasy has always been trying new ways of doing things. There’s certain phases. Final fantasy 7 versus final fantasy 9 had very very different worlds though they were still turn based and of course kept the summons and chocbobos to high light that it was a final fantasy game.  Final fantasy 9 and 12 had medieval style political plot lines but were very different battle systems and the choice to be whatever kind of role you wanted.  The 12-13 games are my personal favourites though naturally that’s topped by Remake because that’s such a good game. Other people say final fantasy hasn’t been itself since 10.

So they’re constantly remaking themselves and going through phases and personally for myself, this isn’t a phase I’m very interested in. But it’ll probably appeal to people who weren’t originally final fantasy fans so that’s cool for them. 

Though this is only a trailer so that doesn’t really say much because as I pointed out, ffxv’s first trailer and the game that was actually made are very different. I think them getting rid of a party system and focusing more on male characters is a very bad backslide if that’s what’s happening though. 

[onewiththewheels]

@AquilaTempestas @Zadien
As a huge Final Fantasy fan, this kind of turned me off. It looks like an interesting game, but it doesn’t look like Final Fantasy. It’s just too gritty, realistic, and dark And while final fantasy did have moments of that sometimes (Final fantasy seven and all 3 entries for 13 come to mind, and I’m not counting 15 because it changed so much), that’s not what the series is. The blood on the prince’s face also really turned me off because Final Fantasy has never had bloody scenes other than type zero, and that was considered an exception that was never done again. I feel the same way towards this as I do towards fire emblem and three houses. I will still buy it if it comes out on Switch because I love Final Fantasy, I probably will only consider it something inspired by the originals and not truly a Final Fantasy game. It’s a shame because I know fire emblem had to abandon its roots to survive, and now I’m desperately hoping Final Fantasy is not doing the same. I get that they have to bring new people in, but it sucks if they have to do so at the expense of older fans...

Edited September 25, 2020 by onewiththewheels

[Zadien]

On 9/25/2020 at 8:14 PM, onewiththewheels said:

@AquilaTempestas @Zadien
As a huge Final Fantasy fan, this kind of turned me off. It looks like an interesting game, but it doesn’t look like Final Fantasy. It’s just too gritty, realistic, and dark And while final fantasy did have moments of that sometimes (Final fantasy seven and all 3 entries for 13 come to mind, and I’m not counting 15 because it changed so much), that’s not what the series is. The blood on the prince’s face also really turned me off because Final Fantasy has never had bloody scenes other than type zero, and that was considered an exception that was never done again. I feel the same way towards this as I do towards fire emblem and three houses. I will still buy it if it comes out on Switch because I love Final Fantasy, I probably will only consider it something inspired by the originals and not truly a Final Fantasy game. It’s a shame because I know fire emblem had to abandon its roots to survive, and now I’m desperately hoping Final Fantasy is not doing the same. I get that they have to bring new people in, but it sucks if they have to do so at the expense of older fans...

I genuinely didn’t recognise it as a FF game until it put the chocobos and the theme into it. It had to hit us over the head with the iconic motifs such as Shiva, Ifrit etc to say, hey it’s an FF game and that’s not good. Oh my god, yes, the blood. That I think was the big moment I physically recoiled. We don’t see blood in FF and I like that, except, as you mentioned, that scene in Type 0 with the kid and the chocobo and Type 0 didn’t do as well as it could have because the majority of people play for a good time, not a grim ending. If we wanted grim, we’d go play Skyrim and Witcher and dark souls. I want happy. I want to know that after all the trials and tribulations, I’ll save the world with my band of merry idiots. Even though FFVII had a major character death, it wasn’t really that harrowing and we still won. And with FFXIII, it was a sacrifice two characters chose to make to save the people of Cocoon because they’d brought about the end as such and they wanted to be together forever and it was a nice cycle and still felt like a good and happy ending. And then you needed to play the third game to get a true happy ending after the second game, I digress. This new trend of dark and gritty is not fun or welcome, especially when the world is pretty awful as is. So I guess I’ll replay the other games and wait until someone streams this new one, whenever it gets released, to decide if it’s good or not. 
 

However if they continuously shaft female characters in order for their bromances I’ll just give up entirely. 

[onewiththewheels]

@Zadien

I wonder if things like the blood will lead to a rating change. I remember type zero got that to a mature rating because of blood and gore, but I’m hoping it doesn’t happen to this game. I know mature games sometimes don’t sell as well. Then again, three houses had blood, and still got away with a T rating, because the blood was animated, only in a few cutscenes, and the rest of it was more or less what one would expect from a game of that series.

on a sidenote, it’s heavily implied the remake of the final fantasy seven game will spare the major party character who died. It already did that with one character who wasn’t in the party, and I’d be interested to see what would happen if the other character was spared. Said character was one of the main reasons why the world could be saved in the first place, and the character had a lot more power in death than life. So I’m interested to see if there is an alternative way to save the world, and the game implies there is. It’s kind of cool, because I always like different interpretations of the same topic, and I really didn’t like the way the party character’s death was handled, even if it ended up being for a good reason story wise. So I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do with it.

[AquilaTempestas]

More information taken from Kotaku.

• The land of Valisthea is studded with Mothercrystals—glittering mountains of crystal that tower over the realms around them, blessing them with aether. For generations, people have flocked to these beacons to take advantage of their blessing, using the aether to conjure magicks that let them live lives of comfort and plenty. Great powers have grown up around each Mothercrystal, and an uneasy peace has long reigned between them. Yet now the peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions.
• The red, bird-like creatures in the top image are called Eikons, and they are the most deadly ones in Valisthea. “Dominants” are people who are blessed with the ability to call upon these creatures to unleash their lethal power.
• “In some nations these Dominants are treated as royalty in admiration of this strength—in others they are bound in fear of it, and forced to serve as weapons of war,” writes Square Enix. “Those who are born as Dominants cannot escape their fate, however cruel it may be.”
• Release Date - Probably 2022
• Six Realms
  • The Grand Duchy of Rosaria
  • The Holy Empire of Sanbreque
  • The Kingdom of Waloed
  • The Dhalmekian Republic
  • The Iron Kingdom
  • The Crystalline Dominion
• Three main characters all shown in the trailer

 

[onewiththewheels]

@AquilaTempestas

now this is more what I’m expecting from a final fantasy game. It looks like they might be going for Final Fantasy tactics feel with the story (talking about the original tactics, not advance, although you could argue that one was said in its own way). I just hope it isn’t as sad as tactics story was (extra scene in war of the Lions aside, and even said scene didn’t didn’t make much sense). Even though tactics was a very good story. Really hoping this game eventually comes out on switch, because it’s now an instant buy for me.

Edited October 31, 2020 by onewiththewheels

[Zadien]

I'm still going to wait a while before I make my decision. I'm burned out on tragic stories, FFXV did nothing for me, but some of this reminds me of FFXII which was one of my favourites. So I'm gonna wait for more. But the characters being 12 is kind of a turn off. I guess there'll be a time skip? Also Ifrit is a dark eikon? okay, if you say so SE.

[AquilaTempestas]

Yeah, I'm surprised the characters are so young. Have they always been around this age in previous games, @Zadien?

@onewiththewheels Seems that way. I haven't played many FF games before so I can't comment too much on this. Unfortunately, I believe this game will be Sony exclusive only for the PS5.

[Zadien]

@AquilaTempestas no usually characters are late teens and early twenties, older for some. This is very young so I guess they may do a time skip. 

[onewiththewheels]

@Zadien

wasn’t there one character that was humanoid and in the single digits? Was it the black mage Vivian? I know there was something going on with her, so she didn’t really act her age. I also know that technically there’s Rydia in final fantasy four, but she gets aged up later on. Also, I don’t think that would be an exclusive. The switch is doing too well and the final fantasy series is too large for square enix not to try to put it on there. Especially considering a lot of the older games have come out as remasters for switch.

[Zadien]

@onewiththewheels Vivi was childlike yes, and Rydia but they’re the minority and usually not the main parties of the story. They’re secondary main characters. So two of the main three being 12 is still an oddity. Hope was another child character. Oh and the twins in four as well, palum and Pollum? And eiko in nine? Am I making up names now? Yes probably  so yeah there have been children in the games but again, usually as secondary side kick characters for the adults to keep an eye on. 

it could be a timed exclusive for a while. They’d have to scale down the graphics for the switch or create a chibi version like they did for 15. We still haven’t got 13 or Remake for the switch. Which are the only recent ones that didn’t make it there, I think. The PS5 is boasting more tech than its previous incarnations so they’d have to see if the switch could handle it I guess but yeah it only makes sense for them to try to put it on every console and PC eventually for the money. 

[AquilaTempestas]

Yeah, hopefully a time skip because how we are supposed to be invested in a 12 year old?

So, I did more research about exclusives. It will be for PS5 only for 6 months. Xbox will get it after then PC once 12 months has passed. I can't see it coming for the Switch though since this is based on new generation power. They would have to really simplify it to make it Switch compatible (unless a new Switch comes out? Still, Nintendo never match up power wise to the other three.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.denofgeek.com/games/final-fantasy-16-pc-xbox-ps5-timed-exclusive/%3famp

[TJMike]

I've never even touched a single FF title in my life. I've been wanting to but idk, other games took priority for me I guess.

But I saw this trailer and my eyes were drawn to a single thing--- OH GOD THERE ARE PHOENIX IN THIS GAME!!

As you might know, I'm a phoenix fan . I mean, I know they're called by other name here. Also, I understand the story is a bit darker than the regular FF game?

I might have to keep it on my radar and see 

[AquilaTempestas]

@Nirianne

I know you're a fan of the series as well. What do you think thus far?

[AquilaTempestas]

We have another trailer!

Thoughts? @Zadien @VectorLogic @TJMike

 

[VectorLogic]

Already its starting to look interesting. The combat also looks to be inspired by a lot of the more fast-paced action games like the old God of War and Devil May Cry.

[Nirianne]

June 22, 2023 is the official release date! Man, it's been a minute since I've been excited for a flagship game from Square. I did not like 15 in the slightest and I know this team works wonders (coz they're all insane). 

Finally, something to look forward to and sink countless hours into it!

 

[AquilaTempestas]

I like the looks of the game. Lead character looks cool too.

KEEN.