Final Fantasy 16is rumored to already be in development, but as of yet nothing is set in stone. One thing fans know for sure, though, is that the more recentFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeis an amazingly satisfying experience, and many are hoping that it will set the precedent for the entirety of theFinal Fantasyfranchise moving forward. The recent entries ofFinal Fantasyhave all been pretty vastly different, so it seems that Square Enix may be testing the waters with a few different ideas before deciding how it wants to move forward withFinal Fantasy 16. If that’s the case, then the new remake’s success bodes well.
For those that don’t keep up with the latestFinal Fantasynews, many believe that the next main entry in the series,Final Fantasy 16, will launch alongside or shortly after the next generation of consoles this holiday season. Though a simultaneous launch would be amazing, a lot of launch titles have already been revealed, and given that nothing has been said about aFinal Fantasy 16, it seems unlikely. Still, long time fans of the series and newcomers alike are absolutely lovingFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, so it could make a good basis for how the next entry in the series will look.
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Final Fantasy 15
DisregardingFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, the most recent main entry wasFinal Fantasy 15. WhileFinal Fantasy 15may have launched to less than favorable reviews, the game has redeemed itself quite a bit since then. Still, the combat system is lacking in depth, as the player can mostly get through any fight with just two buttons. Furthermore, the AI is incredibly deficient, as even making a build based on powering upNoctis' teammatesleaves them mostly useless in any major fight, especially given how many fights they are excluded from.
Arguably,Final Fantasy 15did have a good story with compelling characters and some pretty cool moments, though. The main focus of this entry was the bond between all the characters, something which no other game has quite replicated, although theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakemakes Midgar feel alivein a similar way, as well as building strong connections between characters. Still, most would agree thatFinal Fantasy 16needs to take a different direction thanFinal Fantasy 15, at least to a certain degree.
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 14had similar problems at launch, albeit to a much greater degree, but has since been completely rebooted and is now one of the most beloved MMORPGs on the market right now. Unfortunately, that very denotation is also what takes it out of the running as the being the basis forFinal Fantasy 16.
Given thatFinal Fantasy 14is still going very strong with the release of its third expansion,Shadowbringers, it would make little sense for Square Enix to try and tackle another MMORPG at this time, especially with thenewFinal Fantasy 15MMOcoming out. Beyond that, it is unlikely that fans even want another MMORPG right now, as the audience for such things is admittedly more limited than a standard Action-Adventure RPG.
One thing thatFinal Fantasy 14has done incredibly well is weave an amazing story full of intriguing characters that the player actually grows to care for. IfFinal Fantasy 16takes anything from this title, hopefully it will be theepic worldbuildingand character growth that is prevalent throughout its entirety. Obviously a lot of the social features and mechanics will need to get left behind, but perhapsFinal Fantasy 16could be one of the first multiplayer titles in the main entries of the series.
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Final Fantasy 13
Final Fantasy 13is yet another beloved entry in the series, but is honestly quite old at this point. The first game set in that world was released 11 years ago way back in 2009, and even the third installment,Final Fantasy 13 - Lightning Returns, is seven years old by now. What this entry did well was bridge the gap between the older battle systems ofFinal Fantasy 10,11, and12,which use a combination of turn-based combat and the ATB system, and modernize it into something that looks and feels a lot more engaging. This kind of feel has transferred over toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake (albeit in a more action oriented way)more than any other title, asFinal Fantasy 14obviously went for a more MMO appropriate system.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy 7 Remakefeels like the culmination of everything that was good about every entry before it. The freedom of movement in combat found inFinal Fantasy 15returns in full force, characters are developed more than ever before and the relationships between them feel real, just like inFinal Fantasy 14. Finally, theremake makes battle look cool and feel freebut not at the expense of a truly deep and engaging system, much likeFinal Fantasy 13. It really feels as though Square Enix has learned from all of their past mistakes and successes and packed everything they could into this game.
It only makes sense, then, thatFinal Fantasy 16will mirror this kind of gameplay while enhancing on its flaws even more. What more,Final Fantasy 7 Remakestill has at least two more episodesto get better, all the while the company will no doubt pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. The remake even brings back older staples of RPGs, such as somewhat vague choices the player makes early on affecting things in later segments of the game. These kinds of things are what people have been asking for this whole time.
Final Fantasy 16
Of course,Final Fantasy 16will have its own brand new settingand characters, a unique story, and new ideas like everyFinal Fantasygame before it. Another request from many fans of the franchise is for the series to return to its more fantastical roots, meaning players might be leaving motorbikes and machine guns behind in Midgar when it finally comes time to play the sequel. Really, only time will tell what direction Square Enix decides to take the franchise from here, butFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas certainly impressed fans and would work great as a baseline for the future.
