Final Fantasy 16looks to be the most ambitious entry in the franchise’s 35-year history, as developer Square Enix attempts to bridge the gap between the series' traditional fans, and a brand-new audience. Despite the series' roots being firmly intertwined with traditional turn-based combat,Final Fantasy 16looks to be transitioning completely into real-time action, in a bold move from the experienced developer. Sony’s recent State of Play showcased plenty more in-game footage, including an epic Eikon battle. While such battles are visually impressive, they should play no more than a fleeting part in the game’s events, to ensure it doesn’t spread itself too thinly across multiple genres.
Eikons aresummons inFinal Fantasy, and they have always played a relatively large part in the series' lore. The likes of Ifrit and Shiva have appeared in multipleFinal Fantasytitles over the years, and are often the most powerful weapon at the player’s disposal.Final Fantasy 16is looking to take this a step further by granting the players full control over the Eikons at several points in the game, as they do battle with each other. These large-scale battles look like a further departure from anything the series has offered previously.
RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Share One Major Element
Final Fantasy 16’s Eikon Fights Need to be Handled Correctly
Part of the reason forFinal Fantasy’s successis the series' ability to strike a perfect balance between story, characters, visuals, and gameplay. It has proved extremely difficult for developers over the years to nail all four of these important pillars simultaneously, butFinal Fantasyhas done this pretty consistently since the series' transition to full 3D in 1997’sFinal Fantasy 7. The turn-based combat remained engaging due to challenging battles and innovative upgrade systems, and many fans would have no issue if the series continued in this same vein moving forwards. ForFinal Fantasydirector Naoki Yoshida though, continuing down the same tried and tested path is not an option, as he looks to modernize the series for a younger generation.
With this in mind, even the most optimistic of fans will be hoping thatFinal Fantasy 16doesn’t spread itself too thin by trying to be several things at once. A dynamic action-based combat system combined with more traditionalRPG mechanics inFinal Fantasy 16could be brilliant if done correctly, and the focus should be on making sure Square Enix sticks the landing in this regard. There’s a danger that throwing Eikon battles into the mix could backfire if they prove to be a complex, unnecessary distraction, rather than a quick, fun side activity before diving straight back into the main game.
Mini-games inFinal Fantasyas a series have always been fun activities, such asFinal Fantasy 10’s Blitzball orFinal Fantasy 8’s Triple Triad have become incredibly popular in their own right. If done correctly, the Eikon battles could quickly find themselves held in the same regard. Conversely, if they feel like an unnecessary addition, then they could damage the game’s overall impact.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakemodernized the seriesand it managed to strike the perfect balance between more traditional turn-based combat, and real-time action. The game succeeded in staying true to its source material enough to please long-standing fans, but it also found a new audience thanks to its action-heavy focus.Final Fantasy 16is hoping to take this a step further, and should the game manage to successfully blend several genres together, then it will surely become one of the most popular entries in the franchise’s storied history.
Final Fantasy 16is set to release on June 22 for PS5.
