5 Things We'd Like to See in the Next 'Final Fantasy'

Final Fantasy XIII-2 might only be just a few days old, but even before its announcement, or perhaps even once gamers started seeing footage of its predecessor Final Fantasy XIII, fans were already looking toward the future. Yes, there are elements contained within the world of 13 and 13-2 that bare some resemblance to the Final Fantasy of yesteryear, but only marginally so. It seems like based on the trajectory of this franchise, Square Enix better be gearing up for a drastic overhaul, and we thought we'd help them with a few choice suggestions. Granted, there is still Final Fantasy Versus XIII along with a rumor that Final Fantasy XIII-3 is on the way, but we're talking about a true Final Fantasy follow-up – basically Final Fantasy XV. So without further ado, here are our top five things we hope to see in the next Final Fantasy. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Open World

5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Open World

It is definitely the most obvious choice for Square Enix, but it's also one that wasn't featured in Final Fantasy XIII, and drastically changed that game's experience for the worse. Without the sense of exploration, without being able to adventure or converse in every area, the densely populated world of the game loses a lot of its life. Gran Pulse in FFXIII was sort of what we were looking for, but without towns to talk to strangers and learn their story, it felt like a cheap way to cut corners, and made the game extremely straight forward. Picking up unique items and encountering special bosses is something that RPGs have always used to keep players leveling until they max out. They provide incentives to play more, and to explore, and keep the player in check but not allowing them to feel like they're unbeatable. We're not saying make it open-world like Skyrim, but just create a handful of areas with enough activities to do, and it will give players a better understanding of the world they are inhabiting. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Single Hero

5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Single Hero

It could be argued that some characters featured in the past two Final Fantasy propers do hearken back to the androgynous protagonists of early Final Fantasy titles, but typically it's an ensemble affair, with many characters taking the role of the "lead" and not one person standing out that much further than the other. For Final Fantasy XV though, we'd like to experience a story where the main character, or the player, is once again that central figure that Cloud, Squall, or Cecil were. Of course there's some room for interpretation, and some contemporization, but how about a main character that has an out there hair style, a larger-than-life sword, and who never leaves the party? Characters like these transcend a singular property and become icons of Final Fantasy the brand. If nothing else it would certainly do well for the marketing of Final Fantasy XV. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - CG Cutscenes

5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - CG Cutscenes

Part of what blew gamers away back when the first PlayStation hit was its ability to render some extremely impressive cut scenes, highlighted most notably by those contained in Final Fantasy VII. Though they were few and far between, those pre-rendered CG cutscenes were moments to catch one's breath after a particularly challenging battle, and a chance to see the Square designers really flex their artistic muscles. Since then, Final Fantasy, and games in general, have tried to blend in-game graphics with cut scenes -- with a few opportunities for CG mixed in -- and that works to some degree, but ultimately doesn't capture Final Fantasy. Think about Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, a fan service film that was essentially one long cut scene, and how well it satisfied fans' need for visual splendor. Sure, interactivity might be important at certain points, but just setting the controller down and basquing in some beautiful graphics is part of what makes Final Fantasy great. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Paradigm Plus Combat

5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Paradigm Plus Combat

It isn't a JRPG without the turn-based combat, but over the years significant improvements have been made, and that's one of the few things we hope Square Enix pulls from Final Fantasy XIII for future generations. The use of the paradigm system, combined with a more traditional turn-based approach is enough to keep gamers from getting bored, while still giving options. Having a little greater control over team mates would definitely be a plus, and also giving players the option to play without paradigms and designating party members one or two roles will help keep older fans who want deeper combat and greater control pleased. Combat in Final Fantasy XIII was fast furious, and helped teach newcomers the basics of not just attacking and healing, but buffing/debuffing and tank management. These might not have been as important with less sophisticated AI, but for the new generation of RPGs, these are skills every player should have a competent understanding of. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Cooperative Play

5 Things for Next Final Fantasy - Cooperative Play

Although it works in direct opposition to our suggestion of a central protagonist, we figure if those days are gone, how about completely moving in a new direction – one with multiplayer. Having a co-op experience in Final Fantasy would definitely be a challenge given the length it takes to complete each game, and the amount of freedom that is given to the player, but if done right it could be the closest thing to an MMO without all the MMO tropes. The Old Republic promised it, but it couldn't quite deliver without padding content and game time, but if Final Fantasy XV can let me get together with a few of my friends and every now and again progress a little further in our own journey, that extends the lifespan of the title, and adds a community element to those intense boss fights. There is a lot to consider logistically in order to pull such an ambitious idea off, but when a game has a party system, you'd hope one days those other players would be real. 5 Things for Next Final Fantasy

It's tough to single out just what should go into the next Final Fantasy, but these five choices seem like the perfect jumping off points, by themselves, for making a game that pays homage to its predecessors and delivers entertainment. Sometimes in order to keep things from getting stale, a developer needs to branch out and experiment, but typically there are core elements fans are expecting for each iteration, just look at The Legend of Zelda. Final Fantasy XV might not even be in the cards based on the way things are going with the franchise, but we certainly hope that is not the case. And if Square Enix does choose to wipe the slate clean, we hope they take a few, if not all, of our suggestions when starting development. What would you like to see change/return in the next Final Fantasy? Is it time for the series to completely evolve into something more action-based or are its older core elements part of the appeal?

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dre 1 year ago

Gotta disagree with the paradigm system. I hated it. It felt like a techy way to shoe-horn characters into roles. I liked having people with unique skill-sets. I didn’t mind turn-based combat, since I grew up on all the original RPGs…
What I really loved was the free-roam (somewhat) system FF XII had. Combine that with more unique character abilities than that game had, and I think I would be very pleased.

But I agree with the rest, actually. This is a good list, and I’d look forward to see changes (as I’m a fan who has slowly come to really dislike the way S-E does business these days).

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Jared 1 year ago

Great list and valid points, but I’m hoping for sometime in the near future for some-type of continuation to the ff8 or ff7 story line.

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- Somebody 1 year ago
  
  Hasn’t 7 continued enough? With the latest in the chronology DoC, SE showed it was out of ideas to continue the story. 8 on the other hand there’s nothing you can continue, everybody lived happily ever after, it ended with a cheesy song in the background. It’s 9 the one that needs to continue, many things are left hanging.
  
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Motosyko 1 year ago

I’d love to read this article, but no matter what I do, it redirects to some irritating ad for Elsword or World of Tanks. These ads play over and over with an endless loop.

No skip button either. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come on this site.

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- Rob Keyes 1 year ago
  
  We’re noticing it too – working on a fix.
  
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- Rob Keyes 1 year ago
  
  Should be good to go. Disabled the ads on these lists.
  
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Jecn 1 year ago

i wish would see a continuation of ff7 or even a remake of it for this gen of game systems…that game is what pulled me into gaming hardcore and is still imo the best game of all time…that being said..square enix really has dropped the ball with the whole series…everyone used to look forward to ff like how everyone does for the newest call of duty or even the hype for ME3(which is deserved)…i miss how f-ed up cloud was and every character you meet (esp cid)…the newer ff titles have completely lost that whole charm..every game that has as many sequels as ff eventually does but if they stop and take in what has actually worked in the past and combine it with what works now too the could have a title that would rival what the mass effect series has become…a whole interactive compelling storyline that takes every decision that you make into account..so square enix the answer is right there in front of you…catch up with what is going on around you and try to take it to the next level becuz the name final fantasy isnt carrying the wieght it once did

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- termina723 1 year ago
  
  Please don’t tell jrpgs to move in the direction of those crap western style rpgs. The reason the jrpg genre is dying now is because the majority of “hardcore” gamers dont even know the first meaning of hardcore gaming. We (the real hardcore gamers) are being overshadowed by these wannabe Mass Effect and Call of Duty and bull crap “hardcore gamers”! Games in general have lost their magic (almost literally) over the years because of these stupid graphic whores who care more about how pretty a game is or how many things there are in the game instead of innovation, game play, puzzle and level design, compelling stories (yes I said compelling stories because I havent seen an rpg with a decent story since FFX and Kingdom Hearts, this doesn’t include the Kingdom Hearts series since each game continues the same story), and a strong world for the series to keep hold in. Unfortunately we are not gonna get these fun things anymore unless game developers actually listen to the actual hardcore and not the FPS……”people”.
  
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Ethron 1 year ago

I agree Final Fantasy is straying a bit from what made it magical back in the day.

1. Freedom – yes please, I miss world maps of old. XII did a good job of connecting the world as a large, continuous beast. And X and XIII had a nice looking world, but how amazing would it have been to be able to jump in the airship in any of those titles, and actually control where it went. Trying to get to places that are blocked off, finding places that aren’t, it helps make an RPG feel real and immersive.

2. Single protagonist… yes, I can dig it. I can also dig the everyone’s important a la VI and XIII… the problem is, you need a big, very very well developed cast, and to do away with garbage features such as Game Over when a party leader dies. Also, the paradigm system needs to go, or to be modified to work as an ATB where you can control all party members in menu style combat, else it feels like a clash of main character vs everybody’s equal. It’s especially nonsensical with the party leader game over.

3. CG Cutscenes. Yes please. More. Even XIII felt a little… I don’t know, flat when it came to certain things. I think it’s the environments. Character focus was really good. But something about the CG in VII, VIII, IX, and X… seemed more gritty and detailed art wise. Love the CG.

4. Paradigm system… I didn’t care for it. Honestly, I’m sick and tired of missing traditional turn based RPG’s. I don’t want to think lightning fast every battle.(no pun intended) I don’t want to have to hit autobattle and let AI figure out what’s best for me just to procure a star rating. I don’t even want a star rating. I just want to see fresh interpretations of a solid battle system that doesn’t try so hard to an action game. I’m not playing Final Fantasy to be an action game. I’m playing it to be an RPG. Period.

5. Multiplayer final fantasy? Doesn’t sound very good. Perhaps optional character control, like in VI. I’m not interested in a co-op story or MMO play. Final Fantasy is about heroes, saving the world. I want to feel like that hero immersed so irrevocably that my very existence is defined by the details of the story and characters that unfold around me.

6. Other things I miss… traditional style limit breaks/overdrives with cool weapon skills, treasure chests, inns and towns, many optional areas to explore, unlimited character growth which at no point denies progression, ESPECIALLY on a single player rpg… and an emersive story that doesn’t pretend to be complex by offering a great story outline and terms to mask it’s lack of details and smaller amounts of events, twists, and turns. I want a believable, deep, and complex story and character progression, with so much information portrayed in both the acting in scenes, npc’s, and even objects that can be examined in rooms, that I have to sit and think about all the connections, until I make wildly likely deductions that aren’t said directly, but can be figured out through clues and with deductive logic to make interesting discoveries and connections.

We’ve had all these things before. Lets see them again…

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Juggins 1 year ago

I totally agree with this article. I feel like ever since X the fans have just been waiting for a game that they haven’t gotten in a long time. I love XIII and I’m currenty playing XIII-2, but I have longed for that VII remake with PS3 graphics ever since the PS3 was released. No one had anything bad to say about the Playstation Final Fantasys because there wasn’t anything to complain about.

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Josh 1 year ago

Final Fantasy 7 was my only best game in my life and the end of FF Series. After FF8 and later wasn’t for me anymore, I don’t know how did it happened.

My wish is that I need Square Enix to remake Final Fantasy 7. It’ll be one of a great magical experiences! That is all.

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Starscream 1 year ago

Love 13 and 13-2. Also love the older titles, well except for 8. That was terrible. 7 was just OK. I don’t know why people get so crazy about a game where the chief villain is just a mama’s boy but to each their own. 4 and 9 are the best in the series and I’d love to see re-makes…but I also like that they are modernizing their combat systems and such. I will agree, however, that more open world content is needed.

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james 1 year ago

Honestly i want a remake on all the final fantasy titles The series needs a reboot because the The Cut-scenes were not as real as they could be now. I would love to see a bunch of characters life sized and not blocky or sprites. Another thing I want to add Do not remake ff7,reason why I understand it’s a fan favorite(And its the crowd favorite because it’s story and epic characters and stood out for it’s iconic protagonist and antagonist Ie. Sepaoroth* and cloud). me personally i would prefer a remake of the first one and 8 i mean how amazing would it of been to see characters life sized of squall and his gang i would think it would be epic. Beside that ff7 you get your remake but only on the ps4 fair is fair you had a damn film about your trilogy be happy you got that! Me personally i would like a remake of ff9 why, because i am a fan boy of it sue me for liking one in particular. But The ones i suggested would be awesome and i am talken about the ff from NES how epic would it be ill tell you the original gave you the option of characters your team can be throughout your adventure and you can’t change it which provides awesome challenge and multiple play quality’s like could you image having all black mages and one white mage or even better a team full of sages. And you cant say you wouldn’t like to revisit the actual game that started it all in full form graphics of today i know i WOULD! Well that’s my thought of how the ff series should go but its only a wish most likely they will keep going with this story or make a hole new fantasy.

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JoelH 1 year ago

I personally can’t stand the new FFs. I miss the old retro RPGs with the turn based, large worlds, many towns, etc. That’s what made the adventure of the game so fun and appealing – you were exploring a world you’d end up saving. I had fallen out of the series since FFVIII – and as with others on here, FFVII was my favorite by far. Other titles I’ve grown to love in this genre include: Tales of Heroes (excluding Trails in the Sky), the Lunar series, The Tales series (not the same as the Tales of Heroes), Breath of Fire 1 – 4, The Golden Sun series (One of the best games ever on the GBA) and the Suikoden series (Well mostly just Suikoden 1 – 3).

My favorite game of all time is a tie between FFVII and Suikoden II. They were just…magnificent. I miss titles like those. Games you get so engrossed in you want to actually know what happens in the story – and after. I was sorely disappointed with FFXIII and have since strayed from the series.

What’d I’d like to see back is pretty much everything on that list – except the co-op…I really don’t see that being workable. Mostly because of all the time I actually SPEND on RPGs, co-op wouldn’t work for me, lol. I haven’t bought any current RPGs on any of the current Gen systems since the PS2 and PSP – currently I get my RPG fix on my PSP.

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Sean "BlackJoker" P. 1 year ago

I agree on all but the Paradigm+ Combat. . . At first(when I was Naive) I liked it. When I got to last Boss I stop and headed over to my girlfriends house were she was playing FF7 and watching her the One Wing Angel and having to really quickly plan each of her moves out because she was not max out level like I was when I killed him I notice something. . . when I played the entire FF13 game I only hit in every battle Auto attack. . . Its pretty much like “Attack” in FF7 its when you don’t have MP or you have no other choice. OF coarse I would hit the switch role button here and there because like in WoW You need a tank a healer and DPS. But I only had to worry about myself so it was dps dps dps. . . Aka auto attack. The last boss was really easy in FF13 and I watch my girlfriend die 2 times before she beat The one Wing Angel(FF7). She got better with each go. When the last boss in FF13 it was just slow-ish(but easy). I used fang because she had slow(on the boss)a healer role(Hope) and Lightning… After opening my eyes to that I really didn’t like that system. I don’t like the Paradigm+ Combat system as what it is now. If they can blend the way it feels with traditional FF games I think it might work out better. For example. . . I want to control my party. Impossible though on how its currently set up.

I think Final Fantasy as a Franchise is getting worse. Ever since Hironobu Sakaguchi left the company and that merge happen between Enix Corp. But thats just my opinion. Im old fashion when it comes to Final Fantasy but I know if they become a little bit more creative they can introduce new things while still keeping what Made Final Fantasy BIG in the first place. Some of those things are in the article like Cut scenes and free roam for example. Also I really didn’t get in depth with any of the characters in 13. . . kind of found them annoying on how they were created(Personality wise) We have Snow who is so overly Dramatic”Im a Hero” crap and Vanille who I really think is lesbian for Fang. Lightning reminds me of the Silent but protective female version of cloud. They really need to work on the XV. But I would really like them to try and create a new (Fresh) RPG sort of how Hironobu Sakaguchi did with “Lost Odyssey” That game is a really good traditional turn based RPG game. Also you can never level above a boss so it keeps each boss challenging in its own way. When a Boss was to hard in the older FF games I would Grind level until I over powered them. There is more depth with the characters in Lost Odyssey as well but to get into it be ready to read a lot.

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lehahiah 1 year ago

Loved free roaming on 12, and I was was really hoping for something closer to that when the first 13 came out. Customozation was much wider, and it got rid of the the whole random encounter thing,the combat was free and you could switch who the leader was, and i didn’t necessarily like the paradigm system in 13. My thoughts are in what i would have like is for the combat I have three ways to go about this

1.Similar to 12
2.complete turnbased like the older series
3.somewhat action based like the kingdom hearts series but able to switch between characters

this is not in any particular order, and I know there might be some that liked 13 as i did, but I still feel like it was a step back even though many people say they don’t like 12.

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- nico 11 months ago
  
  i loved final fantasy 7 8 9 10 and 12 alot of people criticize 12 for its combat system but i thourghly enjoyed pending hours grinding and trying to find the best gambits for each person i have over 200 hours played mainly because the yiazmat and the hell wyrm took a very long time to beat but i miss the old ways of havingto grind tons of levels and get crazy weapons and damage breaking items to be able to beat some of the super bosses like shinryu the yiazmat ozma and the weapons from final fantasy 7 i felt when i played 13 and 13 2 that they were to easy ther wasnt any challenge to hitting auto battle to beat these bosses yes their were super bosses but i didnt feel like i had to do hours of grinding to go beat them i was able to beat that bird scythe no poblem and the long gui wasnt overly diffcult either incomparison to some super bosses of yester year also the charchter deolpment in 13 seemed lame mind 12 wasnt that much better other then baltheir who is epic
  
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Pr0digy 1 year ago

FFXIII didn’t need a free roam type area, remember please, that they had a limited time to complete their focus or our precious Lightning would be turned into the embodiment of forever alone.

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Pr0digy 1 year ago

7 this 7 that, sephiroth died, cloud saves the world, end, no more, no continuation or anything. If anyone else noticed (i did) cloud probably complains more than Hope and with less reason, Hope’s mom died, Cloud is just pathetic

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- Furb 11 months ago
  
  Cloud’s mum was killed by Sephiroth, and his village destroyed. He was then used as a test-subject afterwards. Then his best friend dies. I think he has a reason.
  
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Pr0digy 1 year ago

These developer teams work for months (years even) developing a product for your pleasure, and you form a site just to critique it. What is wrong with you? I can understand it if the problems are just terrible (Skyrim’s PS3 Lag Bug for instance) but if its a good game and people are complaining about it because it’s not up to their personal snuff then that’s their problem. Give the developers a break they do good work.

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tag 1 year ago

I think hater’s might whip around soon once they see Final Fantasy 7 remake though.

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nico 11 months ago

fnal fantasy 8 and 10 remake would be awsome as well 9 dosent need a remake i like that it has a classic final fantasy 1 and 2 kind of feel to it i found it to pay homage to many classic rpgs i would like to see a remake for chrono trigger and chrono cross though that would be sick

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Biertje 8 months ago

I remember playing FF V together with my brother, multiplayer. I controlled two characters in battle, and he controlled two. That was great fun, though only one person could do the walking

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anon 2 months ago

I want true turn based, gambits are ok if they bring them back.
and i want all my party members fighting at once not just 3.

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