Within the PS5's September event was the rumored announcement of Final Fantasy 16, the next entry in the mainline series. Many were expecting a reveal soon, but players may have been surprised at what they witnessed. This upcoming Final Fantasy is in a lot of ways a return to form, but also something completely new. Returning to a traditional high fantasy setting, after years of futuristic fantasy stories from Final Fantasy 13 to Final Fantasy 15, was a welcome surprise.
Fans have one game to thank for this, a game that actually came out between Final Fantasy 13 and 15: Final Fantasy 14. Or perhaps more accurately A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy 14's revival and resurgence in popularity is one of gaming's best comeback stories. Final Fantasy 14's resurrection seems to have had a strong impact on Final Fantasy 16 in pivotal ways. In a lot of ways, Final Fantasy 16 is making a welcome return to the series' roots, while still attempting something brand new for the franchise.
Final Fantasy 14 Alumni Are Working on 16
The blatantly obvious reason why this is true is because Final Fantasy 14's director, Naoki Yoshida, is a producer on Final Fantasy 16. Alongside Yoshida is Hiroshi Takai, someone who's been working with the Final Fantasy franchise (and its many online endeavors) for years. Both are veterans of the development teams, but they both made pivotal impacts on the development of Final Fantasy 14's initial and A Realm Reborn re-release. Those responsible for one of the most popular MMOs to this day are now in charge of helming the mainline Final Fantasy franchise.
It's clear the enduring success of Final Fantasy 14 has spilled over into Final Fantasy 16's development. Many of the character scenes and some combat elements seem representative of Final Fantasy 15, but it's clear the overall aesthetic and tone has been deeply inspired by the success of Final Fantasy 14. How Yoshida and Takai's influences will spill over into Final Fantasy 16 remains to be seen, but as of right now it's clear the two are bringing their expertise into a fully singleplayer experience.
A More Mature, True-to-Roots Final Fantasy
Specifically the story in Final Fantasy 16 seems to be taking on a more traditional setting and narrative, more akin to that of Final Fantasy games prior to the fifth entry. The same setting was largely the goal of Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 11 before it, to create an MMO in the most traditional Final Fantasy worlds. That means more Dragoons, more Chocobos, more castles, more Moogles, and more political intrigue. Blood feuds between nations, and knights fighting large scale battles seem to be the norm in this world of Final Fantasy.
Some have even made references to Game of Thrones in Final Fantasy 16's trailer, which isn't too far off base. The game seems to be setting itself up for a mature fantasy setting, with plenty of gore and violence among warring kingdoms. A lot of these characters and concepts are stemming from Final Fantasy 14's inspiration, but the game still seems to be wholly its own. There obviously won't be as much character freedom like an MMO, as the game's story seems to be centered around two playable warriors, but the overall dark tone is there. There's talk of murder, protecting noblemen, and child princes turning into Final Fantasy's iconic summons.
Returning to Tradition is Good for Final Fantasy 16
A chance to return to Final Fantasy's roots, whilst also building a unique and mature story, can only be good for Final Fantasy. Some of the more recent Final Fantasy games have been riding the wave of futuristic/sci-fi fantasy that was pioneered by Final Fantasy 6/7 for a while. In a way, Final Fantasy 16 is essentially playing the more modernized role of what Final Fantasy 9 achieved back in 2000. Final Fantasy 16 reflects a clear desire to return to what Final Fantasy always was initially, a desire that's been echoed by fans for a long time.
Whereas a Final Fantasy MMO basically is required to stick to the series' conventions, mainline Final Fantasy games have been far from traditional for the last decade. With the exception of Final Fantasy 14, every subsequent mainline entry has been heavily focused on the sci-fi fantasy worlds of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the Fabula Nova Crystallis games. While it is possible that Final Fantasy 16 could harken back to Fabula Nova Crystallis, it's already made clear from the trailer that this game will be very different from its predecessors.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development as a timed exclusive for PS5.