For the longest time, theFinal Fantasyfranchise was stuck in a bit of a rut. With the ending of theFinal Fantasy 13trilogy, it would be a long time beforeFinal Fantasy 15would eventually release to fans. That’s without even counting the death and rebirth of theFinal Fantasy 14MMO, which was in and of itself a rollercoaster of game development. However, that rollercoaster and ultimate success ofFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Rebornwould lead to the creation of the upcomingFinal Fantasy 16, which has already impressed several fans. Couple that with the previously improbableFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, and Square Enix has a bright future ahead.
Lately,Final Fantasyfans have been eating real well, with bothFinal Fantasy 7 Remakefinally released and the reveal ofFinal Fantasy 16in September. Both games,Final Fantasy 16as well as the second episode ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, are on the way for PS5 in the future as well. There’s a lot to look forward to for the evergreen JRPG franchise, for both of the signature camps in theFinal Fantasyfanbase. Those looking for the sci-fi fantasy get to play the legendaryFinal Fantasy 7reimagined, while medieval fantasy fans can jump into theGame of Thrones-likeFinal Fantasy 16in a few years time.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Continues To Appease Sci-Fi Fans
For those in the sci-fi fantasy camp,Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s already proven itself as one of the best offerings from the franchise recently. WhileFinal Fantasy 15had its own merits,Final Fantasy 7 Remakeintelligently reimagined the original game into an action-RPG thatimproved upon15’s combat considerably. Melding some of the strategic elements from the original’s turn-based combat into a unique action-hybrid system made fighting a very interesting middle-ground for fans. Pair that with expanding the depth of the originalFinal Fantasy 7’s plot (and in some cases, adding more original content), andFinal Fantasy 7Remakesets itself up for success.
Plus, the legacy of the original already gave the game a ton of momentum, and the development team ran with it. Even if some of the new story content may not vibe well with diehard fans of the original, there’s stillplenty to come forFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s next episodes.Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis a rare case in that the expectations of what’s coming in the “sequel” are actually warranted. While the remake has changed some story details, for the most part it’s remained true to the original game, and thus means subsequent episodes will still largely follow the original narrative. Overall,Final Fantasy 7 Remakewill have a sustained hype moving into its second episode.
Final Fantasy 16 Finally Brings Medieval Back to the Mainline Series
Then there’sFinal Fantasy 16, which is clearly appealing to the fanbase looking for a more traditional medieval fantasy setting. Taking on a similar role ofFinal Fantasy 9, though executing in a very different manner,Final Fantasy 16is bringing the franchise back to its rootsthrough a very different method. Warring nations, elements of political intrigue, all of the trappings of a classicFinal FantasyJRPG are being wrapped up in a modernized,Game of Thrones-style setting. Plus, similar toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 16is once again iterating on an action-based combat system with formerDevil May CryandDragon’s Dogmadesigner Ryota Suzuki.
Much of this newFinal Fantasyproject is building off the massive success ofFinal Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, which also appeals to the classic medieval style ofFinal Fantasyin its MMO format. Considering the game still boasts over 20 million registered players, the classical medieval setting is clearly something that’s been sorely missed from mainlineFinal Fantasyfor a long time. There’s only beentidbits of gameplay shared ofFinal Fantasy 16, but from what’s been shown so far and the positive reaction from fans and media alike, the game will certainly scratch that medieval itch. Even among its sci-fi fantasy counterpart, which could release in a similar time frame,Final Fantasy 16will excel on its own.
All Final Fantasy Fans Win This Generation
Either way, this isthe first timeFinal Fantasyhas ever really double-dippedon two vastly different singleplayer experiences.Final Fantasy 14:A Realm Reborndid release in the same year thatLightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13did, but those were two fundamentally different games.Final Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakereleasing potentially within a year of each other is much closer than any other release plan for the franchise previously. It’s a nice change of pace between the three years of silence betweenLightning ReturnsandFinal Fantasy 15, even longer without counting the manyFinal Fantasy 13sequels.
Both camps of theFinal Fantasyfanbase have a lot to look forward to in the coming years. Assuming neither of these games gets delayed significantly, this may be the shortest amount of time between two huge singleplayerFinal Fantasygame releases.
