After a long wait, especially with the temptations they have thrown through trailers and screenshots that are pleasing to the eye, the release of Final Fantasy XVI is finally in sight. There are so many reasons to look forward to this one series, both in terms of audio and visual presentation, gameplay that has a strong sense of action, to super dark stories with interesting stories. We ourselves have try out at least 4 hours of gameplay via an event held by Playstation Asia in Seoul, South Korea with a strong positive impression. Even better news? We had the opportunity to chat with the brains behind it.
Together with several other Southeast Asian media, we had the opportunity to chat directly with Hiroshi Takai (Game Director) and Michael-Christopher Koji Fox (Localization Director) regarding Final Fantasy XVI. Of course, there is a variety of information that we have always asked about because of accumulated curiosity, which, fortunately, was also answered quite straightforwardly by Takai-san and Koji Fox openly.
So, what are the latest information we got from them regarding Final Fantasy XVI? Here he is:
JP: My first question was actually for Koji-san. This is my first Final Fantasy series where rants like “You cock!” and some “F” words just pop out of nowhere. How do you go about pushing this but at the same time keep it from feeling excessive, especially when compared to the later Japanese translation?
Koji-Fox: When we first made this game, we first determined the age rating we wanted to pursue later. Moreover, as we know, all previous Final Fantasy series have always come with an “E” or “Teen” rating. But with Final Fantasy XVI, Takai-san and Maehiro-san have a story to tell, one that doesn’t want to be limited by age ratings anymore. From it are born stories that feel real and mature, coming from a world full of war and violence. And trying to “force” all the characters to speak in a beautiful and polite language, of course, is irrational. Strong language is something that happens naturally.
That said, we don’t want to overdo it either. In the end, it becomes a matter of which character will have this characteristic of coarse language or what kind of situation it will come out of. For example, a character like Jill will not swear much in the game because that is her character. But when suddenly Jill starts talking dirty, then you can also feel that the situation is serious. Finding a balance and making sure it is executed in the right situations, harsh words can also make gamers feel related because the characters speak like them.
Other media: There are many who say that Final Fantasy XVI is clearly inspired by Game of Thrones. Is the team itself really inspired by various other fantasy media?
Takai-san: We really wanted to present a dark fantasy concept like Game of Thrones, so it’s clear that inspiration came from there – an adult fantasy story that feels realistic. As for other fantasy media? It seems difficult to lock it down to just one. Our team consists of people who like fantasy stories, from film, literature, manga, anime, to tokusatsu. So, everyone has different things they like and their contributions make it difficult to determine where the inspiration for a specific scene will come from.
Meanwhile from the battle system, one of the things that really inspired us where Clive could modify his various skills based on the existing Eikon system was the Jobs system in Final Fantasy V.
Other media: Are there many Eikon battle experiments that the team has gone through and ended up failing to be included in the final version?
Takai-san: Speaking of which, apparently not. We managed to fit in what we all wanted. But once again, at the time of determining what the battle between one Eikon and another Eikon will be, we pay close attention to the situation. What is going on in the story, why are these two Eikon fighting, who is actually in the middle of a dispute, where will the fight take place, and how will he be executed. But one rule we stick to is to make sure each of these fights feels different from one another.
For example, the battle between Phoenix and Ifrit. We have determined from the start that in this story, players will control Phoenix. How do we do it? Considering that Phoenix can fly, let’s make it a shooting arena. The core idea of the battle between Eikon occurred in the very early development process.
JagatPlay: Square Enix has shared a lot of information regarding Final Fantasy XVI over the past year. Has the team never been worried that this information is in an “oversharing” state and that this game might lose its appeal later?
Takai-san: Of course. I am often asked by the staff, “haven’t we shared too much information already?”. But we also understand that in today’s era, where there are so many games popping up, we also have to get gamers interested in choosing and playing Final Fantasy XVI. We have to show what’s in the game, what we’ve created. Even though this is also a difficult decision, we have to work closely with our promotion team to make sure gamers don’t look at other products.
If we keep Final Fantasy XVI secret too much, gamers will actually be confused about whether this is the game for them or not. Of course we still have a lot of things that haven’t been shown to the public, especially on the story side. Even though we’ve shown a lot of scenes, there’s still a lot you don’t know about the plot. So we are sure that gamers will still be able to get excitement when they taste Final Fantasy XVI.
Other media: Are there side quests that will affect the main story of Final Fantasy XVI? Like branching for example?
Takai-san: Side-quests will have absolutely no effect on the main story. So regardless of whether you want to complete the existing side quests or not, there will be no effect. Even so, side quests will still provide a deeper understanding of the world or characters. So diving into the main story by completing side quests and without completing side quests will present a different sensation. Because you will understand roughly how specific characters think or why they take certain actions. So even though it’s not necessary, this side story will still make the main story feel more enjoyable and understandable.
Later you will also meet special types of side quests, for example those that end up opening stronger weapon and gear recipes for example. Which of course will help you in the main story. Again not necessary, but will make your trip easier later. You will not be penalized for not completing side quests at all.
Final Fantasy XVI itself will be released on June 22, 2023 for the Playstation 5.
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