Final Fantasy titles are known for their epic scale, spanning numerous regions and involving multiple factions. Final Fantasy 16 is no different. The world of Valisthea has six factions with distinct regions, hierarchies and Eikons. Despite this immense scale, producer Naoki Yoshida has confirmed that this is not an open-world title (though it does take inspiration from the more recent “triple-A open-world RPGs”).
Speaking to IGN, Yoshida said, “We’ve found in our extensive user research that many of the younger generation of gamers have never played a Final Fantasy or don’t have any interest in the series. To create a game that might excite and resonate not only with our core fans, but also with that new generation, we played a lot of games ourselves, and so yes, in [Final Fantasy 16] you’ll find inspiration from recent triple-A open-world RPGs.
“However, to bring a story that feels like it spans an entire globe and beyond, we decided to avoid an open world design that limits us to a single open-world space, and instead focus on an independent area-based game design that can give players a better feel of a truly ‘global’ scale.”
Given Yoshida’s experience with Final Fantasy 14, it should be interesting to see how extensive the globe-trotting adventure will be. More details on Final Fantasy 16’s world and story will be revealed this Fall so stay tuned.
Final Fantasy 16 is out next Summer for PS5. Thus far, party members are confirmed, though controlled by the AI, and Torgal, the wolf-pup from the first trailer, could help in combat. Eikon battles will also be fluid in their overall scale and situations. And though it won’t have as many “tributes” to the previous games like Final Fantasy 14, Yoshida has promised some Easter eggs for fans.