Final Fantasy 16 Won't Be Open-World
Final Fantasy has undergone a lot of changes over the years, and it could be about to change again if Final Fantasy 16 ditches its open-world potential. From sprite art and turn-based combat to photogenic, smouldering, anime boys swinging big swords as fast and hard as they can, the series has changed a lot.
Still, Final Fantasy has maintained the spirit and heart of the games that made it such a phenomenon. Moving with the ages has been a huge benefit for the franchise, always stepping into what's popular and reinventing itself with each entry that fans seem to adore.
Even though some aren't happy with its handling of Final Fantasy 7 in recent years, it's still a pretty huge deal to see it return at all for Final Fantasy 16. And the open-world elements of the recent entries into the series have made it work nicely. But that's about to change.
Is Final Fantasy 16 Open-World?
It was probably safe to assume that the next in the Final Fantasy series would be an open-world romp, but it has since been revealed to not be. Producer Naoki Yoshida has instead confirmed that the title will operate with a focus on area-based design - giving off the feel of an open-world game without dedicating to the genre.
"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," says Yoshida.
Final Fantasy 16 Will Return To A "Classic Setting"
That's not all, though, as it looks like the next game in the Final Fantasy series will be paying homage to its past too. Speaking to Gamesradar, Yoshida also suggested that the team is "focusing on creating a setting reminiscent of the original Final Fantasy games, but then adding to this that real-time action that's more reminiscent of modern games."
It's an interesting suggestion that could lead the upcoming game to feel like a bridge between the past and the future - and we're looking forward to seeing how it works. Then again, open-world games are the norm these days. It's surely no coincidence that the likes of God of War, Breath of the Wild, and Elden Ring all share massive open-world backdrops and are held as some of the best games of all time. Final Fantasy 16 is guaranteed to be a juggernaut either way, but ditching an open-world setting? Bold move, Yoshida.
