There are few games in 2023 that are as anticipated asFinal Fantasy 16. The emergence of a new mainline entry in the beloved Square Enix series is cause forexcitement among all JRPG fans, andFinal Fantasyhas continued to dominate since 1987. Still, not all titles are as beloved as the rest, and the mixed reception toFinal Fantasy 15may have spurred the developer to go back to its medieval roots with the next entry.
Clive, Joshua, and Jill’s journey seems to be more grounded and serious than the road trip that Noctis and friends took in 2016.Valisthea looks closer to Westerosthan Eos, and the characters that inhabit the land are surely going to feel different from those who dwell in Galdin Quay and Lestallum. As was evident in the “Awakening” trailer, some equivalent to classes will be at the forefront of the story given a fight with a Dragoon features. With the gritter tone this time around, Square Enix can’t abandon the identity that each class has both on a visual level and with the abilities they exhibit.
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Final Fantasy 16’s Art Direction Can’t Abandon the Diversity of Classes
A big reason why fans attach toFinal Fantasyis the comfortable expectations with each new release. An unlikely hero, a stellar soundtrack, and engaging battle mechanics are customary, and the latter often relies on each character having traits and abilities that categorize them into a specific job or class. Those classes help to maintain balance in combat, and give players the chance to strategize about how to best dispatch an enemy.Final Fantasy 16has the opportunity to adhere to this philosophy that has worked for years, but in a bid to be unique it could dampen their impact on the gameplay and worldbuilding.
Each controls differently and can alter the course of a fight, but it’s the way they look that stands out the most.Final Fantasy 16seems to have characters that conform to conventional class roles, but the world they call home and the tone of the story may mean they don’t don the iconic outfits that classes have become known for. This would be a shame, as these provide players a big visual aid about what they are proficient in, and how they approach combat.
Past Final Fantasy Games Have Integrated Classes With Grace
Final Fantasy 14, while featuring a sprawling story set across plenty of locationswith different styles and tones, knew the importance of making classes feel different akin to past games. Dragoon armor is immediately recognizable, as is the Monk, and the storytelling and immersion is not affected at all. It’s comforting, then, thatFinal Fantasy 16is being worked on by Hiroshi Minagawa, who helped to make the MMO what it is today.
Final Fantasy 7’s materiais iconic, but made it harder to know which characters were more suited to what role. It was far clearer with the NES games andFinal Fantasy 6and9that integrated them in a more obvious way.Final Fantasy 16being darker, more grounded, and less playful doesn’t mean characters can’t have presentational quirks so that their classes are immediately apparent. There is a balance that has to be achieved to ensure that the new setting of Valisthea won’t have much of an impact on the visual flourishes of each iconic class.
Final Fantasy 16launches June 22 for PS5.
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