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Final Fantasy 16 is the newest installment to the long-standing fantasy RPG series, which takes players to the land of Valisthea as Clive Rosfield. As we near the title’s release next week, there’s still a lot to unpack in terms of the PS5 exclusive’s narrative and gameplay. Trailers for the new entry showcase action-packed combat and stunning visuals, but many potential players are now wondering: Is Final Fantasy 16 going to feature an open world structure?
It seems that hopeful franchise fans might not get exactly what they asked for, but Final Fantasy 16 will deliver a rich world, nonetheless. Game producer Naoki Yoshida has spoken at length about what kind of world structure we can expect to see in Final Fantasy 16, in addition to the new title’s narrative and playable characters. Let’s cover the details.
- Pre-order to receive bonus content: Gil Boost Accessory: Cait Sith Charm and Bonus Weapon: Braveheart
- Titanic Clashes – When rival Dominants come head to head, epic battles between their Eikons ensue
- Eikonic Action – Clive utilizes the powers of multiple Eikons in breakneck battle
- English (Subtitle)
Will Final Fantasy XVI Be Open World?
Final Fantasy 16 will not feature an open world. Instead, there will be various locations to unlock and explore from a centralized area. While this news is sure to disappoint those who were hoping to receive an open world structure within the Final Fantasy franchise, game producer Naoki Yoshida reassures fans that there’s still plenty to see and do in the new entry, which instead places an emphasis on a major hub location.
In a deep dive interview with Square Enix, Yoshida went into detail about the decision to forgo an open world format in Final Fantasy 16. The game producer cites the new title’s narrative as the primary reason that he and other developers opted to give potential players a location in which they could stock up on everything they need, then venture out into larger areas within the world of Valisthea.
We wanted to create an adventure that takes the characters all over the world, a story of saving the world. So, if you have a game where you work your way through different areas rather than around an open world game, you need some kind of hub area.
By making this a base with RPG features, where you can stock up on gear and buy various items, it made sense that you would go out on adventures to lots of different locations from this place. That’s why we went with this format.
Naoki Yoshida (Producer)
Yoshida and the game’s art director, Hiroshi Minagawa, went on to say that developing this hub location was a particular challenge when working on Final Fantasy 16. Referred to as the Hideaway, the hub is extremely intricate, promising much to do and see all within the game’s central area.
Fortunately, it seems that Final Fantasy 16 will certainly make up for what it lacks in total freedom by instead offering players a home base of sorts. In this way, the game melds elements of a guided structure and an open world by providing a central space to acquire everything you’ll need before setting out on your adventure as Clive. We’re eager to see exactly how this will play out when Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 22.
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