Final Fantasy 16: Every Confirmed And Leaked Detail We Know

5. A Return To A Fantasy Setting

FFXVI thumb
Square-Enix

Judging from the admittedly limited scope of the trailer, Final Fantasy XVI will see the series return to a more traditional swords 'n' sorcery fantasy setting - the first time a single player game in the mainline series has done so since 2006's Final Fantasy XII (XIII was split between a futuristic corridor and a big field, and who the f*ck knows what XV was supposed to be. It had a flying car.).

When asked in a 2019 interview at the Paris Fan Festival what he'd like to see from the future of the series, Yoshida replied: "a Final Fantasy that is straightforward fantasy, one that doesn’t have much machinery, and with no mecha in it." Given he's now been revealed as XVI's producer, the pivot back to a style familiar to old-school fans makes perfect sense.

But does this mean there'll be no airships? Unlikely: they featured in all the steadfastly Luddite early titles, powered by propellers and chocobos rather than petrol and turbo jets.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.