Final Fantasy 16has a setting and tone unlike anything the series has seen before. The games are well-versed in high fantasy, and past titles have always contained a bit more whimsy and playfulness. However, this entry takes a more gritty and grounded approach to its castles and kingdoms, and it’s not difficult to determine what that tonal shift is inspired by.
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The development team behind Final Fantasy 16 has never shied away from the fact that their game is inspired byGame of Thrones. From its settings and characters to the way it approaches certain plot points, here’s everything that Final Fantasy 16 draws from the series.
7The Main Character
We’ll start with the big one: Clive Rosfield, the latest in a historic line ofFinal Fantasy protagonists, is pretty much Jon Snow. Well, he’s more like an amalgamation of most of the prominent Stark men.
He’s got Ned Stark’s sense of duty and honor, Rob’s military mind and battle prowess, and he’s even a bit like Bran, possessing misunderstood and mystical potential. And he’s got a direwolf-sized pet dog to boot.
But also, he’s a downtrodden former member of royalty who’s despised by his mother, overcomes a massive tragedy that robs him of his family, gets shipped off to join a platoon of soldiers that he never wanted to fight for, and winds up being the key to linking everyone’s storylines together. Oh, and he and his primary love interest wield fire and ice, respectfully.
6The Setting
While Clive’s characterization may feel a bit straightforward, the actual setting of Valisthea is where the Game of Thrones influence truly shines. HBO’s fantasy epic managed to capture a particular bleak harshness that feels fitting for a world like this, and Final Fantasy 16 has done an admirable job matching this, making the game truly feel likeplaying Game of Thrones in video game form.
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Not only is Valisthea a hostile setting at the best of times, but it’s also home to a number of different kingdoms and warring nations. The conflicts and agendas of these different factions are varied and interesting, and it’s clear that the struggle for power is very much inspired by the political turmoil that gives Game of Thrones its name.
5The Worldbuilding Approach
Final Fantasy games are never afraid to tell complex and layered stories, but even compared to past titles in the series, the lore established in Final Fantasy 16is astoundingly deep. The extent that Square Enix is willing to go to establish Valisthea as a living, breathing realm rivals some of gaming’s most lore-rich titles.
The game drops you into the center of a world that already has its rules and relationships established, much like Game of Thrones and other similar fantasy properties that have inspired it.
What makes Final Fantasy 16’s lore go to the next level is the Active Time Lore system, allowing you to pause the game at virtually any time and access information about the characters, settings, and conflicts that are currently affecting the story.
Because of Active Time Lore, along with in-game resources such as The Thousand Tomes, characters don’t need to explain their world through extensive exposition, allowing the game’s world-building to be as complicated as it wants to be.
4The Amount Of Violence
Final Fantasy has never been a series that’s shied away from violence. Some of video games' most famous deaths ever have occurred within Final Fantasy games, so it’s not a total shock that Final Fantasy 16 continues this tradition.
What’s surprising is the amount of violence in the game. This is the most brutal Final Fantasy title yet, with both intimate loss and widespread tragedies throughout its story.
The willingness to introduce characters, endear you to them, and force you to watch them die suddenly is something that Game of Thrones is well known for.
3The Sexuality
Violence isn’t the only mature theme that’s explored more thoroughly in Final Fantasy 16 than in past FF games. Sex is a subject that Final Fantasy has always toyed around with, with more overtly sexual content typically being used for humor more than anything else.
To say that Final Fantasy 16 takes a different approach is a bit of an understatement.
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Some of these characters are horny.The shifting approach to more racy and sensual themes is clearly inspired by Game of Thrones willingness to depict lustful, passionate situations without hesitating.
What’s more, the game features at least one openly gay character, a progressive step that’s also inspired by the HBO hit and characters like Sir Loras Tyrell.
2The Treatment Of Slaves
The issue of slavery is at the heart of FF16. Magic users in the realm of Valisthea are treated as lesser beings, branded with facial tattoos, and sold to other citizens as property.
There are moments when the treatment of these branded individuals is sincerely hard to watch.
Compare Final Fantasy 16’s Branded to Game of Thrones, and it’s easy to see the influence that the show’s depiction of slavery has had on the game. Specifically, Clive and Cid’s attempts to assist the downtrodden slaves and help liberate them are very reminiscent of Daenerys Targaryen and her mission to free the slaves of Dorne.
1The Dialogue
The characters you’ll meet in Final Fantasy 16 have a charm to them similar to the citizens of King’s Landing, Winterfell, and other popular locations in Westeros. Communicating with any given individual will invoke a similar vibe, and the game’s dialogue is more rural and rustic than even other Final Fantasy games set in similar eras.
What’s more, characters in Final Fantasy 16 can be quite vulgar. The game has more colorful language than any Final Fantasy prior, and while some may scoff at the abundance of bad words, the choice contributes to Final Fantasy 16’s rough and rugged aesthetic.
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