We’re edging closer and closer to the launch ofFinal Fantasy 16, andafter two previews, it’s shaping up to be one of my most anticipated games of the year. Yet for all the things I’m looking forward to — and I promise, it’s not just Cid — I can’t help feeling that the new direction the series is taking has needlessly sacrificed a series staple: minigames.
Earlier in the year, Final Fantasy 16 directorHiroshi Takai statedthat minigames were excluded to maximise immersion. Clive, while on his action-packed, dramatic epic, wouldn’t stop to play a game or go and relax when he has more important things to do, so we as players shouldn’t be able to either, apparently.
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It’s clear from everything we’ve seen so far that Square Enix is taking a much more mature approach in this latest entry. Bloody visuals, action-packed combat, characters dropping the F-bomb on the regular, scenes of a sexual nature, and dark themes, earning the first Mature rating for a mainline title in the series. While FF16 might be the first game in the series to push these boundaries to this extent, it’s not the first to tackle serious topics, with Final Fantasy 14 in particular delving into plenty of heavy material over the past decade.
FF14 has proven that it’s possible to strike a balance between a sincere, emotive story that leaves a lasting impression without sacrificing its quirkier side content. Sometimes you need a short respite from a heavy plot line, and you want to be able to lose yourself in something a little bit silly for a while. Not all players want or need this, but the beauty of minigames is that they’re optional.
I understand omitting minigames that might be too far-fetched for Clive to partake in. He’s not going to join a Blitzball squad, after all. Still, there are minigames that would have slotted into the world of Valisthea nicely. During my last preview, we explored Cid’s Hideaway, home to a bunch of outcasts and outlaws, and you can’t convince me that these people wouldn’t be playing some kind of card game while hiding out in the Deadlands. It just seems like such an outlaw stereotype, right? It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think they might show Clive how to play while he’s there, so he could kill time while waiting for Cid to get his boots on.
We also explored the Three Reeds open area in the last preview, a luscious area with lakes and ruins that reminded me of Final Fantasy 15. My first thought was ‘oh, I bet we’ll fish here’, before remembering there is no fishing in FF16. Clive doesn’t need to be some angler enthusiast, he could just be simply looking for his next meal or even helping the folks at the Hideaway get some food in their bellies. I don’t think having minigames like this that could have a reasonable explanation would have broken the immersion.
According to Takai-san, FF16’s aim for immersion goes so far as to block off side quests when Clive is at a particularly low point during his journey, as it wouldn’t seem right to have him delivering meals or doing fetch quests while in such a dark mood. Surely the same could have been applied to minigames? Sorry everyone, no fishing or card games right now. Clive’s in a bit of a strop.
I understand that the focal point here is the main story, and Final Fantasy 16 is looking to push the limits of what the series has done before, so the team understandably wants you to appreciate every event and emotion alongside Clive. Despite that, I’m worried the game has lost a core part of what makes the series special. We all need a bit of lighthearted fluff at times, and that’s part of the reason why we adore moogles and chocobos so much, right?
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