Ultimate Fantasy XVI is the subsequent mainline entry within the long-running RPG collection and it appears to be going for a radically totally different tone in comparison with previous entries. We undoubtedly obtained some Recreation of Thrones vibes from previous trailers. And looking back, that’s not stunning, because the builders engaged on the sport had been “required” to observe HBO’s fashionable fantasy collection earlier than growth started on FFXVI.
The Week In Video games: Defending The Treasured And Time-Twisting Platformers
Launching June 22, 2023 solely on PlayStation 5, Ultimate Fantasy XVI takes place on the planet of Valisthea, which is coming into its “twilight.” Pure assets are dwindling and conflict is brewing, threatening to plunge rival nations into chaos. How it will all works out will seemingly be determined by the Dominants, principal characters who glow bizarre colours, and Eikons, acquainted summons like Ifrit and Bahamut that the Dominants can rework into. And whereas a few of this connects again to the basic, typically medieval-themed FF video games, the general tone of trailers and latest previews feels darker and extra mature.
This newly darkish tone in comparison with previous video games isn’t a mistake, in response to FFXVI’s producer Naoki Yoshida.
In an interview with Eurogamer, Yoshida says that as he’s grown older he finds himself liking fantasy that’s “based mostly extra in actuality.” He defined that once they noticed how Recreation of Thrones and the books it was based mostly on had actually “resonated” with folks, he knew FFXVI ought to go the same route. To verify the sport had the same “really feel,” the primary folks engaged on the sport needed to watch the present.
“After we first began creating the sport,” Yoshida mentioned, “We had our core workforce of about 30 members very early on purchase the Blu-ray boxset of Recreation of Thrones and required everybody to observe it, as a result of we needed this kind of really feel.”
Ultimate Fantasy XVI is closely impressed by western fantasy, like Lord of the Rings
When Eurogamer identified a scene they noticed throughout their preview reminded them of a scene from the Lord of the Rings movies that featured Gandalf and the Balrog, Yoshida admitted he had learn the novels and seen the movies “a number of occasions” however didn’t notice how comparable the scenes had been till it was identified. “However now that you just talked about it, it actually does look [similar].”
It’s one other instance of how the workforce appears to be impressed by western fantasy, like Recreation of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. FFXVI’s artwork director Hiroshi Minagawa informed Eurogamer that taking a look at these franchises made sense, as that was the kind of model and really feel they had been aiming for.
“If we need to create one thing that has that sort of western really feel, we’ve to look to the west for that sort of inspiration,” mentioned Minagawa. “And so issues like Recreation of Thrones are issues that we glance to as a result of that kind of stuff doesn’t exist the place we reside in Japan.”
Now, had been the devs required to observe the ultimate season of Recreation of Thrones, and in that case, did they get hazard pay?
.
