Final Fantasy is a franchise that is based on always offering a twist compared to previous installments. It is the most experimental of mainstream JRPGs, if not one of the most experimental JRPGs in general. It is always trying new things, offering new perspectives, whether they are popular with fans or not. That’s why the worst Final Fantasy is always the latest one and the penultimate one was always vilified without reason; it’s the natural cycle of the saga.
In this regard, Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XVI, was asked in an interview at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences if he will be the one to direct Final Fantasy XVII. Clarifying that nothing has been decided yet, he offered his perspective. In his point of view, having already worked on Final Fantasy XIV and XVI, it would be time for someone different to take the reins of the franchise. And preferably, a young director should do it.
Challenge the past to improve every game
Emphasizing that Final Fantasy has always tried to challenge what has been done before, Yoshida believes that a young director would be more capable of doing exactly that. That’s why, for Final Fantasy XVII, someone who would challenge the things he has done in Final Fantasy XVI would be the ideal choice. This is something that has happened many times in the franchise’s history, and it wouldn’t be strange for it to happen again here.
In addition, he wanted to emphasize the size that Final Fantasy has. These are games that have been in development for many years. That’s why he believes it’s important that whoever is in charge of the next installment, they must be someone with a clear and defined idea of what they want it to be even before starting the project.
In any case, all of this is just castles in the air. As Yoshida himself states, nothing has been decided yet, or at least, nothing that Square Enix wants to share with the public. Only time will tell which path Final Fantasy will take in the future and whether it will bring a radical change to the franchise or continue along the lines set by Final Fantasy XVI. Which still has a lot to offer to players.
