Final Fantasyis a franchise that needs little introduction at this point. Just about anyone embedded in the world of video games has some level of familiarity with the franchise, especially due to its genre-and tone-hopping nature: there’s essentially anFinal Fantasygame for everyone, whether they prefer turn-based combat, action-RPG mechanics, or high-concept, flamboyant storytelling.
But even the most prolific and wide-spanning franchises have their blind spots. Indeed, there are a number of ideas, both on the gameplay and narrative fronts, thatFinal Fantasyhas yet to explore, which is part of what makes it such an exciting IP to follow. Its versatility and tenuous connective tissue between entries offersFinal Fantasymore flexibility than other franchises, which have to contend with audience expectations, heritage, genre conventions, and the like. It’s surprising, then, that Square Enix hasn’t seemed to go too far beyond the franchise’s traditional JRPG and action-RPG roots, exploring other popular genres beyondcommercial flops likeFinal Fantasy 7: The First Soldier. Moving forward, there’s one action-RPG subgenre that could be worth exploring.
It Might Be Time for a Final Fantasy Musou Game
The Musou Genre Would Be a Surprisingly Great Fit for Final Fantasy
Musou games, sometimes called"Warriors" games due to theirDynasty Warriorsroots, are designed around a few key pillars:
Each of these pillars would be well represented within theFinal Fantasyuniverse, at least when looking at common design threads across entries. Take, for instance, the concept of multiple playable characters. This is something thatFinal Fantasyis more than familiar with, both in the context of turn-based games and real-time combat, such aswhat’s seen in theFinal Fantasy 7remake saga. Those games may be considered exemplary instances of a diverse character roster in an action-RPG, as Barrett plays remarkably differently from Tifa, Tifa feels very different from Cloud, and so on.
Then there are the siege combat and power fantasy elements, which are perhaps a bit less consistent than the character roster and weapon types, but have nevertheless appeared in the franchise before.Final Fantasy Type-0, for example, features siege-like missions, where control over the battlefield through tactical gameplay is a large focus, and pitting the player against seemingly insurmountable odds is basically the bread-and-butter of most of the series' narratives. A musou spin-off could crank these systems up, as it were, introducing a far more fast-paced and spectacular gameplay loop that is still couched withinFFtradition.
What a Final Fantasy Musou Game Could Look Like, and What Challenges It Could Face
When conceptualizing this theoretical spin-off, Square Enix would be faced with an essential question early on: should it bea newFinal Fantasystory, like the other mainline games, or should it link to an already-established chapter, likeFinal Fantasy 7? The benefits of the latter option are obvious, as it would allow the game to have a strong base of well-known, well-wrought characters, monsters, settings, et cetera. But of course, these games are prized for their narratives, sometimes above all else, and injecting a wholly new story, one consisting of large-scale battles, could clash with the existing narrative or, even worse, trivialize it.
There’s also the possibility of such a game being a crossover, incorporating recognizable characters and concepts from various differentFinal Fantasygames with the goal of creating a more robust, diverse experience, but this may be better in theory than in practice.Final Fantasygames are separated by linesthat aren’t usually crossed outside a few notable exceptions (Kingdom Hearts), so a musou mash-up could be a can of worms that’s not worth opening. But these are just details: the core concept, that being a marriage ofFinal Fantasyand musou conventions, seems like an easy layup for the series.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
