What the Next 35 Years of Final Fantasy Could Look Like

It is troublesome to foretell the longer term. You by no means know what may occur tomorrow. You possibly can simply come upon a life-altering occasion, comparable to successful the lottery or getting a giant promotion at work, which basically adjustments the whole lot you beforehand considered “life” to create a completely new surroundings round you.

However, in relation to predictions, we often base them on our preconceptions and experiences from the previous. For instance, we make our New Yr’s resolutions hoping higher issues will occur inside our personal sphere (“I’ll enhance my place at work” or “I’ll train extra and enhance my physique determine”.) We by no means say “subsequent yr I will win the lottery” or “I will grow to be filthy wealthy and stay in a mansion” because it would not sound life like or it falls exterior our scope of expectations.

Similarly, we are able to make predictions on the way forward for a online game franchise, on this occasion, Last Fantasy. We are able to guess what it would appear to be within the subsequent 35 years, primarily based on all that they’ve achieved within the earlier 35, a milestone that they celebrated in 2022.

Last Fantasy XVI and past

To begin, we do not really want to think about what the following 4 or 5 years will appear to be as a result of we type of know. Already in 2023 we have now the discharge of the franchise’s extremely anticipated subsequent entry, FF XVI, an nearly assured hit because of the event crew engaged on it. Among the largest stars anyplace in recreation growth have labored on the sport, together with Naoki Yoshida as Producer, Hiroshi Takai as Director, Masayoshi Soken in command of music, and Ryota Suzuki because the battle system designer. Expectations are so excessive for this title, some are even anticipating it to be a Sport of the Yr contender, and I am unable to blame them!

Then in fact we have now the FF VII remake saga. Sizzling on the heels of the Disaster Core remaster (which was greater than a remaster, to cite Sq. Enix themselves) we have got the second a part of the remake mission, Rebirth. That recreation is ready to be launched in Winter 2023, though I would not be terribly stunned if it had been pushed again. Rebirth would be the continuation of the well-received FF VII Remake that was launched in 2020 and can keep on its work in exhibiting youthful gamers what was so nice concerning the unique that first got here out all the best way again in 1997.

Other than that, 2023 will see the return of the FF XIV Fan Fests this yr, with the primary scheduled for July in Las Vegas. By then, we’re certain to get information concerning the subsequent growth to the Warrior of Mild’s journey. For those who contemplate that there are already over 23 million lively subscriptions to the web sensation, it is arduous to consider something that recreation does as lower than a placing success.

Then we have now the Last Fantasy I-VI remastered variations popping out for consoles, one thing that followers had been requesting for some time now with Sq. Enix more than pleased to oblige them. That assortment can be set to be launched this yr.

The close to and simply predicted future

Trying additional ahead, there would be the last a part of the VII Remake mission, which as of but stays unnamed, together with the rest that comes out from that universe. There’s a lot that Sq. Enix may mine from there – Ever Disaster, a remaster of Dirge of Cerberus, and probably different video games we won’t even think about proper now.

Past this level, the whole lot is pure hypothesis. As talked about at first of this text, it is reasoned hypothesis primarily based on the corporate’s earlier behaviour with the franchise.

Contemplating how far forward the event crew was with FF XVI after they first revealed it to the world, it is troublesome to think about that they have not already begun work on the next chapter within the celebrated franchise. Sq. Enix has seemingly realized from their previous errors with XV, which took greater than a decade of growth previous to launch. Realistically talking, I’d anticipate FF XVII to be launched someday between 2026 and 2027. They’ve made a degree of not maintaining followers ready anymore.

One other factor to remember is that Sq. has been making notes on how profitable the VII Remake has been and the dimensions of the fanbase for these late-90s and early-2000s releases. The hearsay mill has been working wild concerning a possible FF IX Remake and to be sincere, I do not assume they’re too far off the mark. I’d anticipate it to be launched as an entire recreation additionally a while in 2027 or 2028 on the newest, relying on after they wrap up VII. A promotional anime may additionally be within the works.

There have additionally been many followers requesting a FF XIII trilogy port to current-gen consoles, with Sq. Enix remaining unresponsive on the matter, but ensuring to maintain the characters and the story on individuals’s minds by way of social media posts and different promotional materials. It appears probably that they are going to be shifting ahead with that as effectively someplace down the highway, maybe in the same fashion as Naughty Canine did with The Final Of Us Half One, a extremely acclaimed glow-up of the PS3 unique.

The distant and unpredictable future

Shifting onwards, Sq. Enix has by no means shied away from new applied sciences, not desirous to miss out on something that might probably open a pathway to extra income. And who may blame them, it is simply good enterprise! In that regard, we’d see a giant Last Fantasy entry going down within the Metaverse or one which might be playable completely within the digital house (VR). It is troublesome to foretell precisely what know-how they could use, but it surely’s simple to see them utilizing Last Fantasy as a motivational device for his or her followers to maneuver towards these areas. It is also simple to see that this transfer will likely be met with outrage in the neighborhood.

This formulation of adapting older entries and introducing new ones will stay in place till the top of the console period, which is looming nearer and nearer by the day. It is arduous to think about the place precisely we’ll be doing all our gaming from that time onwards. Maybe on moveable gadgets that carry the facility of two PS5s, like a extremely up to date model of the Steam Deck or a Nintendo Swap that may make you espresso whilst you obtain your subsequent recreation. Who can say?

One factor we are able to say with full confidence is that wherever gaming decides to maneuver subsequent, no matter frontiers it decides to shatter, you possibly can wager that Last Fantasy will likely be there as effectively, giving us much more unimaginable adventures to go on!

This is to the following 35 years of our Last Fantasies!

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