All right ladies and gentlemen. Against all expectations, FFXV is indeed coming out this year, there's even a rumoured release date going around as I'm sure you're all aware by now and the main event where the game will be showed off in a significant way is coming at the end of this month, 30th of March.
Why am I making this thread I believe I hear some of you asking? Why then, because I need to move on. I want to go back to the days of the first PlayStation console knowing that when I finish this Final Fantasy game, there's another one to look forward to or maybe even a couple more before the generation is over. The 5th generation had 3 mainline Final Fantasies after all, the 6th had 2 and the 7th had 1 (not counting the online ones as they're altogether different products). For this current 8th generation we should be expecting at the very least 2 mainline games, one being the upcoming FFXV and the other, rather obviously, FFXVI. It's time to be excited about the possibilities a totally brand new Final Fantasy game may bring regarding story, setting and gameplay.
The purpose of this thread then is for you to let us all know what you want and expect the sixteenth entry to bring forward so we can all compare, contrast and discuss our wishes for the newest entry on this most beloved gaming franchise, that has moved the hearts and souls (and even brought forth the wrath) of many of us, gamers entranced with a series so beautiful, so enthralling and so involving that after 10 years we are still on the edge of our seats waiting fanatically for this year's entry.
To set things off then, I will make a brief list of the developers I wish to see in charge of FINAL FANTASY XVI.
Director: Hiroyuki Ito - this man is as much part of this series as Hironobu Sakaguchi himself. He is the creator of the ATB battle system most of the entries have included and he has also directed 3 of the most famous games: FFVI (widely regarded as the best 2D entry), FFIX (a 3D love letter to the FF's of the previous generation) and FFXII (where he tried to capture the essence of a MMO in a single player game and tweaked the ATB for that purpose, separating the fanbase between loving it and hating it). One would conclude that FFXVI's setting would then be a medieval based one as all previous entries directed by Ito have been. And that would probably be quite alright, seeing as the last ones have had more modern settings. Just keep Motomu Toriyama in a position of leadership away from this game, or any other for that matter.
Composer: Takeharu Ishimoto - you'll have heard this man's work previously in Crisis Core and Final Fantasy Type-0. Now, FFXV's OST seems to be incredible as it was put in the hands of the amazingly talented Yoko Shimomura and while she did an excellent job, she is also in charge of KH3's OST and despite XV's music being clearly FF, you can also at times hear that KH effect. I'd like both more separation between the series in regards to sound, but also to let a new person, that seems just as capable to produce a worthy effort, stretch their wings. After all, had Yasunori Matsuda not demanded to be assigned Chrono Trigger's OST as his first ever composer job at Squaresoft, we would never have had that memorable OST that we so love to listen to and Mitsuda might have never had his big break in gaming music composition. FFXIII's Masashi Hamauzu's OST was competent but largely forgettable, so we need someone on par with Uematsu, Mitsuda and Shimomura to delight our aural senses. If you need further convincing, allow me to present to you: Divine Fire/Pure Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G50Gg2UxXA
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase - having co-directed FFVI and directed both FFVII and FFVIII this man is another old guardian of the Final Fantasy series. He has mainly produced games however in the past few years and I suspect it is in part his own decision, but he is good at that job and he knows the soul of a Final Fantasy game in and out, so I'd expect him to help bring XVI's effort to conclusion swiftly (no one is expecting or would really tolerate another decade before a new game). He's also in the role of Producer for FFVII Remake but nothing else right now and seeing as Shinji Hashimoto is busy with both XV and KH3 and work on FFXVI is sure to have already started, my bet is on Kitase for the job.
Writer: Jun Akiyama - I feel it's time to let this man come forward as the main writer in a mainline entry, seeing as Yasumi Matsuno is no longer available and Daisuke Watanabe and Kazushige Nojima have been in charge of the writing on this series for far too long. Watanabe in particular is, along with Motomu Toriyama, too attached to the least liked entry - FFXIII - and both should stear clear of any Final Fantasy game for the time being. New blood is then needed and Akiyama having been event director for both FFXII and FFXV and scenario writer for the first KH, is in a good place to step forth and wow us with a riveting storyline.
That's it for now folks. Please share with us your opinion and let's all get hyped for a totally brand new entry in the Final Fantasy series! Hopefully to release no later than 2018/2019
Why am I making this thread I believe I hear some of you asking? Why then, because I need to move on. I want to go back to the days of the first PlayStation console knowing that when I finish this Final Fantasy game, there's another one to look forward to or maybe even a couple more before the generation is over. The 5th generation had 3 mainline Final Fantasies after all, the 6th had 2 and the 7th had 1 (not counting the online ones as they're altogether different products). For this current 8th generation we should be expecting at the very least 2 mainline games, one being the upcoming FFXV and the other, rather obviously, FFXVI. It's time to be excited about the possibilities a totally brand new Final Fantasy game may bring regarding story, setting and gameplay.
The purpose of this thread then is for you to let us all know what you want and expect the sixteenth entry to bring forward so we can all compare, contrast and discuss our wishes for the newest entry on this most beloved gaming franchise, that has moved the hearts and souls (and even brought forth the wrath) of many of us, gamers entranced with a series so beautiful, so enthralling and so involving that after 10 years we are still on the edge of our seats waiting fanatically for this year's entry.
To set things off then, I will make a brief list of the developers I wish to see in charge of FINAL FANTASY XVI.
Director: Hiroyuki Ito - this man is as much part of this series as Hironobu Sakaguchi himself. He is the creator of the ATB battle system most of the entries have included and he has also directed 3 of the most famous games: FFVI (widely regarded as the best 2D entry), FFIX (a 3D love letter to the FF's of the previous generation) and FFXII (where he tried to capture the essence of a MMO in a single player game and tweaked the ATB for that purpose, separating the fanbase between loving it and hating it). One would conclude that FFXVI's setting would then be a medieval based one as all previous entries directed by Ito have been. And that would probably be quite alright, seeing as the last ones have had more modern settings. Just keep Motomu Toriyama in a position of leadership away from this game, or any other for that matter.
Composer: Takeharu Ishimoto - you'll have heard this man's work previously in Crisis Core and Final Fantasy Type-0. Now, FFXV's OST seems to be incredible as it was put in the hands of the amazingly talented Yoko Shimomura and while she did an excellent job, she is also in charge of KH3's OST and despite XV's music being clearly FF, you can also at times hear that KH effect. I'd like both more separation between the series in regards to sound, but also to let a new person, that seems just as capable to produce a worthy effort, stretch their wings. After all, had Yasunori Matsuda not demanded to be assigned Chrono Trigger's OST as his first ever composer job at Squaresoft, we would never have had that memorable OST that we so love to listen to and Mitsuda might have never had his big break in gaming music composition. FFXIII's Masashi Hamauzu's OST was competent but largely forgettable, so we need someone on par with Uematsu, Mitsuda and Shimomura to delight our aural senses. If you need further convincing, allow me to present to you: Divine Fire/Pure Fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G50Gg2UxXA
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase - having co-directed FFVI and directed both FFVII and FFVIII this man is another old guardian of the Final Fantasy series. He has mainly produced games however in the past few years and I suspect it is in part his own decision, but he is good at that job and he knows the soul of a Final Fantasy game in and out, so I'd expect him to help bring XVI's effort to conclusion swiftly (no one is expecting or would really tolerate another decade before a new game). He's also in the role of Producer for FFVII Remake but nothing else right now and seeing as Shinji Hashimoto is busy with both XV and KH3 and work on FFXVI is sure to have already started, my bet is on Kitase for the job.
Writer: Jun Akiyama - I feel it's time to let this man come forward as the main writer in a mainline entry, seeing as Yasumi Matsuno is no longer available and Daisuke Watanabe and Kazushige Nojima have been in charge of the writing on this series for far too long. Watanabe in particular is, along with Motomu Toriyama, too attached to the least liked entry - FFXIII - and both should stear clear of any Final Fantasy game for the time being. New blood is then needed and Akiyama having been event director for both FFXII and FFXV and scenario writer for the first KH, is in a good place to step forth and wow us with a riveting storyline.
That's it for now folks. Please share with us your opinion and let's all get hyped for a totally brand new entry in the Final Fantasy series! Hopefully to release no later than 2018/2019
