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Having sat down with Tabata for an hour-long roundtable at Square Enix's Shinjuku headquarters, it seems he is the perfect man for the job. Like Yoshida, Tabata cuts a contrasting figure to the directors who have immediately preceded him.
What exactly is Tabata's style? Despite his previous games having been on portable platforms, he's certainly got an affinity with more traditional console fare. "In Japan, more and more gamers lean towards games that can be played very casually," he says. "I personally like and grew up with those core-centric games, those substantial standalone games. I want to preserve the integrity of them, and leave a legacy of those standalone games in the best form possible."
There's a physicality to Tabata's games - something seen in the more grounded fantasy of Type 0 and in the more direct combat of Crisis Core - that's retained and underlined in Final Fantasy 15. "When we were making the transition, we sat down and I discussed with Nomura the game," he says. "I felt that I wanted to shift it more to be more realistic. For example, when you're battling a really strong boss like a behemoth, if you go at it from just the front you're going to get hit with his counter-attacks. You have to think about baiting it to attack forward, but then break its stance and attack it from the side. I wanted to make it so you're fighting a real animal, but with easy-to-manipulate controls as well as dramatic effects. My basis was to keep it grounded in reality."
Tabata's also in pursuit of a Final Fantasy that's not as overwhelming as its predecessors, and one that can be enjoyed by a broader audience. "With Final Fantasy 15, I do want to make it more casual," he says. "Of course the depth of the game is going to be there, but I want to make it so players can easily experience the satisfaction of the depth of the game." There's an option to set that car to drive itself, allowing players to sit back and take in the sights - although there is also an option to drive it manually, should they want to engage more fully with the world.
"Another example is in the combat," explains Tabata. "With the hardware specifications of the newer consoles, it's possible to set it up so you have different enemies and different choices of attacks you can enter in, but I want to simplify that. It'll basically be a one-button action, and the AI intuitively outputs an action that kind of satisfies, gives you that instant gratification, and it connects with the simple touch of a button. I myself am not getting any younger. I don't want to be frantically pushing buttons. I also want to utilise the intelligence of the hardware spec, and not have to go through too much hassle or trouble in order to execute moves."
"My goal is to have people play Final Fantasy 15, and for them to think this is the best Final Fantasy they've ever played."