Despite what you might expect, I’m not here to talk about the argument over what defines a “JRPG”, but another statement made byFinal Fantasy 16’s producer that I think is more important to discuss - the one aboutFinal Fantasy not being limited to a single visionand that it “can be anything”. Now, that may be true on paper, and I’m not against franchises evolving and changing, but I can’t help but feel that this attitude completely ignores the fact thatFinal Fantasygames actually have some fundamental elements in common.
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I would define this major common denominator as the series' x-factor, itsje ne sais quoithat seen in all the most popular entries - Final Fantasy 6,7,9,10 - while lacking in the others. This special something, whenever it appears, completely upends my expectations of what I thought I knew about Final Fantasy and the genre it belongs to.
There is no better example of this than thepromotional trailer for Final Fantasy X- yes, I meant the x-Factor literally. Anyone who has seen even a glimpse of the recent FF16 propaganda will notice the stark contrast in how the two games are being promoted. FF16 tries way too hard to woo you with its flashy graphics, heart-pounding DMCV-esque combat, and overused revenge storyline with a hint of the medieval fantasy that’s all the rage these days (and the studio knows it).
The trailer for FFX, by contrast, would leave even seasoned JRPG veterans scratching their heads. There was not a hint of combat mechanics or plot to be found, nor a single puff of congruence or anything you are used to. Yet it managed to be alluring all the same.
Just like Tidus, I was rendered speechless as I watched the summoner Yuna gracefully perform her dance and lead the departed souls to the afterlife. I was just a fledgling at the time, so I had no understanding of complex concepts like religion or the afterlife, but even I could sense that there was something profound behind it all - something incredibly symbolic and significant, and it kept me wondering for god knows how long until the game was released, and even after.
It was so compelling that, as I approached this part in-game, I momentarily forgot that I was in a turn-based RPG. In fact, without context, it could easily be mistaken for a cinematic commercial rather than a simple video game sequence.
In my eyes, that was the magic of Final Fantasy. You could be in the middle of a turn-based grind fest in Final Fantasy 6 and suddenly, without warning, be thrust into an enchanting opera scene so breathtaking that it was givenfull voice acting treatmentin the pixel remaster. Or, as in Final Fantasy X-2, you could find yourself on a side trip to host a soul-stirring concert for the entire continent, with English and Japanese vocals to boot.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that adding an insert song makes a Final Fantasy great, but there’s something undeniably enticing about unpredictability - something that breaks the mold and doesn’t feel influenced by a desire to conform.
Final Fantasy X’s team took a break from the established norms that govern RPGs and decided to let their true selves shine through, begging you to look beyond the surface and see the soul of the game for what it truly is. That it’s brought to the forefront in the game’s main marketing trailer shows how integral it was to the experience.
People will surely flock to Final Fantasy 16 for the glitz and the glamour, but they will stay for a unique identity, just like as they always have; not for the lack of it.
Meanwhile, in Final Fantasy 16’s case, and despite my hype, I can’t help but feel like I’m just looking at my reflection in a crystal clear lake. There are no puzzles or mysterious auras to draw me in and make me lose myself in contemplation over the game’s universe and rules. Everything is cool, glamorous, and easy-to-understand.
You know that feeling when you taste something so good and strange that it takes a while for the taste to register in your brain or connect with certain memories you have of other foods/places? It’s just not there with Final Fantasy 16 - it looks so mainstream that the defining texture is gone. It could be any dark fantasy RPG with action barwling.
Since Final Fantasy 12, these elusive elements have been missing, and I found them instead in Lost Odyssey, the Xbox-exclusive that was created by the original mastermind of Final Fantasy. When an important character died in that game, an entire funeral was held for them, and you were required to attend and immerse yourself in the interactive ceremonies of their passing.
It was weird and out of place for a turn-based RPG, but it captured the quintessential Final Fantasy quality of breaking the gameplay loop just to immerse you in a transcendent and spiritual experience beyond words. Conventions of the genre weren’t important - telling a meaningful journey was the priority.
Maybe I’m falling into the same trap the creator warned us about - getting fixated on my own ideal version of Final Fantasy. However, I cannot deny that the series has lately begun to lose sight of its essential nature, and this statement only strengthens my concern.
Doubtless, people will surely flock to Final Fantasy 16 for the glitz and the glamour, but they will stay for a unique identity, just like as they always have; not for the lack of it. Hopefully the series finds its creative roots again, and truly can be “anything” once more in a meaningful way.
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