Final Fantasy 16: Series is still partly influenced by one of the older games
It has been revealed that the combat in Final Fantasy 16 was partially influenced by Final Fantasy 5. In an interview with Japanese publication Dengeki Online (opens in new tab) (translated by SiliconEra (opens in new tab)), senior developers Hiroshi Takai and Kazutoyo Maehiro discussed the similarities between the Eikon Summons in Final Fantasy 16 and the job system in the classic Final Fantasy 5.
The development team for the new game aims to replicate the Spellblade, Dualwield, and Rapidfire endgame abilities from Final Fantasy 5 using Eikons in Final Fantasy 16. This would result in a comparable system where players can create unique combinations with the abilities and Summons available to them.
Taking the comparison further, director Maehiro stated, “it would be easier to understand if I say that (combat) will feel like controlling Bartz, the main character from Final Fantasy 5, in real-time action.” This directly likens Final Fantasy 16 to a real-time version of the classic Square Enix JRPG.
Maehiro also cited the popularity of streaming games as a source of inspiration for Final Fantasy 16’s new combat system. Producer Naoki Yoshida added that the real-time combat system would truly shine in successive playthroughs of the game.
The action-packed, real-time combat of Final Fantasy 16 has been a significant talking point since its reveal years ago. Square Enix initially struggled to implement the combat system and ultimately hired the combat lead from Devil May Cry 5 at Capcom to make the feature functional (as disclosed in our comprehensive Final Fantasy 16 interview last year).
Final Fantasy 16 is set to launch on June 22 later this year as a timed exclusive for the PS5.
