Final Fantasy may be coming back to its turn-based roots following the success of Expedition 33. Read on to learn more about Square Enix’s thoughts on turn-based combat and how the company collapsed after the Final Fantasy series creator’s departure.
Final Fantasy Coming Back To Its Roots
Square Enix Values Turn-Based Combat
Final Fantasy may be coming back to its roots as Square Enix recognizes turn-based combat as part of the company’s identity. During a recent Square Enix shareholders’ meeting on June 25, a suggestion was made regarding strategies for new titles in the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy franchises.
According to Game’s Talk.net on June 26, shareholder Yuzu proposed having yearly releases of Square Enix’s signature IPs to keep fans invested in the company and to return to turn-based gameplay for those games. He pointed out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s success as evidence that there is a market for the genre, selling over 3.3 million copies in 33 days.
Square Enix acknowledged Expedition 33’s achievements and is monitoring market changes, which may impact future developments. Furthermore, they strongly recognize the importance of turn-based combat for their company, and stated that turn-based RPGs are the "origin of Square Enix."
Many fans have long expressed their desire for Final Fantasy games to return to their classic gameplay. Recent titles such as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series and Final Fantasy 16 have adopted a more action-based style, which has divided the community.
The shift to real-time action combat was to appeal to younger audiences. In an interview with Famitsu in June 2022, FF16 Producer Naoki Yoshida said that turn-based combat isn’t what the current generation is accustomed to. He said that game consoles over the past years have made character expressions possible to do in real-time without selecting commands.
"This is not a matter of good or bad, but rather that the difference has widened greatly depending on generation and preference," Yoshida explained. However, he said that there is a great possibility that the next Final Fantasy game would return to a command-based style.
It seems that this may be coming to fruition as Square Enix itself "cherishes" the genre. Although FF16 was successful for the company, they plan to deliver turn-based RPGs to users in the future. It would be interesting to see how Square Enix will implement turn-based combat
Square Collapsed After Final Fantasy Series Creator Left
In other news, legendary Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu revealed that the company fell apart after the Final Fantasy original series Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi left in 2003. Sakaguchi’s departure was due to Square’s financial failures, which eventually led him to establish his studio Mistwalker in 2004.
Earlier this month, Sakaguchi appeared in an episode of Uematsu’s podcast NOBIYO To Isshoni. Both iconic Final Fantasy figureheads discussed their history with Square Enix (then Square), particularly during Sakaguchi’s exit.
Uematsu regarded Sakaguchi as their "big boss," and could rally everyone despite the company being more like "a club of university students rather than an actual company." He also mentioned that Square had a tough time after Sakaguchi left. "He left and the organization suddenly collapsed. I thought to myself – Oh no, I should get away from here," Uematsu said.
Despite the problems the company has faced, Uematsu commends Square Enix for emerging and continuing to develop games. Both sides have a cordial relationship with one another, with Uematsu collaborating with them on multiple Final Fantasy titles as a freelancer.
Since leaving in 2004, Sakaguchi and Uematsu have worked on several projects, and it seems that they are not yet done, as they plan to create a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy 6.
Source:
Square Enix's Success of Expedition 33 Highlights New Possibilities for Command-Based RPGs with 3.3 Million Units Sold
Interview with "FF16" producer Naoki Yoshida. New information about the battle system and world view is kept coming. "A game experience that is only possible because it is not an open world"
RKC Radio Twitter (X) post on NOBIYO To Isshoni Special Guest Hironobu Sakaguchi
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