Final Fantasy Creator Believes Latest Instalment Is Ultimate Entry in Franchise

" but during an investor meeting it backtracked and blamed the PS5’s smaller install base for lower-than-expected numbers"

Wasn't that later debunked?

@naruball Yeah by the person who said it himself.

I really hope the DLC they're hopefully making expands some of the other combat abilities and not just possibly Leviathan.

@Nepp67 that just sounds like another Square Enix cover up.

@Jireland92 It's literally in the tweet itself lol.

Loved this game. Finished it on Thursday evening and had a brilliant time with it 👏 was gutted to reach the end!

Hmm, I see this site continues to promote debunked news, which simply erodes any trust in the articles posted here.

Yeah, I can get him saying this; I’m not quite sure if I’d agree with it completely (have only played the demo so far), but based off what I’ve seen and heard, I can understand someone like Sakaguchi seeing FFXVI as the closest realisation of the series base concept (at least from a storytelling and presentation perspective).

Since this is the Ultimate Entry, I'm throwing all other entries in the garbage because they are obsolete.

You could say it's the... Ultima entry

I guess „Ultimate Entry“ doesn’t mean „Last Entry“.

It really isn't.

It's definitely one of the best final fantasy games I've played, combat was great, story was great, characters was great, voice acting was great, visuals were great. Only negative thing I can say about the game was that it wasn't a fully open world but even then the game moves at such a fast pace moving from area to area that it's not much of an issue.

I'm still stuck in the past with FF games, just prefer the old format.

Everyone's got their own favorite FF. That's the beauty of the series. It constantly changes and never stays the same. I love that about the series.

I personally would still say X is my "Ultimate" FF but XVI is really great too.

@Mikey856 Agree with FF8. My favourite in the series.

Though initially excited after playing the demo, the game didn't really click with me. I felt it lacking in gameplay and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. It is still great to see so many enjoying the game!

So, they are not going to make any more of them, then?

Technically, the word “Ultimate” would imply that it is the last one they will ever make.
That said, even the title “Final Fantasy” implies that there is only going to be ONE of them, and thus far they have made fifteen sequels.
But maybe I am being pedantic.

@Korgon I agree. FFXVI is fine, but Sakaguchi might be too quick to pass up previous titles in the series.

It was just, okay? I feel flashy combat isn't enough anymore and honestly the story wasn't memorable.

FF16 is the ultimate FF in the same sort of way that “Definitely Maybe” is the ultimate Beatles album.

@NEStalgia I am disappointed to not see a comment from you here on the greatest FF ever made.

They did the mashing buttons part really well, I just wonder where the rest of the game is. I've never fallen asleep this often while playing.
Wake me up when 7 rebirth is out.

This game was so epic, so far it’s my game of the year (granted I haven’t played TOTK or Balders gate yet so we’ll see). Still, I wanna play through FFXVI one more time with Final Fantasy mode and max everything out. So so good

@tameshiyaku I don’t get comments like this. You cannot play the game with mashing a button if you take all the rings off. The rings are literally there for people who just want to watch the story like a movie

FFXVI has an amazing combat system, fantasic music and graphics and a great and entertaining storyline. But the side quests are tedious, i am tired of running from one point of a map to another to say something to an NPC, (usually filler content like, tell them to have some wine) the return to the original NPC quest giver to give him/her a response or item. It would been a better game without so much of that.

@EchoRange I totally agree. It's nowhere near as big a deal as they say.

To me, XIV is the ultimate Final Fantasy but I 100% understand that it's also not super accessible. I think XVI might be my favorite in the series otherwise, but I'd reserve judgement for a few years when the recency bias wears off. I really appreciate how people can have such different experiences with these games though. That hit me hard when I played and didn't like X at all.

After playing both

FFVIIR - 👍
FFXVI - 👎

The crafting could have been awesome by t the single upgrade path and only 1 character you can change the equipment on was very boring.

Lack of magic was really a letdown too.

SE sought take a look at Baldurs Gate 3 for ideas.

Gimme a FF9 remake that doesn’t butcher the game.

Square Enix:.......we are really disappointed that Hironobu Sakaguchi feels this is the ultimate Final Fantasy game bla bla bla.....🙃

It’s a fun game but still feels spin off rather than main entry to me. And 9, 10 and 7 all better for me. And 14 for that matter. But then when they are trying to get sales why would they say anything else?

Glad to hear this.

Incorrect. 9 is the pinnacle. This ain't FF.

@invictus4000 To be fair, he used to also think 9 was the pinnacle. I don't know what kind of drugs made him suddenly think 16 is better...

@FatalBubbles LOL, I hadn't even seen it. All I can say is that it's shocking he'd feel that way. Makes me wonder if the good FFs were an accident.

Thought FFXII was far far superior myself.

@ApostateMage each to their own

@Nepp67 what tweet?

Game was way too easy with way too much talking. Main quests felt like side quests. Bosses were a 10/10 for me but the rest of the game felt like filler. I give it a 7/10- could have been an 8 or 9 if they’d cut 15-20 hours of busywork.

This was the best Devil May Cry reimagining. Can’t wait to see what other franchises can be equally raised from rpg to action game status. /s

Its the only FF game I've ever gone out of my way to play.

Its so sick. I almost wish it wasn't FF because it deserves better than to be ***** on just because its different from the previous 15 games.

I hope it gets sequels. I love Clive and this world they have created. Itd be a shame to toss it to the side when this game is such a damn solid foundation for more great action games.

This game has made me experience feelings I haven't felt since I was like 14/15 fighting Poseidon in the opening of God Of War 3.

I applaud that. The boss fights in this game are a spectacle that I feel has been missing from gaming for a very long time.

I couldn't bring myself to finish the game as it was so boring. Hell, I even got the platinum for FFXV and that wasn't the best either.
I traded it in for Dead Space so it worked out OK.

Interesting, seems that people either love it or hate it. I actually love it quite a bit, approaching the end and I don't want it to end! Taking my time doing all side quests and marks whenever they become available, but doesn't seems I'll be able to do that for much longer.

@BrockSmith with or without the rings, I'll just be running from one red or green mark to the next in beautiful yet empty landscapes, pick up some meaningless crafting stuff along the way to use in a very linear upgrade system, where only the sword has changes visually. The story admittedly has some highs, but only when it doesn't try to impersonate game of thrones.
I like both turn based and action RPGs, but I won't go and pretend that this game is nothing else but shallow, especially in a year with games like chained echoes, Baldurs Gate 3,...

I'm sure in 10 years this game won't be remembered as fondly.

They can lie all they want but you know they'll be lucky to ever make a good profit from it by keeping it ps only. Sony doesn't care if company's go under or make a loss as long as they have exclusives, and I say that as a ps5 player

@NEStalgia I thought the game was quite good overall. Started slow on the combat side and some parts in the middle were slow but otherwise very good.

It is interesting that the first 12-13 entries were not super similar to this and this is the one he picks. Wonder why they waited this long to apparently make the game they wanted…

@BrockSmith I don’t understand this take. I did perfectly fine mashing without the rings, and i just beat barnabas. XVI’s story and visuals are great, but Sony has definitely put out better-feeling and more rewarding action games in the past

@naruball Yeah, that was an op-ed from a writer who often takes anti-Sony positions. The game has done just fine.

Is it the ultimate Final Fantasy? I'm not sure. Final Fantasy VII is still the benchmark, I think. But XVI is so good and easily the best entry in nearly 2 decades.

why does this come across as nedlessly desperate and a form of damage control for s-e? he is entitled to his opinion but i will take it with a grain of salt. the game is divisive amongst the ff community at large and nothing will change that. even those who enjoy the game immensly would not dare to claim it is the best entry in franchise history (or whatever "ultimate" entry means haha)...

One definition of ultimate is essentially “last in a series or process”. So in other words the series is dead. So he very well could just be being diplomatic in his world choice. The boss is Ultima. So just like people made fun of Strangers of Paradise saying Chaos all the time. Here we have the the creator referencing Ultima describing the game as ultimate and kind of making fun of it. I think FF16 sucks so this is just me twisting the meaning to suit my purposes, lol.

@kcarnes9051 that's an interesting take. with sakaguchi, you just never know!

@FatalBubbles Yeah, I'm waiting for a good sale, probably Black Friday, and still don't know when I'll get to it in the backlog, but I think playing it after the annoying and toxic hype/conversation dies down will work heavily toward being able to enjoy it, anyway.

Still, from what I do know, i just can't imagine how on earth Sakaguchi could call it the ultimate FF. I can understand calling it a good game, maybe even a great game for its genre, but ultimate FF, from him, for THIS game is still very much "WTF" He's not an action game guy even slightly so it's a very unexpected take.

@KaijuKaiser The only things reminiscent in FF16 of past entries are story and aesthetic elements and a progression toward live combat. Nothing else remains as far as gameplay is concerned. For example, Chocobos are glorified cars. They used to give access to other parts of the map or involve other gameplay elements, such as breeding, racing, digging, etc. Actual gameplay mechanics. Just like everything in FF16, Chocobos were dumbed down to be nothing more than a transport skin.

Almost every gameplay aspect element has been handled in this manner or omitted. This goes beyond the combat system.

@NEStalgia Sakaguchi is just riffing off the bad guys name, Ultima. Thus, he's calling it the "Ultimate" FF. He chose the word on purpose, which seems to indicate he's tiptoeing around or just acting as a marketing agent.

I dont think so. I love the game, but, everything felt like a step back.

it was better than xiii i guess but...i think i even like 15 more than this one

@kcarnes9051 I wouldn't doubt it. Wordplay, or rather, kanji play, is a central motif of Japanese humor, so you may very well be right on that, we'd really need a Japanese native (or semi-native) perspective to see if the wordplay here is consistent with a comedy attempt, or if he's literally praising it. But the Ultima/Ultimate thing easily could be kanji play.

I doubt he'd be marketing, he has no connection to S-E, he publishes on Apple Arcade exclusively right now at Mistwalker, and has relatively bad blood with S-E despite remaining friendly with former coworkers such as Nomura. So either he just genuinely loves it, or it's a comedic wordplay.

FF16 is one of my favorites in the series. It’s also the first PlayStation game that I’m actively trying to get the Platinum trophy for. Very close!

This game just clicks with me, even the side quests in the first half of the story.

@KaijuKaiser Please tell me a mainline FF game (aside from the first which doesn't have them) where Chocobos have been less utilized. Starting with 2, they were mainly used as transport, but they served the dual function of allowing you to skip randomized encounters, which played a huge strategic role in navigating the map when low on potions and getting out of areas when under leveled. They served a gameplay mechanic in this way. In FF16, you can already run from every encounter in the open areas, so the only role Chocobos play is just transport. Absolutely nothing else.

So, yeah, the first game didn't have Chocobos, but it was the first game, and it had all the elements that contributed to the FF identity, many of which, including status effects and elemental weaknesses, were carried forward through every entry, until FF16.

@NEStalgia Yeah, I've played a bit of Fantasian and really loved some of the gameplay mechanics, such as the dimengeon and the different trajectories for attacks, which were fresh ways to iterate on turn based mechanics.

It does seem strange to me that a guy who went on to make his own studio to create turn-based games more reminiscent of original FF, and yet FF16 is the ultimate FF game, according to him. Just really doesn't make sense to me. Which is why reading some wordplay and humor into his statement doesn't seem farfetched at all.

@kcarnes9051 I mean, apart from saving certain characters lives and playing a huge role in the story because of that and gaining some real emotional weight 😄 rather than just being a gameplay mechanic to avoid fights

There is a lot of genuine love for the chocobos in this game.

There's perhaps no franchise in all of gaming that's as "Hit or Miss" with me as Final Fantasy, so I was a bit skeptical going in, but I have to say I'm loving it.

I wouldn't quite go as far as to say it's my favorite, but it's been a very good time thus far (according to the little progress tracker next to the title on the PS5 home screen, I've just hit the 50% completion point).

@Ravix I'm not talking about love for Chocobos. I'm talking about gameplay. Game mechanics. All FF16 has is story and aesthetic elements that reference prior FF games. My gripe is with the gameplay mechanics of FF16. The gameplay mechanics of Chocobos and other aspects of the game. That is why it is not a FF game, in my opinion. A game's identity rests around both story AND gameplay. FF had core gameplay elements beyond just turn-based combats. Not everything changed every game. And when it did change, it iterative and built on what came before. That's what I'm pointing out. FF16 has virtually no gameplay elements that resemble FF. Chocobos have no depth. There are no elemental weaknesses or status effects. No armor or weapon attributes. No playable party members. No mini games. And, yes, no turn-based combat. I was using Chocobos as just one illustration of one of the many other gameplay elements, besides turn-based combat, that had become staples of the series and gave it an identity from a gameplay perspective. Not a story or aesthetic perspective. Story is not gameplay or gameplay mechanics. The only thing FF about FF16 is window dressing! It's all a facade!

@Ravix I would argue there is actually very little love for Chocobos in this game, because in every game that included them in past entries, the Chocobos were elements that enriched the gameplay and introduced amusing tasks. They were more than just story. This game does not love them as a quirky gameplay element. It doesn't give the player anything more to do with them other than ride them. They're a glorified car. That's it. That's not love. That's fan service.

Love the game so much and those boss fights, just WOW! The only thing I could say I don't like about the game is the side missions because they are FF14 missions but the ones near the end were quite good. Everything else in the game was just incredible

@kcarnes9051 but if it is a story based action game, which it clearly is, and they feature in important storyline elements in emotional ways, and you can also use them a little to fight enemies, for example (I love karate kicking stuff with them) What more could they shoehorn in?

This game is focused on being one thing, and it does that fantastically well. If it had bolted on random mini games, it would not fit the tone.

I'm not getting involved in silly things about what make an IP an IP either. No one other than the creators have a say on what their vision is for something.

And showing genuine love, as in the characters both love and respect their animals more than just for transport or egg laying or whatever the f*** else they might do, is surely a good thing. Ambrosia is family to Clive, and that shows by both his and the Chocobos actions.

I get that people might have wanted the game to be a traditional RPG. But there's a f*** tonne of them they can go and play already in the FF series. So it's not like they've not had their fair share of FF games 😆

Now people who like action and story can enjoy this one instead, and we are doing 😁😁😁

@KaijuKaiser Please clarify best selling FF. Are you talking about FFXIV? FFX? Or FF7? And I'm talking mainline games.

FFXIV: You can have a Chocobo riding companion, breed, and race.

FFX: Sales numbers often include the sequel, so uncertain if it's the bestselling. For FFX you get racing. If you want to include the sequel you also get breeding, and certain chocobos give access to secrets.

FF7: Breeding, access to secret areas, racing.

FF13: It did have Chocobos and they allow you to detect secret items.

These are all additional gameplay elements besides just transport! And they gave depth the the gameplay and lent to the series' identity. And it is the shallow Chocobo elements of FF16 that contribute to FF16 lacking the FF identity from a gameplay perspective. Not a story perspective.

@Ravix Dude, you lack imagination. They could have had Chocobo jousting. It would have fit the GOT inspiration and the tone of the game, and it would have been consistent with past games giving chocobos more function. It took me 5 seconds to think of that. FF16 could have cut out a 10th of the boring side quests that are just people jabbering and included some other interesting gamplay mechanic and it wouldn't have distracted from the core experience anymore than dropping 10 side quests that have zero gameplay just before the end boss. It would have added to the world building. Can't believe some people like boring jabbering and running back and forth between quest markers instead of actual gameplay.

@Ravix It's funny that you mention the karate kicking with your chocobo. That's actually an interesting gameplay mechanic. But it's not useful in any way in combat. Had they actually incorporate chocobos in a meaningful way into combat guess what that would have done? It would have added depth to the gameplay experience. But instead it's a useless combat mechanic that gets old fast because it has very little utility beyond chuckles. It's kind of like petting Torgal. It's vapid and shallow because it doesn't enrich the actual gameplay. It's just an animation.

@kcarnes9051 jousting requires a tournament, with the different knights from rival kingdoms. I think they were a bit busy doing all out war and conspiracy for that. You know... The story.

Maybe it'd make a cool DLC though, I agree.

And I never said the side quests were good. They aren't, on the whole. The odd one has an emotional pay off, so its worth experiencing, but it isn't complex gameplay in them.

Thank you for telling me I lack imagination though 😆 I guess you lack emotional complexity? 😜

The game isn't perfect, but you are getting stuck on really small things. It is a story driven action game (a very good one) it isn't supposed to be an in depth rpg where choices and trivial stats mean something and where there's loads of side stuff that you can ignore the main story for hours and hours at a time and go anywhere you want at any time.

We now live in a world where there are Final Fantasy RPG's and Final Fantasy Action Games, and that is okay, dude. It's all Final Fantasy 😃

@Ravix I'm sorry if you were offended by my "lacking imagination" comment. But you said, "If it had bolted on random mini games, it would not fit the tone." And this is categorically incorrect. A jousting Chocobo would absolutely fit the tone. And if the game developers can justify fitting dozens of boring side quests with no gameplay elements, then surely a jousting Chocobo mini game could be included instead. And much like prior FF games, at some point the joisting mini game can be incorporated into a main quest to make it relevant and not random, thus not bolted on. Much like some of the mini games in FF7 play a role in narrative moments and the main quest.

You said, "it isn't supposed to be an in depth rpg where choices and trivial stats mean something and where there's loads of side stuff that you can ignore the main story for hours and hours"

Except there ARE loads of side stuff that are trivial and distracts from the main quest for hours and hours and can be completely ignored. They are the DOZENS of side quests that are largely irrelevant and have little to no gameplay value.

You say things that are completely false, justify poor game design decisions, and then use no imagination in coming up with very obvious ways to improve those design decisions.

So, yeah, "lacking in imagination" is an appropriate turn of phrase here.

Your excuse that it wouldn't work because they're at war is lazy. The 1939 Olympics took place during WWII, and Nazi Germany attended. Trust me, people find time for sports in times of war. That you can't seem to fathom this, again, shows a lack of imagination.

@kcarnes9051 mate. Just stop. There is no way f***ing jousting would fit in to the tone of that game the way the narrative is. You're getting properly d***ish for no real reason too.

You don't like the game. That's fine. But you don't necessarily know better than the developers just because you feel entitled to something.

There could be improvements, the sidequests could be better. But you are clearly one of those people that gets stuck on one idea and can't let it go. So there is no point in talking to you. I've tried to take your points and debate ways in which things could work, but you come back with the same idea again, without accepting that maybe it wouldn't work in a time skipping story, set over 2 decades, about revenge in a world that is absolutely f***ed

And I even said, as DLC, it could maybe work, but definitely before the events of Phoenix Gate, and sure it'd probably be fun, but not just shoehorned in to this game the way it is just because it has a medieval inspired setting. Anything like that would literally have to be contained within the prologue, with young Clive, which would just be weird in the full game and kill any momentum if you spent 10 hours riding, stabling, and jousting on chocobos, instead of moving forward with the narrative that is being set up here.

The sidequests, although not good overall are small scale, human stories, which at least fit into the narrative of Clive's travels and acceptance into the Hideaway, despite mostly being just to make you revisit an area for busy work.

I personally enjoyed it. The story is phenomenal. The graphics are great also. The details in the draw distances are incredible. They’ve really outdone themselves. In my humbly opinion.. it Delivered Classic Square Enix gameplay and story. .They could easily made this a Netflix series in terms of the story line and the character progression. I don’t know why so many want this game to fail. It’s a great game. It’s good to have something to play for me other than DMZ in MW2.. there’s been a drought for good games and I really enjoyed this..

I like single player games with great stories and there has been a shortage of that. So I’ve mostly been sticking to multiplayer with some friends playing DMZ just to help pass the time.. I’ve haven’t had a real sense of fulfillment in a story other than finishing Ghost of Tsushima. That to me is one of the best games I’ve ever played. FF16 does really good job at doing with the story and the fighting is next to none.. probably a solid 9 if I rate it. The only thing I would complain about is some of the side missions are just fillers to keep the game longer.

@Ravix You’re the one getting worked up bleeping out swear words. I’m accurately describing your argument as unimaginative. That’s simply what is happening.

There are plenty of story-based ways to work in jousting, or racing perhaps, into the game world that would be cohesive with what is present.

Here’s something I thought of in 2 seconds: after Phoenix gate, Ambrosia is captured and enslaved by an underground ring of jousters who brutalize their animals for sport. Clive hears about this ring and sets out to break it up. Upon finding an underground match, Clive notices a particularly spirited Chocobo who is mounted by a cruel rider, and Clive challenges the rider to a duel for ownership of the spirited Chocobo. After winning the duel, that Chocobo turns out to be none other than Ambrosia. Clive and Ambrosia then together decide to search out other underground matches to free chocobos from their enslavement by winning duels. Maybe evening freeing Ambrosia’s children.

Yes, there are some things you can pick apart in this scenario. Underground racing might work better. But it fits the themes and tone of the game, i.e. slavery and brutality. It gets around your complaint of needing different nations present. And it is a legitimate activity that desperate people might engage in during rough times. It would also add an element of much need culture and activity that the game world lacks in FF16. Occasional duels would not distract from the main quest any more than the boring side quests that have zero gameplay value that take up probably 20 hours of game time. Furthermore, it would give Ambrosia more moments to shine and give opportunity to develop her as a character.

Thought of that in two seconds. Im sure that the developers over at SE with all there resources could mesh it even better with the existing game if they cared at all about making a game that actually resembled FF beyond story and aesthetics.

When you critique me for hyper fixating and saying there’s no point in talking to me but then continue to write multiple paragraphs it kind of reminds of something . . . Oh, yeah, a pot calling a kettle black.

Regardless, my overarching point was never to fixate on Chocobos. I was using them as just ONE example of shallow gameplay mechanics and how the developers have stripped away actual gameplay mechanics that were consistent with past FF, and all that is left is story and aesthetics. This goes well beyond Chocobos.

@kcarnes9051 ok

Lmao, I love how the OG Creator of FF says how he's enjoying the game and now you've got people huffing Copium saying "he's just joking right!? B-b-but it's not even Final Fantasy! Someone get a Kanji expert! It must be a joke!" or even calling him a shill when he doesn't even work at Square anymore. So called fans.

You people are a goddamn joke.

@Cloud39472 well said. Same with TV shows. Fans literally think they know better than the creators. The hubris of it all...

@naruball The worst part is, you know with 100% certainty that if he said that he hated it they would be celebrating and using it as ammunition.

In reality it doesn't matter if he liked it or not (although I'm happy he did) the series has had multiple creators and is no longer his vision alone. His opinion means as much as anyone else's but it does help support the argument of this being very much a FF title through and through.

Can't wait for FF17 so we can repeat these discussions like we have since FF9 or even FF7 ad nauseum 😄

@Cloud39472 exactly! It's just confirmation bias. Nothing more. If someone says something they agree with, then "he's speaking the truth!!!11". If not, then "of course he'd say that. He's biased after all/ he can't speak frankly" etc. People, especially online, are unintentionally funny.