Summary
Final Fantasydelivered a combination that saw two successful, though fairly different, entries in Square Enix’s powerhouse RPG franchise release recently.Final Fantasyfans received the second part of the beloved seventh title’s remake,Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, earlier this year. Prior to that,Final Fantasy 16launched in 2023, and with it, Square deviated quite a bit from a number of long-ingrained standards and expectations. While some of these came as a surprise to many, and not all were immediately embraced,FF16was one of the boldest new directions for the series, showing how the developer was attempting to evolveFinal Fantasyfor modern times.
One of the major influences onFinal Fantasy 16that was quite apparent throughout it wasGame of Thrones. With its darker plot containing twists and turns of political intrigue, familial betrayal, and impending world-threatening disasters, the marks of George R.R. Martin and the popular HBO show’s adaptations can be seen in much ofFF16’s presentation and world building. Producer Naoki Yoshida apparently even tasked the development team with viewingGoTto capture some of its stylings and moods. AsFinal Fantasyendeavors to move forward, there are things to be said about whether the next numbered title should tread down a similar road, or diverge from it.
Various leaks andrumors of aFinal Fantasy 9remakehave also been floating around for a while, but it has not been officially confirmed as of this time.
The Pros and Cons of Final Fantasy 17 Being Heavily Inspired by Game of Thrones Like FF16
Final Fantasy 16 Feeling a Lot Like Game of Thrones Was One of its Best Choices
One of the mostcompelling aspects ofFinal Fantasy 16was its move to darker and more mature storylines and characterizations than much of what the series had done before. Focusing largely on the journey of a single main character, Clive Rosfield, and the personal traumas that he endured imbuedFF16with an emotional weight in a way not really seen even in others that veered into this territory, like the acclaimed sixth title.
On top of being set in a more strictlyhigh fantasy worldlacking the steampunk aspects seen in some other titles,FF16leaned much further into grittier, uncomfortable, and more morally gray areas, making it stand out among the series in this regard.Final Fantasy 17could seek to recapture this feeling, and take the same approach by embracing and expanding itsGame of Thrones-like direction to create a similarly somber and nuanced experience.
Why Final Fantasy 17 Might be Wise to Change Course From FF16’s Vision
Conversely, as impactful and memorable asFinal Fantasy 16was for drawing fromelements ofGame of Thrones, doing so again certainly comes with its own risks. The series is well-known for alternating major tones, themes, and settings between entries. If Square chooses to adhere too closely toFinal Fantasy 16’s design in the next main entry, it might overstay its welcome while retroactively makingFF16seem less unique.Final Fantasy 17being too alike by retreading many ofFF16’s beats could wind up seeming like too much of the same thing, and diminish the overall quality of both in the process.
Final Fantasy 17is at a crossroadswith how it decides to follow on the heels ofFF16, particularly in its direction on the above aspects. It may very well try to be a sort of spiritual sequel toFF16in terms of narrative and setting, but this would also likely require some noticeable differences and inclusions, so as not to come off as an uninspired copy of previous work. There are good reasons forFF17to iterate on core ideas thatFF16pulled fromGame of Thronesto maximize its strengths. However, there is an equally valid case to be made for it to discard them in favor of a completely new vision in order to keep the franchise fresh and interesting in the future.
