Thanks to sixteenbiticon for the inspiration!
Sixteenbiticon wrote this sometime before Square Enix released Final Fantasy XV. Yet, most still hold:
Yes, yes, I know that XV isn’t even out yet, but I had a shower thought yesterday that I thought I’d share. Since FFXV is very modernized and the theme color seems to be black, wouldn’t it be awesome if they contrasted that with XVI being high fantasy with a white theme? I’m talking pristine castles, shining knights, white mages, purity, and maybe with a less serious and more whimsical tone? I think that is exactly what I am going to be in the mood for after playing FFXV. And a return to ATB combat without movement/dodge/etc., but I realize at this point that that is a pipe dream and will never happen again for the main series FF game.
Would you like to see something similar? What do you want out of XVI?
Final Fantasy XV was modern, in a fantasy sort of way. Unlike Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Final Fantasy XV downplayed the themes associated with the color “black”. We could find a couple of strands hinting to the culture of death the Lucii family paraded. But otherwise, Final Fantasy XV was a mostly light game with road trips, fishing, camping and bro talk. The game didn’t get really heavy until Altissia, and just kept spirally downward afterward. Only at the end did we truly see happiness, and even that was bittersweet.
Modern is the transitory period between the past and the future, so why not a futuristic setting? Of course, I would like to see Final Fantasy XVI take a medieval theme. Seem like we’re ripe for another medieval setting. The castle, knights, and mages harken back to Final Fantasy’s past. The classic era when we had defined job roles and a high fantasy flair. Plus, we could see an awesome companion piece to Final Fantasy XV. Think of the dichotomy of Final Fantasy I and II, or Final Fantasy V and VI.
What if the next Final Fantasy had a white theme, but went the complete opposite. Even if everything looked magical, the game was utterly depressing until its end. The ending would be happy, even if none of our characters felt that way. The whimsical tone would betray a sick black humor. The ATB combat could make a return. But as the game progressed, parts of the gameplay would force live action onto the players. It would be a reminder to us that the old way is slowly transitioning away.
What do you think?