The producer of Final Fantasy XVI - about the lack of an open world and turn-based battles

In one of the previous interviews, the producer of Final Fantasy XVI, Naoki Yoshida, said that the project is "not an open world game." In a conversation with Famitsu journalists, he explained, what is this and another extraordinary decision related to.

According to Yoshida, an open world would not fit the intended concept of the game. When the producer highlighted the main goals for the project, he said the following:

“I want to create a story with a hero who saves the world, because this is Final Fantasy. I want the summoned creature to rage and destroy the entire map. I want to release the game as soon as possible, but not in parts.”

Once he ticked off those points, he realized it was nearly impossible to ask the team for anything else. "If the production had lasted fifteen years, we would have tried to create an open world," the producer smiles. If you believe his words, creating a large-scale story inside an open world is almost impossible in terms of time and costs. 

Final Fantasy XVI lacks another familiar element of the series - turn-based battles. Naoki Yoshida explained that they were prompted by the age of the audience for which the game is being prepared. In his opinion, andthe interest of young people in turn-based battles is declining.

At the same time, the producer clarified that he knows what the beauty of such games is. He wants to continue doing them, because Yoshida grew up with them. However, it's also important for him to keep in mind the sales of Final Fantasy XVI and the impact it could have. However, Yoshida does not rule out that the next "finale" may return both to turn-based battles and to the open world. 

Final Fantasy XVI will be released in the summer of 2023 on PlayStation 5.