As the next entry in an iconic JRPG series, Final Fantasy 16 looks to evolve Final Fantasy in many ways as Square Enix iterates upon core aspects of the formula for a modern audience. The recent Sony State of Play delved into many of the new features players can expect when jumping into Final Fantasy 16 for the first time. Aside from a host of gameplay elements designed to make this latest entry as accessible as possible, it was revealed that the game is set to break an unexpected series tradition with its protagonist, Clive.
When describing an overview of the game's setting, producer Naoki Yoshida revealed that the game will be set across three distinct periods of Clive's life: his teenage years, 20s, and 30s. With the final time skip landing Clive at 33 years old, he now holds the title of oldest protagonist in a Final Fantasy game. Although it's not clear how this age difference will affect the plot, it has the potential to give Final Fantasy 16's protagonist Clive a unique character arc and help him stand out against other notable protagonists.
Final Fantasy 16 Breaks From Tradition with Clive's Age
Prior to Final Fantasy 16, the oldest protagonist in the series was Jack Garland from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, who arrives fully formed at the age of 32. At 33, the oldest appearance of Clive rises just above Jack to claim the spot of oldest protagonist in the series. While this may not seem that old for a leading character, few of the franchise's protagonists have even broken the 30-year-old mark, with Final Fantasy 15's Noctis only reaching that mark by the game's ending.
After these three, the next oldest protagonists in the series are Final Fantasy 7's Cloud and Final Fantasy 13's Lightning - both ostensibly 21, discounting some of Final Fantasy 13 and its sequels' weird time elements. Another of Final Fantasy 16's main characters, Jill Warrick, takes the title of oldest leading female in the series at the age of 30 post-time skip. With an older cast of characters, Final Fantasy 16 has the potential to tell more mature stories than past entries of the series, and take the game's plot in directions not possible previously.
There are a host of other traditions Final Fantasy 16 seems to be breaking as the series takes its next steps into the modern era. For starters, the game will record English voice lines and facial capture first rather than begin in Japanese. At the recent State of Play, Naoki Yoshida also confirmed Final Fantasy 16 will be the first true action-RPG in the series, fully severing ties with the traditional turn-based combat of the series' past. While many suspected the game had done away with the traditional Final Fantasy party system, it seems that party members will be available, they just won't be controlled by the player.
Despite these breaks from tradition, Final Fantasy 16 still looks to capture the essence of the franchise and take it to heights the series has never seen before. Casting off the limitations of turn-based RPGs and weaving a plot over three separate time periods could allow the game to tell the franchise's most ambitious story yet, which is truly saying something. With Clive's older age coming into play in the latter part of the game, Final Fantasy 16's plot could end up going down a dark route and craft one of the most compelling narratives yet in a modern JRPG.
Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 22, 2023, for PS5.
