Final Fantasy 16 could be the end of numbered main series Final Fantasy games. Square Enix announced the next mainline installment of its legendary RPG franchise way back in the fall of 2020, with several exciting trailers and even an upcoming playable demo holding fans over until Final Fantasy 16 launches on June 22. The game will take place in the war-torn, medieval world of Valisthea, where a young noble named Clive Rosfield seeks vengeance on his kingdom’s enemies using the power of the mythical Eikons - Final Fantasy 16’s answer to the franchise’s iconic summons.
Final Fantasy 16 will feature many firsts for the Final Fantasy series, which has been one of the JRPG genre’s most popular franchises since it first debuted in 1987. Due to its darker story revenge, Final Fantasy 16 will be the first mainline entry to receive a Mature rating. Additionally, Final Fantasy 16’s story will jump back and forth between certain parts of main character Clive’s life, telling his tale in a more wide-reaching fashion than those of previous heroes like Cloud or Tidus.
However, while Final Fantasy 16 looks to branch the series out in new directions, it could also mark the end of one major Final Fantasy tradition: numbered entry titles. In a recent interview with GQ, Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida revealed that he has discussed the possibility of dropping numbered entries with Square Enix, though such a decision would ultimately be out of his hands. Yoshida explained that these numbered titles could be confusing to new players, who think that they have to play the entire series from Final Fantasy 1 to fully understand the latest game.
As most hardcore gamers probably know, each mainline Final Fantasy entry is set in its own unique world with a standalone plot that is completely divorced from any entries before or after it. Some of them have their stories continued in sequels or spin-offs, as was the case with Final Fantasy 13 and the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, and this could add even more confusion to newcomers. On top of that, two of the core Final Fantasy games (Final Fantasy 11 and Final Fantasy 14) are MMOs, while the rest are mostly single-player.
All of these factors could leave a layperson scratching their head while trying to jump into the massive Final Fantasy series for the very first time, and Naoki Yoshida feels that it might be for the best that future Final Fantasy games forgo the numbered titles that have been a staple of the series since its genesis. While nothing has been decided by Square Enix on the matter, the upcoming Final Fantasy 16 could very well be the last entry in the franchise to carry a Roman numeral in its title when it launches next month.
Final Fantasy 16 will launch on June 22, exclusively for PS5.
Source: GQ
