With games ranging from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade to the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games, Final Fantasy had a bit of a slow year in 2021. Fans were expecting to see more of Final Fantasy 16, though issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have hampered development and delayed the game, according to producer Naoki Yoshida. Existing games like the Pixel Remaster provided some nostalgic enjoyment, while many eager fans ended the year with Final Fantasy 14's swan song in the Endwalker expansion. However, the Final Fantasy franchise has a surprisingly busy year ahead in 2022, even if Final Fantasy 16 likely isn't coming this year.
Mainly, in terms of strictly what's releasing this year so far, 2022 has plenty of spin-offs prepared for the Final Fantasy franchise this year. The eccentric and unusual Soulslike spin-off, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, is coming in just a few short months. Serving as a throwback to 1999's Chocobo Racing back on the original PlayStation, Chocobo GP brings the Mario Kart-esque experience to the FF series once more. Additionally, the seminal Final Fantasy 6 is coming out as part of the Pixel Remaster in February. That's without even any potential reveals coming later this year, meaning it could be a stacked year for Square Enix's biggest franchise.
The Last Entry In The Pixel Remaster: Final Fantasy 6
Square Enix is kicking off 2022 in February with the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, rounding off the definitive collection with one of the greatest JRPGs of all time: Final Fantasy 6. Much like the five previous games before it, Final Fantasy 6 will receive the excellent re-orchestration of the game's fantastic soundtrack, higher resolution graphics, as well as greater accessibility for the sixth game. With Final Fantasy 6, the Pixel Remaster collection will be complete, giving players an excellent new way for players to experience the franchise's 8-bit/16-bit origins. Ironically, all of the known Final Fantasy games coming after this are far from traditional Final Fantasy games.
Chocobo Racing Is Reborn With Chocobo GP
The first Final Fantasy game coming in March is actually a throwback to an older spin-off game from 1999, Chocobo Racing. Following in those footsteps, Chocobo GP brings the Final Fantasy franchise back to the racetrack. Infusing Mario Kart-esque insanity with the iconic classes, monsters, and characters from the franchise, Chocobo GP has all the trappings of a proper kart racer party game. There's drifting, jumps, magic items, and more, all culminating in a comparably hectic experience to Mario Kart. If anything, Chocobo GP will be a quirky and fun distraction for Final Fantasy fans before the real strange spin-off is coming this year.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin - Final Fantasy's Most Unusual Spin-Off
As far as Final Fantasy spin-offs go, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin certainly is the only game in the franchise that can get away with the protagonist blasting Limp Bizkit after proudly exclaiming "Bullshit." Memes and the repetition of "Chaos" aside, Stranger of Paradise: Final FantasyOrigin marks the first time the Final Fantasy franchise is exploring a Souls-adjacent premise. Reimagining the first Final Fantasy game into some kind of campy, cross-universal journey is an ostentatious angle that's certainly unique. Final Fantasy has had its fair share of quirky sequels and spin-off games, but Stranger of Paradise is definitely in a world all its own.
Offering a grimdark, bloody, and barbaric portrayal of a Final Fantasy world, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin matches its world design and aesthetic with its action-based combat. Fights are brutal in proper Dark Souls-esque fashion, while the worlds are self-referential of the entire Final Fantasy franchise (not just the first entry). Focusing on a villainous origin story for (Jack) Garland makes this title deeply unusual, but also means the Final Fantasy franchise is not afraid to experiment far beyond what players usually associate with the franchise.
Piquing fans' curiousity has been the main draw for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Previews of the game have already illustrated the potential depth of the combat, quick-swapping between jobs to mix up playstyles and adapt to certain enemies. The story looks absolutely bonkers, but that pure insanity could also end up endearing to some. Stranger of Paradise will be a severe departure for the series that could either be deeply polarizing, or surprisingly effective.
A New Look At Final Fantasy 16, And More
Beyond those titles, the rest of what fans can expect from the Final Fantasy franchise this year ends up being mostly nebulous. Most importantly, producer Naoki Yoshida did confirm that fans would get a new peak at Final Fantasy 16 at some point "in spring of 2022" this year, hoping to drum up hype leading up to the game's release. Yoshida also mentions in the same announcement that Final Fantasy 16 has been delayed by approximately six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic interrupting development. What that means for the game's release is tough to say, as the game was not outright delayed out of 2022, but a new release window hasn't been provided.
That being said, fans will likely get a more comprehensive gameplay trailer in a few months, providing more insight into the gameplay and story surrounding the warring kingdoms in Final Fantasy 16. For Final Fantasy 7 Remake, producer Yoshinori Kitase stated that the universe of FF7 Remake will expand in some form in 2022. In an interview with 4Gamer, Kitase may have mentioned this in relation to the mobile spin-off Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier, but could also be hinting at something more substantial. Some have theorized that this was hinting towards Red XIII DLC, while others have stated it's in relation to the Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis mobile game.
Either way, there's likely to be some additional Final Fantasy surprises throughout the year, alongside the unusual amount of spin-offs coming to fans throughout spring 2022. Both Stranger of Paradise and Chocobo GP indicate that this year is not a holding pattern for Final Fantasy, even if the wait for Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake's second chapter is long. Hardcore fans will have plenty of Final Fantasy to look forward to in the coming months.
