Naoki Yoshida talked about the aspects that prevented Final Fantasy XVI from being an open-world game.

Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy XVI, doesn’t have to give us much information to raise our expectations for the next instalment in the franchise. So far, he’s entertained us with details about summoning battles and the mature themes to be explored in the story, but now he wanted to answer one question: why won’t Final Fantasy XVI be an open-world game?

A few weeks ago, the title’s producer had already dismissed that possibility, giving us a map with several independent areas instead. Now, in an interview with Famitsu (translated by VGC), he took the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the decision. “The production, the dialogue timing, the drama, the sound—they all combined to create the greatest gaming experience possible. Once a Chocobo or Moogle was included, I thought it was already a Final Fantasy experience. That game experience must be felt in Final Fantasy XVI as well.”

“It’s almost impossible in terms of time and cost to create a global story within an open world.” – Naoki Yoshida

“Additionally, it is necessary to understand the overall outline of the game design by taking into account the strengths of the team itself. When thinking about it, I thought, ‘I believe an open world would not fit for what we are planning now.'” continues Yoshida. “I want a story of a hero who saves the world, because this is Final Fantasy. I want a summon to go wild and destroy the map. I want to release this game as soon as possible. I cannot release this game in parts.”

So Yoshida, considering all the aspects that make it a Final Fantasy, finally ruled out an open world: “When considering these four main points, I believe it is practically impossible to ask for everything. If we had a development period of about 15 years, we may have had the opportunity of challenging ourselves with an open world [smiles]. After all, it’s almost impossible in terms of time and cost to create a global story within an open world.”

Open world or not, Final Fantasy XVI certainly looks impressive. The first trailers have made us want to see more, and the community is on pins and needles waiting for the game.

Source: VGC