WithFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthboth set to release before 2023 draws to a close, it’s a fantastic time to be a fan of Square Enix’s famous JRPG franchise right now.Final Fantasy 16is due to release first in June, and promises to return the franchise to its high-fantasy roots, serving up a deeply personal story for fans.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment of a planned trilogy that started withRemake, should follow towards the end of the year, continuing Cloud Strife’s journey. While the games are vastly different from a narrative perspective, they do share one important element: both stories will be split into three distinct parts.
The originalFinal Fantasy 7’s story was huge, so much so that the game was split into three discs for its initial release in 1997. When news first broke that Square Enix was planning to remake the game, many wondered just how this would be done, given the game’s scope. These questions were answered with the release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, which only covered roughly one-third of the game’s narrative, and the news that the full story would unfold throughout three separate games. WhileFinal Fantasy 16will tell a complete story, it spans several time periods, covering three distinct eras of protagonist Clive Rosfield’s life.
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Final Fantasy 16 Shares a Major Similarity with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 16’s story focuses on Eikons, or as long-standing fans know them, summons. These mythological creatures, including the likes of Ifrit and Phoenix, are controlled by Dominants, individuals who were born with the unique power to harness them. Clive’s brother, Joshua, is one such Dominant, and an unknown event featuring him sets Clive on his dark path. A terrible blight is sweeping the land of Valisthea, and Clive and his allies embark on a quest to stop it.
As Clive’s journey unfolds,Final Fantasy 16’s story is set to split into three parts, for three key periods of his life: his teens, his twenties, and finally his thirties. It isn’t known exactly how long the game will spend in each time period, although it stands to reason that the bulk of the game will take place during Clive’s adult life – most likely his thirties once prior events have shaped him into the man he eventually becomes. Given that supporting characters are reported to play a lesser role than in previous installments, it makes sense that players should fully understand Clive’s backstory and motivations, in order to form a connection with him.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas a large amount of narrative ground to tackle, but with a third and final game to follow, it isn’t known exactly how much of this ground will be covered. Events in Midgar were shown in their entirety in the first game, leaving Cloud and his friends at a crossroads. Much of the original game’s main narrative touchpoints, such as Aerith’s death and Cloud’s backstory with Sephiroth, have yet to play out in this new continuity, leaving many fans speculating over which events could play out differently.
Both titles are among the most anticipated games of the year, and for good reason.Final Fantasy 16represents the first mainline entry in the series for seven years, which is the longest gap between entries in the franchise’s 35-year history. The success ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, a project which many doubted would be able to recapture what madeFinal Fantasy 7so special, has served to heighten the anticipation around its sequel, especially with so many exciting story elements yet to be explored. If both of these titles manage to live up to the hype, then2023 could be one of Square Enix’s best yearsto date.
Final Fantasy 16is set to release on June 22 for PS5.
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