Do You Need To Play Any “Final Fantasy” Games To Play XVI?

With the release of “Final Fantasy XVI” last week, the question that always seems to come up with every main-title release has sprung forward yet again: do you need to play any “Final Fantasy” games to play XVI?

The short answer? “Final Fantasy XVI” is not connected in any significant way to any other game in the greater “Final Fantasy” franchise. It is not necessary to play any previous games in the series in order to try this new one.

The “Final Fantasy” series, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, can also be one of the most daunting to tackle. After all, the most recent installment has the number “16” attached to it – in Roman numerals, no less.

Even then, there are not only 16 games under the “Final Fantasy” umbrella.

Since the release of the first “Final Fantasy” in 1987, the franchise has branched out into other mediums – not just video games. There has been manga, anime, along with novel and CGI film spin-offs based on several of the installments throughout the series. Plus several games have even received fully-fledged spin-off games of their own.

A few of the main “Final Fantasy” games have received direct sequels or prequels, such as “Final Fantasy X” and “Final Fantasy XIII.” Though, in order to retain the anthology style of the series, the sequel to “Final Fantasy X” did not become “Final Fantasy XI.” Obviously, it was titled “Final Fantasy X-2.” And another mind-bender is the fact that “Final Fantasy XIII” turned into a trilogy.

So, after 16 main entries spanning from 1987 to 2023, where did it all begin?

Not So “Final” Fantasy

The “Final Fantasy” franchise’s inception is often reported as being a last-ditch effort for success whilst Japanese developer and publisher Square Enix – previously known as SquareSoft – faced bankruptcy. Hence, the “final” in “Final Fantasy.”

Rather, the creator of the series, Hironobu Sakaguchi, has gone on the record to explain that, in reality, it was his last attempt at creating a video game in a professional sense. Sakaguchi was going to try his hand at game development one last time and if this fantasy RPG didn’t result in a success, he would quit Square and return to college. Again, providing a logical reason for the “final” in “Final Fantasy.”

Though, 36 years later, that game was far from the imagined “final” game from Sakaguchi, SquareSoft or the franchise that stemmed from it.

A Series That Can Be Started At Any Point

Each main installment in the “Final Fantasy” franchise – from the very first and all the way up to 16 – is its own standalone story, with its own protagonist, cast of characters and fictional universe.

In fact, each game can feel so vastly different from one another that many long-term fans have recently taken to social media to try and define what a “Final Fantasy” game truly is, particularly with the release of “Final Fantasy XVI” which seems to steer in a completely different direction from the majority of previous games in terms of gameplay and tone. It is even the first mainline game in the franchise to receive an “M” for mature rating.

Whereas the series began with a turn-based style of combat, entries have gradually adopted a more real-time, action-based style to approach battles throughout the years. Even 1997’s “Final Fantasy VII” shifted away from purely turn-based combat and into a more free-flowing, open battle system for its 2020 remake. “Final Fantasy XVI” fully ditches the turn-based style and leans solely into real-time action – a shift that many key members of the development team have said they believe was sorely necessary in the modern era and style of gaming.

With all of the new styles that “Final Fantasy XVI” brings to the table and the rest of the franchise as a whole, it is also a return to the series’ roots in some aspects.

A Step Away From Modern, Back Into Medieval

“Final Fantasy XVI” takes place in the medieval world of Valisthea and has players step into the shoes of Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, as he ventures on a quest for revenge.

The setting alone is already a massive shift from the modern-esque land of Lucis that was the setting for “Final Fantasy XV” – complete with cars and smartphones – or even the industrial metropolis of Midgar in “Final Fantasy VII.” Instead, “Final Fantasy XVI” reaches back into the medieval fantasy roots that were ever present in the first five games of the franchise.

Despite being one of the largest and longest-running video game franchises of all time, “Final Fantasy” remains highly accessible to all players due to its non-connected nature. Any mainline “Final Fantasy” game, including the latest offering of number 16, can be anyone’s first “Final Fantasy” adventure – no previous experience necessary.

Featured Image Courtesy of Square Enix.

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