As series fans await more information on Final Fantasy 16, many gamers look back to existing Final Fantasy titles to see which might inspire the sequel. Final Fantasy 14 is an obvious choice, as the same development team behind the most recent Final Fantasy MMORPG is working on the new entry in the series, but among the traditional single-player games, Final Fantasy 12 deserves notice. The return to high fantasy and more mature politics depicted in Final Fantasy 12 seems to be present in Final Fantasy 16, and Final Fantasy 12’s shift from turn-based combat and separate encounter screens also helps set expectations for the newest title in the long-running JRPG series.
Whereas many Final Fantasy games combine science fiction and fantasy elements in their worlds, Final Fantasy 12 was a return to a purer high fantasy genre setting. Though the Ivalice setting of Final Fantasy 12 included guns and airships, the setting was still rooted in magic instead of real-world engineering or science fiction concepts. Games like Final Fantasy 6 evoke a steampunk vibe, whereas Final Fantasy 7’s Midgar seems influenced by the cyberpunk genre, where an overreaching corporation creating a literal class divide in a smog-choked city felt like the works of William Gibson through a fantasy lens. Final Fantasy 9 was an earlier return to basics for the series, but it pursued a more whimsical aesthetic, making it a Final Fantasy game that felt closer to a Dragon Quest title in its look and tone.
The serious, grittier fantasy world of Final Fantasy 12 seems much closer to the Valisthea setting of Final Fantasy 16. Promotional materials for the new game confirm there are six major kingdoms in the setting, each of which holds control over a Mothercrystal, and they maintain an uneasy balance of power. This more complex political scenario is reminiscent of Final Fantasy 12, where there are two major warring empires, Archadia and Rozarria, but also the smaller nations caught in between, including Dalmasca, home to most of the game’s heroes. The story of Final Fantasy 12 was not about winning a war against an absolute evil, but about preventing war, and the unavoidable casualties that go along with it.
Realistic Characters And A Complex World Make FF12 And FF16 Alike
Final Fantasy 16 seems to have a similar setting structure, with the Mothercrystals and the Dominants (people with the ability to summon magical Eikons to do their bidding), replacing The Mist and Nethicite as the magical powers that could turn the tide of battle. The realistic characters, return to high fantasy, and focus on politics of Final Fantasy 16 evokes memories of Final Fantasy 12 more than later entries such as Final Fantasy 15, with its frequent inclusion of modern technology like cars and cellphones alongside fantasy elements. In of a battle system, it is likely the new game will be closer to FF15 and the FF7 Remake, as an action RPG with a focus on controlling Final Fantasy 16's protagonist, Clive Rosfield, rather than a party-oriented gambit system.
There are still a lot of unknowns surrounding Final Fantasy 16, but the information released to date suggests a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy 12. The character designs shown resemble the more grounded fantasy designs of Ivalice’s heroes in Final Fantasy 12, with even more simplicity and functionality to their looks. Final Fantasy 15 protagonist Noctis came from a royal line, and the new hero Clive is the eldest son of the Archduke of Rosaria, but Clive seems to lean closer to the princess Ashe in FF12 than the very modern-looking Noctis.
With only barebones information released on the setting and a small number of characters, including Clive and his siblings, any assumptions about Final Fantasy 16 are largely guesswork. The Final Fantasy series is one that has consistently included homages to its past: chocobos, summoned monsters, a frequent focus on magical crystals, and characters named Cid, among other things. Given this history of paying respect to the games that came before it, and revisiting similar themes and story structures, it's fair to say that playing Final Fantasy 12 might give RPG fans at least some idea of what to expect from Final Fantasy 16’s return to grittier storytelling in a high fantasy setting.
