Final Fantasy XVI's Developers Had To Watch Game Of Thrones

Final Fantasy XVI is nan adjacent mainline introduction successful nan long-running RPG bid and it seems to beryllium going for a radically different reside compared to past entries. We decidedly sewage immoderate Game of Thrones vibes from past trailers. And successful retrospect, that’s not surprising, arsenic nan developers moving connected nan crippled were “required” to watch HBO’s celebrated imagination bid earlier improvement began connected FFXVI. 

Launching June 22, 2023 exclusively connected PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy XVI takes spot successful nan world of Valisthea, which is entering its “twilight.” Natural resources are dwindling and warfare is brewing, threatening to plunge rival nations into chaos. How this will each useful retired will seemingly beryllium decided by nan Dominants, main characters who glow weird colors, and Eikons, acquainted summons for illustration Ifrit and Bahamut that nan Dominants tin toggle shape into. And while immoderate of this connects backmost to nan classic, often medieval-themed FF games, nan wide reside of trailers and recent previews feels darker and much mature.

This recently acheronian reside compared to past games isn’t a mistake, according to FFXVI’s shaper Naoki Yoshida.

In an question and reply pinch Eurogamer, Yoshida says that arsenic he’s grown older he finds himself liking imagination that’s “based much successful reality.” He explained that erstwhile they saw really Game of Thrones and nan books it was based connected had really “resonated” pinch people, he knew FFXVI should spell a akin route. To make judge nan crippled had a akin “feel,” nan first group moving connected nan crippled had to watch nan show.

“When we first started creating nan game,” Yoshida said, “We had our halfway squad of astir 30 members very early connected bargain nan Blu-ray boxset of Game of Thrones and required everyone to watch it, because we wanted this type of feel.”

Final Fantasy XVI is heavy inspired by occidental fantasy, for illustration Lord of nan Rings

When Eurogamer pointed retired a segment they saw during their preview reminded them of a segment from the Lord of nan Rings films that featured Gandalf and nan Balrog, Yoshida admitted he had publication nan novels and seen nan films “multiple times” but didn’t recognize really akin nan scenes were until it was pointed out. “But now that you mentioned it, it really does look [similar].”

It’s different illustration of really nan squad seems to beryllium inspired by occidental fantasy, for illustration Game of Thrones and Lord of nan Rings. FFXVI’s creation head Hiroshi Minagawa told Eurogamer that looking astatine these franchises made sense, arsenic that was nan type of style and consciousness they were aiming for.

“If we want to create thing that has that benignant of occidental feel, we person to look to nan westbound for that benignant of inspiration,” said Minagawa. “And truthful things for illustration Game of Thrones are things that we look to because that type of worldly does not beryllium wherever we unrecorded successful Japan.”

Now, were nan devs required to watch nan final play of Game of Thrones, and if so, did they get hazard pay?

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