After Final Fantasy 7 Remake's unique take on the ATB system from previous titles, how will Final Fantasy 16 advance the series' combat?
Many fans were thrilled to see Final Fantasy 16's confirmation so soon after Final Fantasy 7 Remake's release. Despite the unexpected speed of Final Fantasy 16's announcement, the game certainly looks very promising and unique. Going for a more medieval style of fantasy, Final Fantasy 16 returns the series to its roots, resembling something more akin to Final Fantasy 4 than other, more recent entries. With the return of high fantasy comes fantastic visuals, impeccable character design, and a seemingly-intriguing narrative. Overall, Final Fantasy 16's announcement as the newest entry in the long-running series has left fans quite pleased.
Throughout the years, the Final Fantasy series hasn't been shy about tinkering with many different battle systems. The franchise started with traditional turn-based battles, until Final Fantasy 4 shook up the series with the Active Time Battle system. Most of the Final Fantasy games that followed featured Active Time Battle in some form. More recently, the series has tinkered with the notion of strict action-based combat. Final Fantasy 15 fully committed to this route, but its systems were a little shallow. Final Fantasy 7 Remake had a fantastic mixture of both action and strategy, provided by the newly re-worked Active Time Battle gauge. Considering how wildly the series has changed its combat recently, how will this affect Final Fantasy 16's combat?
Judging from its trailer, it is apparent Final Fantasy 16 is supposed to be more action-oriented, perhaps even more so than current Final Fantasy titles. The battles seem very fast-paced, focused, and reactionary at a glance. What's also important to note is the lack of any HUD menus, which were on display in both Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. However, given this is Final Fantasy 16's first trailer, the HUD menu could (and likely was) excluded for cinematic effect. Either way, the amount of speed and variety in Final Fantasy 16's combat is already quite evident. It seems as if it is attempting to take the more action-oriented approach of FF15, and then add more varied and rich mechanics on top of that.
In comparison to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, in particular, the combat system in FF16 already has some stand-out differences. Final Fantasy 7 Remake had plenty of action, but the game wasn't afraid to slow down the pace with its tactical mode, different character playstyles, and many different strategies allowed through smart usage of materia. However, the speed and mobility of the main character in FF16 make the game, at least in this first look, seem more akin to Devil May Cry.
The feel of the combat itself seems more action-focused than strategy focused. The main character displayed many different moves and attacks throughout the trailer, confirming the move pool of the main character will be larger than past installments. Overall, Final Fantasy 16's potential as an action-focused RPG is plain to see. While much information is still unconfirmed, the fast-paced feel of the game's new combat is very apparent, even in the first look.
