The upcoming Final Fantasy 16 is taking the series back to its roots. Most of the mainline games over the past two decades have featured settings that lean more heavily on sci-fi or otherwise modern world-building. This has been very popular for the franchise with games like FF6's steampunk and FF7's sci-fi world helping make them two of the most beloved titles overall. Final Fantasy 16 is looking to bring the series back to its traditional fantasy roots, and it's putting the game in a position to differentiate itself from its predecessors in a big way.
This isn't the first time Final Fantasy has gone back to its roots, though. Final Fantasy 9 was in much the same position that FF16 is in now. It followed the success of the three releases before that all featured more sci-fi rather than fantasy in their worlds. Returning to the more traditional, DnD-style aesthetic proved a good move for the series, as FF9 is considered one of the best in the series. A similar approach to the game's world, albeit with a much darker tone, could help propel Final Fantasy 16 into similar success.
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The sci-fi/fantasy blend has worked well for the franchise in modern memory. The reimagined world of FF7 Remake leaned into the sci-fi aesthetic hard, and was part of its success. But the previous modern release Final Fantasy 15 showed that some fans believe this approach had grown somewhat stale. Final Fantasy 16 seems a drastic change from series hallmarks in many ways, but half of the franchise's name is "fantasy," so many fans are excited to see a return to those roots. This is especially true in the current market where games steeped in traditional fantasy archetypes have been very successful.
The Dark Souls series is an apt comparison given the much more somber tone that Final Fantasy 16 is taking. FF16 has stayed quiet since its original announcement, but the tone has been made clear. The world of Dark Souls is steeped in medieval fantasy tradition, from its overarching themes, enemy and character design, to the lofty castle architecture. This has been something many fans have latched onto about the series, and it could work very well for Final Fantasy 16 as well. A medieval-style world could mean a smaller-scale story for Final Fantasy 16, at least at its outset. That was true in Final Fantasy 9 as well, where the heroes originally found themselves embroiled in just one kingdom's politics before the story bloomed into the cross-dimensional conflict later on.
Fans are usually very reticent about such a drastic shift in tone for a beloved franchise, but another good example for why the fantasy setting could work well for FF16 is the success of its MMO sibling Final Fantasy 14. Some of the series' standard steampunk elements are present, like airships, but overall FF14 sticks closer to classic fantasy archetypes. That game is obviously successful, considering just this month there was a shortage of digital copies of Final Fantasy 14. Again, the tone of the MMO is a far cry from the morose atmosphere that's been showcased for Final Fantasy 16, but the common theme of a pure fantasy setting could point toward success for the next game in Square Enix's lauded franchise.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PlayStation 5.