Not much is known aboutFinal Fantasy 16,though fans are expected to learn more sometime this Spring. When that showcase or event takes place is still anyone’s guess, but there has been a lot of speculation based onFinal Fantasy 16’s one trailerthus far. A lot of this deals with Joshua’s fate, the role of certain characters and countries, the identities of certain Dominants, and so on. However, one thing was notably missing in this trailer.
WhenFinal Fantasy 16showed off its combat, it was impressive—seeming like an impressive combination ofFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeandFinal Fantasy 15. There was one major change to this combat that many fans may have picked up on early: Clive was alone. A vast majority ofFinal Fantasygames revolve around parties andjob systems, like the recentStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, butFinal Fantasy 16could be breaking away from this and it should.
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Final Fantasy 16 Dropping the Party System?
There are a couple of reasonswhyFinal Fantasy 16should drop the party system, but at the same time, not enough has been shown to say if it actually has one way or the other. The trailer doesn’t show much, and it’s clear that older Clive does have comrades—although they don’t appear to be companions, as they seemed too generic. It could be that the next news reveal does show more characters who will join Clive on his journey, and it would make sense given the franchise’s history.
However, as it stands now, it seems thatFinal Fantasy 16’s Cliveis on a quest for revenge. There are some bigger worldbuilding events going on, obviously, what with a plague, clearly a war, and some betrayals going on. But Clive wants to kill someone for some reason, presumably for Joshua’s death. This means Clive’s journey is a personal one, and while companions could come and go or permanent ones could have a huge impact on his character development, the revenge would be made much more personal if Clive stuck to himself.
Final Fantasy 16’s Story and Combat Seems Built for One
Not to mention, some of the dialogue in the trailer would suggest that Clive’s home was betrayed. Perhaps it doesn’t even exist afterFinal Fantasy 16’s apparent time skip, and that could give him reason to not trust anyone. Fully developing this idea by not having a party system would make it more potent, and given the main art forFinal Fantasy 16also only depicts Clive (presumably the box art too), that’s another small suggestion it could be gone.
Another reason, although less impactful, isFinal Fantasy 16’s combat system. It would appear more focused on Clive’s ability to use special powers, meaning he would likely outpace other characters anyway. Not impossible to balance, but it would be more impactful if it was just him. That, and many have also compared itscombat toDevil May Cry 5—which doesn’t use party systems. That doesn’t mean it’s the same, but it does seem like combat built for one.
Overall,Final Fantasy 16breaking from this tradition could be a good thing. Companions and party systems are fun, and they would certainly be missed. But the features, overall, are going nowhere with a franchise that has been going on this long. A mainline game wholly focused on one character, story and combat-wise, would be a fun and interesting departure, as long as it is done right.
