The case for and against Final Fantasy 17 following its predecessor's path

Important takeaways

  • Final Fantasy 16
    pulled hard from
    Game of Thrones
    which showcases darker plot elements and political intrigue.
  • FF16
    s move towards more mature stories focusing on a single character marked a significant change in the series.
  • Final Fantasy 17
    could continue down in a similar fashion
    Game of Thrones
    -inspired path, or pursue a new vision to avoid repeating too many of the same elements.



Final Fantasy delivered a combination that saw two successful, but quite different, entries in Square Enix's powerful RPG franchise release recently. Final Fantasy fans got the second part of the beloved seventh title's remake, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirthearlier this year. Before then, Final Fantasy 16 launched in 2023, and with it Square deviated quite a bit from a number of long-held standards and expectations. While some of these came as a surprise to many, and not all were immediately embraced, FF16 was one of the boldest new directions for the series, showing how the developer was trying to evolve Final Fantasy for modern times.


One of the biggest influences on Final Fantasy 16 it was pretty obvious all along Game of Thrones. With its darker plot that includes twists of political intrigue, family betrayal and impending world-threatening disasters, the marks of George RR Martin and the popular HBO series' adaptations can be seen in much of FF16s presentation and world building. Producer Naoki Yoshida apparently even tasked the development team with watching GoT to capture some of its stylings and moods. As Final Fantasy strives to move forward, there are things to be said for whether the next numbered title should tread a similar path, or deviate from it.

2:27

Family

6 things Final Fantasy 17 can learn from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Now that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out, the game does so many things right that Final Fantasy 17, when it finally arrives, must have taken notes.

The pros and cons of Final Fantasy 17 being heavily inspired by Game of Thrones like FF16


Final Fantasy 16 Feeling a lot like Game of Thrones was one of its best choices

One of the most compelling aspects of Final Fantasy 16 was its move into darker and more mature stories and characters than much of what the series had done before. Focuses largely on the journey of a single main character, Clive Rosfield, and the personal traumas he endured imbued FF16 with an emotional heft in a way not quite seen even in others that veered into this territory, like the acclaimed sixth title.

Besides being set in a more strictly high fantasy world that lacks the steampunk aspects seen in some other titles, FF16 leaned much further into grittier, uncomfortable, and more morally gray areas, making it stand out among comics in this regard. Final Fantasy 17 could try to recapture this feeling and take the same approach by embracing and expanding its Game of Thrones-like direction to create an equally bleak and nuanced experience.


Why Final Fantasy 17 might be wise to change course from FF16's vision

Conversely, as effective and memorable as Final Fantasy 16 where to draw from elements of Game of Thronesdoing it again certainly comes with its own risks. The series is well known for switching major tones, themes and settings between entries. If Square chooses to stay too close Final Fantasy 16s design in the next main entry, it may outstay its welcome while being retroactively made FF16 seem less unique. Final Fantasy 17 be too similar by retreading many of them FF16s beats can end up seeming like too much of the same thing, degrading the overall quality of both in the process.

Final Fantasy 17 stands at a crossroads with how it decides to follow on its heels FF16especially in its direction on the above aspects. It may very well try to be a kind of spiritual sequel to FF16 in terms of story and setting, but this would also likely require some noticeable differences and inclusions, so as not to come across as an uninspired copy of previous works. There are good reasons for that FF17 to iterate on core ideas such as FF16 drew from Game of Thrones to maximize its strengths. However, there is an equally valid argument for discarding them in favor of an entirely new vision to keep the franchise fresh and interesting in the future.


Leave a Comment