Why Final Fantasy 15’s Criticisms May Have Led to a Shift Away from Open World in Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 15 was a highly anticipated game that took years to develop. The game was released in 2016 and received a lot of criticism from fans and critics alike. One of the criticisms was the game’s open world, which was deemed too vast and empty, with little to no interesting activities to engage with. As a result, it’s been suggested that Final Fantasy 16 might feature a shift away from an open world structure. The following are reasons why the criticism against Final Fantasy 15’s open world could influence future changes in Final Fantasy game design.
The Trend Towards a More Linear Experience
Final Fantasy 13 was an entirely linear game that told a story and let players enjoy the game’s world and mechanics in the order intended. Many players embraced this style, and the game was enjoyed by many on its release. This is notably different from Final Fantasy 15’s open world structure, where players were given the freedom to explore vast landscapes, which ultimately became the gamers’ main gripe. This might lead to a trend away from open-world games, as game developers look to offer a more directed experience. #LinearExperience #GamerExperience
A Desire for Better-Quality Content
It’s obvious that the quality of content in a game is what most gamers are interested in, not the scale of the game world. Final Fantasy 15 presented a vast world with a lot of open-world mechanics, but some fans argued that the quality of content wasn’t strong enough to justify that vastness. With that in mind, it’s highly likely that the franchise’s creators might opt for a focused strategy where quality is the priority, and game world scale becomes an afterthought.#QualityOverQuantity #BetterContent
The Cost of Developing an Open World is Increasing
The cost of developing open-world games is more expensive than directed experiences. The reason why open-world games were an option in the past was that limitations in hardware meant that world size was limited, but gamers’ expectations have changed with the new consoles that make it possible to create larger, more expansive worlds. Now, open world games require more investment on everything from design to implementation and require much more time and resources than a linear game. This shift alone could be the reason why Final Fantasy 16 will feature a structure different from Final Fantasy 15. #CostOfOpenWorld #ResourceManagement
Summary
Overall, while critics and fans criticized Final Fantasy 15’s vast, void open-world, it seems as though game developers are considering whether or not to continue with that type of game design. Final Fantasy 15’s criticisms may have driven a shift away from the open-world structure in the franchise. The gamers’ trend towards a more directed gaming experience coupled with a desire for high-quality content, as well as the soaring costs of developing open-world games, makes it more likely that we’ll see games in the Final Fantasy franchise shift in a more linear direction. The future of Final Fantasy’s game design remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – the shift to a more linear experience is looming. #OpenWorldCriticism #FinalFantasy16 #LinearExperience #TECH