Numbers from a recent poll are indicating that the recently releasedFinal Fantasy 16DLC, titled Echoes of the Fallen, is bringing in a healthy number of younger gamers. That’s pleasing news to the developer and producer, who had set a goal of drawing in players of all ages for its venerated JRPG series, and it could spell good things for that series' future.
In arecently published interviewwith Japenese language gaming site Famitsu, game producer Naoki Yoshida (better known in fan circles as Yoshi-P) was asked about reception to the DLC, whichreleased on December 8. The very first thing he said in response centered on the positive reception that the DLC has seen among players in their late teens or younger.
Final Fantasy 16 Needs More Than Just Good Fighting
Even the most robust combat can’t compensate for the lack of other essential elements.
“First of all, I was happy to say that according to the results of a survey conducted by the advertising team, more than 10% of the people who played the downloadable version were in their late teens or early 10s, meaning they had never played the FF series before,” a translation of Yoshi-P’s statement reads. “I feel that we have achieved our goal of ‘wanting people of all ages to play’ to some extent.”
That should bring a sigh of relief to both the developers and longtime fans of the series.TheFinal Fantasyseries of role playing games stretches all the way back to 1987 on the Famicon, or 1990 for its western release on the Nintendo Entertainment System. While it remains one of the most popular RPG series on the market, an aging player base — which Yoshi-P acknowledged Final Fantasy has as part of the interview — doesn’t usually mean good things for a series' longevity, and attracting a new generation of players is often crucial for a series to continue on.
Not The Best Reaction, Nor The Worst
Final Fantasy 16 picked up one win (for Best Score and Music) at The Game Awards, held the same day that the DLC was released, and it was nominated in three other categories: Best Narrative, Best Performance (by Ben Starr) and Best Role Playing Game. Still, despite its quality (our Matthew O’Dwyer scored it a 9/10) it didn’t perform as well as some other past entries in the series have, and the producer indicated that the shift away from a turn-based formula and into the action RPG genre may have had something to do with that — though that dissent may not be a worldwide phenomenon.
“Surprisingly, there was a lot of rejection of this game’s departure from turn-based in North America… but I think it was less than I had imagined,” a translation of Yoshi-P’s words states. “However, on the other hand, there were also people who wished for the development and future potential of the FF series, and tried to neutralize the community by conveying the ‘FF-ness’ of FF16. This is partly thanks to their support, but I have the impression that the number of people who genuinely appreciate it has increased since the initial response has calmed down.”
A second Final Fantasy 16 DLC, titled The Rising Tide, is planned for release in the spring of 2024, though no solid launch date has been set. Those looking to play Echoes of the Fallen can pick it up now for $9.99.
Final Fantasy 16
WHERE TO PLAY
Developed by Square Enix and released on the PS5 in 2023, Final Fantasy 16 sees shunned royal Clive Rosfield lead a journey of self-discovery in a world inhabited by Eikons. Learning the truth about his family and thwarting a powerful foe ruling the land of Valisthea is all in a hard day’s work for the protagonist, but he has a solid team of allies at his back, including Cid, Jill, and his trusty frost wolf Torgal.
