Final Fantasy XVI takes a new approach with its comparatively dark style, which many fans of the popular game series appreciate.
What is the dark style all about? On June 22, 2023, Final Fantasy XVI will be released, showcasing a new and unusually dark appearance. Compared to many other installments of the popular series, FFXVI does not shy away from depicting raw violence and tells a story centered around war and betrayal.
In a MeinMMO interview with the developers, Naoki Yoshida, producer of FFXVI and head of the MMORPG FFXIV, stated that the team originally did not intend to create a dark and brutal game. Instead, they wanted to craft a story that feels real and brings depth.
However, the game also showcases things that, according to Yoshida, people look away from in real life. Final Fantasy XVI thus has a dark story and atmosphere because themes like war are intended to be portrayed realistically.
How dark Final Fantasy XVI can be, you can also see in the story trailer:
“The game will be much more impressive as a result”
What do fans say about the dark approach? There is currently a thread on Reddit where players respond in over 280 comments to the question of how they find the “mature tone” of FFXVI. Numerous fans praise the darkness and brutality of the RPG.
- Ultima_Key07: “Oh, definitely. It’s a breath of fresh air that allows the authors not to hold back on a theme they want to tell in this story – and as a result, the game will be much more impressive.”
- Bmonli: “This was desperately needed for this franchise. Long-time fans are older and can appreciate the more mature things […].”
- doc_nano: “Yes. I like that it feels more adult, but not in an exaggerated way. There is brutal violence, but it is not presented in a voyeuristic manner. There is swearing, but generally only in situations where it makes sense. […] So far, it feels literally mature, not in the sense of a traditional video game. Amazingly tasteful.”
- Hyeonwoon: “Damn yes. I love it.”
- PLDmain: “Definitely, I feel that they are telling a much richer and more intimate story.”
MeinMMO’s community manager Irina Moritz has already played the various demos of Final Fantasy XVI and praised, among other things, the highlights of the story as “absolutely fantastic”.
After the first demo of Final Fantasy XVI, I was cautious; the second convinced me
