Recently, information on Final Fantasy 16's Bahumut and Odin) than they have seen to date showing off some very promising footage of what Final Fantasy fans have come to love about the series. However, despite being a completely original concept for a new game, this entry still seems to take inspiration from two past entries in particular.
Final Fantasy games, despite being in the same series, rarely have interconnected stories, save for various setpieces and other gameplay elements. Despite Chocobos, Cactuars, and a character named Cid, like Final Fantasy 7's divisive Cid Highwind, the worlds, stories, and characters are usually new or removed from previous entries. Final Fantasy 16 is no exception, with its latest trailer showing off new kingdoms and giving more of a glimpse at how each character ties into the story.
Despite being original, Final Fantasy 16 looks as though it fuses elements of fan-favorite entries Final Fantasy 12 and Final Fantasy XIV with its best expansions. For the latter, the connections are fairly obvious, showcasing a similar faction and kingdom split, showcasing many great nations and how each relates to the others. For Final Fantasy 12, the setting shares many traits with Final Fantasy 16, including a fantasy setting, a seemingly political story with power struggles between nations, and more than a few stylistic visual touches.
Final Fantasy 16 Draws From Final Fantasy 12 & 14
Final Fantasy 16 features many kingdoms revealed so far, including the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, the Iron Kingdom, and the Crystalline Dominion. Final Fantasy XIV, which recently trolled fans with a Final Fantasy 9 remake tease, mirrors this with six city-states, including Gridania, Ul'dah, Ishgard, Limsa Lominsa, Ala Mhigo, and Doma, each featuring a unique government, biome, and environment similar to the factions presented in Final Fantasy 16 thus far. This isn't surprising since the director of Final Fantasy 14, Naoki Yoshida, is also the director for the Final Fantasy 16 as well.
A Final Fantasy 12 influence is also noticed as both games share a Creative Director/Screenwriter, Kazutoyo Maehiro, and Art Director, Hiroshi Minagawa. These similarities lead to similarly epic environments and design flourishes, making both games feel connected cut from the same cloth. Specifically, Final Fantasy 16's Valisthea feels inspired by Ivalice, Final Fantasy 12's world, showing off high fantasy designs mixed with magic and technology. Despite these similarities, Final Fantasy 16's newest trailer certainly has its own energy, and seems to have gone a long way toward building increased hype with an intoxicating mix of new yet familiar worlds.
