TheFinal Fantasyseries has remained relevant for decades, and a big reason for this enduring success is its anthology formula. While many other long-running game franchises struggle to retain their strengths with each passing entry due to audience fatigue and beleaguered narratives,Final Fantasy’s loose relationship with plot, character, setting, and tone has allowed it to freely experiment time and again.
But it’s not just story and setting that benefit from this casual connection to continuity—gameplay regularly gets a shot in the arm as well.Final Fantasyhas managed to cater to fans of MMORPGs, turn-based combat, and action-RPGs thanks to its willingness to embrace mechanical change, and games likeFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeeven allow audiences to experience a familiar story with fundamentally different gameplay. Having said that, Square Enix could certainly embrace a little more flexibility in this respect, since mostFinal Fantasygames adhere to the conventions of traditional RPGs, and looking at the series' forays into a decidedly western formula could be a nice way to shake things up.
It’s Time for More Final Fantasy Shooters
Final Fantasy Has Dipped Its Toes Into the Third-Person Shooter Space Before
It may seem like an odd combination—and in some ways, it certainly is—but a third-or first-personshooter withFinal Fantasysensibilitiescould work surprisingly well. There are at least two notable instances ofFinal Fantasygames leveraging shooting mechanics:
Dirge of Cerberusis something of a cult classic, remembered fondly as an oddity within the vast universe ofFinal Fantasy 7spin-off properties. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and its shooting mechanics are nothing to write home about, but it definitely has a bit of PS2-era charm about it, and the edgy story (helmed by none other than Vincent Valentine) is a good bit of shlocky fun. Moreover, it’s a solid translation of action-RPG mechanics into a more shooting-focused template.
The First Soldieris much less respected. The 2021 free-to-play battle royale was extremely low on the list of thingsFinal Fantasyfans were hoping for, as the genre was already getting rather long in the tooth at the time of its release. One could endlessly speculate about why this endeavor failed, but ultimately, it just came across as a shallow and misguided project that didn’t leverage the strengths of its IP. However, it would be wrong to say that its implementation of shooting mechanics was what sunk the ship, as there are certainly ways that Square Enix could successfully implement similar ideas in a premium release.
A Single-Player Final Fantasy Shooter Isn’t as Strange as It Sounds
Although most real-timeFinal Fantasygames focus on melee combat, shooting mechanics could still gel with the series' action-RPG tendencies. Something like Barrett’s shooting systems in theFinal Fantasy 7remake saga could be a nice jumping-off point: Barrett’s combat is a good mix of grounded shooting with a good deal of fantastical and outlandish elements, like the lack of ammo limitations and the various magical effects that augment his abilities. It should also be noted that many turn-basedFinal Fantasygames feature characters with guns or other ranged implements. If real-timeFinal Fantasygameplay is meant to be a fast-paced version of turn-based combat, then there’s no reason why this same design philosophy can’t be applied to guns like it is to melee weapons.
A more mechanically deep version of Barrett’s or Vincent Valentine’s gameplay could make for a strongFinal Fantasyshooter. The need to actually aim, reload, and optimize gun loadouts would make for a more in-depth and engaging combat sandbox, and there could still be room for magical features, such as elemental guns or even wands and staves. It would be a nice change of pace from the usualsword-wielding gameplay of entries likeFinal Fantasy 7RemakeandFinal Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
