No one but Square Enix currently knows what direction Final Fantasy is headed after Final Fantasy 16, although it might seem to some that certain elements are already guaranteed. Following Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s success, for example, it would be natural to assume that Final Fantasy 17 — what will presumably be the next mainline installment in the series — will bring turn-based combat back to the franchise. After all, with Square Enix having publicly recognized the success of Clair Obscur and acknowledging turn-based RPGs as their roots earlier this year, Final Fantasy 17 would presumably follow suit.
However, that might not be the best course of action for Square Enix to take with the next Final Fantasy, especially when considering what fans actually want. Right now, the call for Final Fantasy to go back to its roots seems loud, as the praise of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues, but while fans do appear to want the next game in the series to tread back in some ways, there are other elements that they’d rather Square Enix leave behind. There’s even a whole Reddit thread for Final Fantasy 17 already that’s dedicated to fans expressing what they want to see in the next game — and the expectations are numerous. It’s an older thread, but it checks out.
Reddit’s Early FF17 Posts Favor the FF7 Remake Style of Combat
In spite of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s ability to achieve such success with a turn-based combat system, most fans on the r/FFXVII thread prefer Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s combat over turn-based. In a post from around a year ago, before Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s release, Reddit user Enough_Food_3377 held a poll asking fans to vote on which combat system they’d like to see in the next Final Fantasy. Among the choices were ATB, Turn-Based, Action, and FFVIIR-style action/ATB Hybrid.
Here’s how the poll turned out:
- ATB (3 votes)
- Turn-Based (4 votes)
- Action (4 votes)
- FFVIIR-style action/ATB Hybrid (12 votes)
Of course, there are a couple of factors to consider here. Firstly, there were only a total of 23 votes cast in this poll, and were there far more, the scales might have tipped toward a different combat system than Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s. That being said, considering the FFVIIR-style action/ATB Hybrid option nonetheless received three times the votes as Turn-Based and Action, and even a bit more than ATB alone, the likelihood that fans prefer Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s combat system over turn-based appears higher.
Secondly, this poll was done before Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched, which means the expectations of Final Fantasy fans might have shifted since then. However, other posts were made after Clair Obscur‘s release that appeared to indicate fans would still prefer something other than turn-based combat in Final Fantasy 17. But the consensus is also that the next entry would not bring back the real-time action combat of Final Fantasy 16 and instead try to land somewhere in the middle. Another Reddit user praised Clair Obscur‘s combat, stating their hopes that Final Fantasy would take note, but many of the comments in the thread either disagreed or claimed it was unlikely that Square Enix would go that direction.
Many fans have stated throughout the Final Fantasy 17 Reddit thread that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s combat isn’t strictly turn-based, as it employs real-time tactics that give it more of a hybrid feel. Still, technically speaking, Clair Obscur is a turn-based RPG, whereas a game like Final Fantasy 7 Remake leans more on the action side of combat while still offering turn-based strategy to an extent. Judging by what fans have been stating on the Final Fantasy 17 Reddit thread, then, it seems they expect the next major entry to go the route of Final Fantasy 7 Remake more than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Final Fantasy 17’s Protagonist Is Met With Certain Expectations
One of the more popular requests for Final Fantasy 17 (according to the r/FFXVII Reddit anyway) is that it feature a female protagonist like Final Fantasy 13‘s Lightning or Final Fantasy 6‘s Terra. In fact, some fans on the Reddit thread seem to think a female lead in Final Fantasy 17 is the “most obvious choice at this point,” considering the male-dominated entries the series has seen most recently. Expectations aren’t necessarily as simple as “Final Fantasy 17 should have a female protagonist,” though, and are instead more explicit in nature.
On one Reddit thread specifically dedicated to conversations about Final Fantasy 17‘s protagonist, fans note clear characteristics they want the lead character to have. “I want her to have lots of personality,” one user said, while another added along similar lines, “I want a cheerful, happy-go-lucky protagonist.” One user even when so far as to say they’d like to see a “female antihero who gets closer to the edge and blurs the lines of antihero and villain,” but there were still others in the thread who didn’t necessarily express interest in a female lead. Instead, they said hope Square Enix just features a happier, less moody protagonist than the series is known for.
Speculation Has Been Circulating About Final Fantasy 17’s Setting
Fans have also been setting expectations for Final Fantasy 17‘s setting, despite the game not existing yet. One Reddit post by user SalamiSalamander invites other fans to speculate on the next mainline entry’s setting, and there were some rather interesting ideas added to the thread.
Here are the biggest settings the Final Fantasy series has already explored:
- High fantasy
- Modern fantasy
- Tech fantasy
- Dark high fantasy
- Steampunk
- Sci-fantasy
Beneath the post, fans expressed a number of wishes for Final Fantasy 17‘s setting. Among the settings mentioned were post-apocalyptic, wild west, cyberpunk, and space opera. It does seem like most of the comments lean more toward post-apocalyptic, which Final Fantasy 10 featured to some extent.
Fans Have Requests for Final Fantasy 17’s Lead Artist
Finally, yet another popular expectation fans have already been setting for Final Fantasy 17 is its lead artist. In a Reddit post by user JustinCredible1991, Tetsuya Nomura was listed as a popular choice, though just as many fans seemed to be in opposition to the idea. Nomura has contributed to the art in many Final Fantasy games, but he has led the character and visual design in entries like Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2, and Final Fantasy 13.
Other comments on the same post say they would prefer it if Akihiko Yoshida (Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy 12, Final Fantasy 14) did the art for Final Fantasy 17. The OP also mentioned Yusuke Mogi as the potential lead artist for Final Fantasy 17, and another comment in the post mentioned Osamu Kamikokuryo, who has been the art director for multiple Final Fantasy games in the late-2000s and 2010s.
- Released
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June 22, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
