Final Fantasy XVI (PC/PS5) - June 22, 2023

**Krandor** · 2020-09-17 17:40

While there's no hard number, defining a game as AAA means it's a high budget video game.

Despite it's $60 pricetag Octopath was definitely not high budget

**Jaybar** · 2020-09-17 17:51

Was Lost Odyssey too long ago?

**Tyrath** · 2020-09-17 17:51

Originally Posted by Kaslo

So still Octopath

A- at best.

**Gwynplaine** · 2020-09-17 18:03

Originally Posted by Byrthnoth

The Witcher Fantasy XVI
Also, I haven't seen enough to tell here but AAA games in general need to work on making the CGs/story less "community theater"-ish.

**Malithar** · 2020-09-17 20:49

Originally Posted by Vaspinne

Hot take, after Shadowbringers, Emet Selch is one of my all time favourite antagonists. Easily up there. ShB story is phenomenal

I keep hearing Shadowbringers is amazing. There a good youtube video that reviews the story pretty well?

More on topic of JRPs, also not really AAA, but I Am Setsuna wasn't bad.

**Kaslo** · 2020-09-17 22:25

Matsuda may have let slip that Kazutoyo Maehiro is writing. Maehiri was involved in every ivalice game and FF14

Tweet has since been deleted:

**Lokus** · 2020-09-17 22:30

Maybe this one will finally dethrone FFXII for me.

**Andalusian girls** · 2020-09-17 22:42

Originally Posted by Kaslo

So still Octopath

i think he meant good games tho

**Kirin** · 2020-09-17 23:39

I half wondered if it was Ivalice about midway through the trailer. It felt a lot like the environment in Tactics.

I would love a return to Ivalice, and there's mythology room between XII and Tactics that certainly needs exploring.

**BWYuko** · 2020-09-17 23:57

Yes, there's a huge plot point that's never been explored: the cataclysm that killed every race but the Humes before Tactics.

Seriously doubt FF16 is Ivalice, though; not without involving co-creators Matsuno and Itou. XII was the last game Itou directed, and didn't Matsuno get horrible stomach ulcers or something that forced him to stop production early? His staff made Yiazmat to honor him?

**Vaspinne** · 2020-09-18 00:09

Originally Posted by Malithar

I keep hearing Shadowbringers is amazing. There a good youtube video that reviews the story pretty well?

I couldn't find one and was in the middle of typing out my own summary but hit the wrong button and lost it all. So yeah, gonna give up on that +_+.

It's hard to say "just watch a person summarize it" or "just watch the voiced cutscenes" as they don't give all the depth from the non-voiced quests. But Shadowbringers does a phenomenal job in establishing the world you're teleported to (it's not Eorzea), the dread and despair of that world, the feeling of hope you're able to give that world and ultimately saving it.

It also does a ridiculously good job in making Emet Selch justified in what he's doing. To the point that you can't really call him a villain, just an antagonist. But at the same time, they do a great job in making you understand why you have to stop him. It's a great balancing act. And you just get a ton of character growth and depth and vulnerability from otherwise excessively stoic and quiet characters like Thancred and Urianger. While also letting you see the growth that characters like Alphinaud and Alisaie have already gone through, while letting you see them just be siblings which is so incredibly charming and nice. Y'Shtola is the one character I want to see more from in the future.

And yeah, the Exarch is wonderful. He's selflessly sacrificing himself to save this world, and all he really wants is to go on a fun adventure with you (the WoL/MC)

Spoiler: show

It's really hard to summarize why I love it so much. I could go on and on but I really don't feel like it lol

**Kirin** · 2020-09-18 00:22

Originally Posted by BWYuko

Yes, there's a huge plot point that's never been explored: the cataclysm that killed every race but the Humes before Tactics.

Seriously doubt FF16 is Ivalice, though; not without involving co-creators Matsuno and Itou. XII was the last game Itou directed, and didn't Matsuno get horrible stomach ulcers or something that forced him to stop production early? His staff made Yiazmat to honor him?

I can see Ivalice proceeding without Matsuno. It may have been stomach ulcers, but I've also heard just a mental breakdown from being overworked. Probably a jumble of rumors that just mean he had to step away for his own health. I think the most that has ever been confirmed was "prolonged illness", because of the politics involved with Sakaguchi pulling people from the team to Mistwalker.

My understanding was that at one point he wouldn't revisit Ivalice personally again, which is why the FFXIV scenario was such a big deal. If there is a team outside of Ivalice that I would trust to work on it, and that Matsuno would give his blessing to proceed without him, it would be Yoshi-P.