Final Fantasy Creator Calls Final Fantasy XVI the “Ultimate Fantasy”

The creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, recently shared that he has completed the latest mainline entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy XVI. While his thoughts are brief, it’s clear that he is pretty impressed by this new outing, describing it as the following, translated by our team’s Ryuji:

“[I have played] FF16 to the end.

It was the ultimate fantasy. A true FINAL FANTASY.”

T/L Note: What Sakaguchi says here has multiple interpretations, but he is saying that it was the ultimate (究極) fantasy (幻想). Alternatively, the kanji 究極 can also mean “final.”

As strange as this may seem to many unfamiliar with the franchise, there has been much debate regarding whether Final Fantasy XVI is truly a Final Fantasy game. Some are either dissatisfied or mixed with Final Fantasy XVI’s storytelling and gameplay direction, which has honestly been the case with several mainline entries, especially from XII onward.

Still, that debate’s existence alone bolsters the notion that the differences between each Final Fantasy game are what makes them Final Fantasy.

Ultimately, the creator of Final Fantasy’s love of Final Fantasy XVI shouldn’t influence your liking or disliking of the game, but it is definitely neat to know that he’s a fan of this moderately divisive entry.

While Sakaguchi is no longer involved in the Final Fantasy franchise as he once was, he has launched a new game with publisher Mistwalker, Fantasian. This RPG is an Apple Arcade exclusive, but a recent listing on Steam Database suggests that a potential port may arrive in the near future.

Sakaguchi’s tweet regarding his completion of Final Fantasy XVI is below (if not properly embedded, click the hyperlink in this sentence):

FF16　最後まで。

究極の幻想「FINAL FANTASY」でした。#FF16 pic.twitter.com/rSLabmIO0t

— 坂口博信 (@auuo) August 14, 2023

Final Fantasy XVI is a more action-heavy entry than its predecessors, with a Devil May Cry V designer even taking the helm. Throughout the title, players will control the protagonist, Clive, as he confronts various Dominants, humans who have been cursed with the power to become Eikons.

Clive is the “First Shield of Rosaria,” sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, who’s the Dominant of Phoenix. However, following a certain tragedy, Clive swears revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit.

The producer, Naoki Yoshida, describes this game as akin to his experience with the first Final Fantasy, as “playing the lead in an epic motion picture.” The reasoning for this title’s action-oriented approach and more classical fantasy setting was to “appeal to as wide a range of gamers as possible.”

Check out our latest post-launch coverage and our review.

Final Fantasy XVI is available on PlayStation 5.