Summary
- Final Fantasy 17 should bring back parties and classes to add depth to combat.
- The game should feature turn-based combat with real-time mechanics to balance tradition and modernity.
- Final Fantasy 17 has an opportunity to reconnect with iconic battle systems for a fresh yet faithful experience.
As time assuredly brings fans closer to the release of Final Fantasy 17, even ahead of its announcement, questions and thoughts are already in mind about what its combat will look like. The most recent games in the series, Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, have brought their own spin on the series' combat, with the former overhauling it entirely and the latter simply adding to what Final Fantasy 7 Remake had already introduced. Final Fantasy's combat has consistently evolved throughout the series, but the last few entries have certainly taken things far off-road from the norm, even to the point of contention. As such, there's a lot riding on Final Fantasy 17 and what it does with its own combat system.
Final Fantasy's combat in recent years has been divisive, to say the least, which makes it all the more challenging to narrow down a solid direction for the next entry in the series to go. That being said, it does shine a bright light on what the series perhaps shouldn't have changed, despite its desire to innovate. There are certain traditional elements to Final Fantasy's combat that should arguably be preserved — elements that Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth might have toyed with a bit too much — leaving Final Fantasy 17 to pick up the pieces.
One Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Location Needs a Reprisal
One location might seem like just another stop in Clair Obscur, but what it holds beneath the surface could be too rich not to revisit at some point.
What Final Fantasy 17's Combat Should Look Like
Final Fantasy 17 Should Bring Back Parties and Classes After FF16
While Final Fantasy 16's real-time combat was divisive in and of itself, even more than that might have been the fact that it removed the series' classic party system and distinct character classes from the picture entirely. Rather than controlling multiple characters during combat, players exclusively controlled Clive Rosfield, who would eventually become a multi-class, hugely customizable character that removed the need for other playable characters. Rather than controlling multiple characters of various classes, as has traditionally been the case in Final Fantasy, players only controlled Clive as a jack-of-all-trades.
Clive was still accompanied by AI-controlled companions like Jill Warrick, Cidolfus Telamon, and his loyal wolf Torgal in Final Fantasy 16, but they were not directly controllable by the player.
In the end, despite how innovative this overhaul aimed to be, it might not have been the best move for the series to take. Clive Rosfield, the lovable protagonist that he is, just wasn't enough to fill the void left by removing Final Fantasy's iconic party system and character classes. As such, Final Fantasy 17 might be remiss not to revert to more familiar territory, where players can customize multiple characters individually, along with controlling each of them independently in battle.
Final Fantasy 17 Should Feature Turn-Based Combat With Real-Time Mechanics
One of the main reasons Final Fantasy 16 went all in on real-time combat is due to the idea that modern gamers prefer the fast-paced energy of real-time mechanics as opposed to the traditional turn-based formula Final Fantasy is known for. However, not only did Final Fantasy 16's divisiveness prove that to be a bit untrue, but the recent critical success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 suggests turn-based combat isn't entirely dead. The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has even tried real-time combat with some light turn-based mechanics mixed in, but that hasn't really worked either.
If nothing else, perhaps Final Fantasy 17 should take a cue from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and feature primarily turn-based combat that has some real-time mechanics to balance things out. While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's combat hasn't been universally praised either (primarily due to its difficulty), its success is nonetheless proof that Final Fantasy shouldn't so readily dismiss turn-based combat as an option.
The recent critical success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 suggests turn-based combat isn't entirely dead.
In short, Final Fantasy 17 has an opportunity to really take the series' combat to new heights, given its recent history and the success of turn-based games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, it may be wiser for the next entry to reconnect with what made Final Fantasy's battle systems so iconic in the first place, with flexible party dynamics, turn-based strategy, and character-driven customization. If Final Fantasy 17 can strike the right balance between modern flair and traditional design, it could finally deliver a combat system that feels both fresh and faithful.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre(s)
- RPG
