Summary
- Final Fantasy could benefit from a spin-off like Dragon Quest Builders.
- Final Fantasy has a larger reach than Dragon Quest, with the potential for innovation.
- "Final Fantasy Builders" could incorporate iconic locations, characters, and art styles for a unique experience.
Spin-offs are almost always a good way to bring fans of classic franchises back to those worlds in a unique way, and it can also help break up the monotony of any series that has gone on for a long time, like Square Enix's Final Fantasy, for instance. Since its 1987 inception, the Final Fantasy series has featured numerous spin-offs, including Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo Mystery Dungeon, and more. However, there is one spin-off series from another of Square Enix's franchises that the developer could use as a blueprint for yet another Final Fantasy game.
Square Enix's prized possession may be its Final Fantasy franchise, but its Dragon Quest line of games is right behind it. Interestingly enough, Dragon Quest is actually older than Final Fantasy, though only by a year, so the fact that it is still alive and well today is a testament to its popularity. Since it began in 1986, the Dragon Quest series has also had plenty of spin-offs, like Dragon Quest Builders. In fact, Dragon Quest Builders may have the perfect foundation for a new Final Fantasy spin-off, should Square Enix ever want to try something new with its most beloved franchise.
Final Fantasy 17 Should Follow FF13, FF6's Lead in One Important Area
Final Fantasy 17 could shake things up by doing something Final Fantasy 13 and Final Fantasy 6 did that very few Final Fantasy games have done.
Final Fantasy Needs a Spin-Off Like Dragon Quest Builders
In a bit of a departure from the formulaic JRPG mechanics the Dragon Quest franchise had established over three decades, Dragon Quest Builders combines said mechanics with a sandbox world similar to Minecraft. However, unlike Minecraft, Dragon Quest Builders offers players more direction with its narrative, which sees the Builder, a unique hero with the power to create and rebuild, embarking on a journey to restore a broken world to its former state. With the resource gathering and management, exploration, and simple action of crafting games like Minecraft and the story-driven format of previous Dragon Quest games, Dragon Quest Builders is a one-of-a-kind, heartwarming experience.
Final Fantasy Could Make Use of Dragon Quest Builders' Formula
Now that the Dragon Quest Builders series has established a well-oiled formula for Square Enix, Final Fantasy should take the leap and try something similar. After all, the Final Fantasy series has a much longer reach than Dragon Quest, so it would already have an audience waiting for it anyway. There are plenty of unique ways Final Fantasy could utilize the Dragon Quest Builders formula too, if it didn't simply copy and paste its premise and put a Final Fantasy skin on it. It might be more of an experimental Final Fantasy game at first, like Final Fantasy Tactics and World of Final Fantasy, but it could work.
A possible "Final Fantasy Builders" game could see players traveling to iconic Final Fantasy locations, like Final Fantasy 7's Gaia or Final Fantasy 10's Spira, where they have been sent to rebuild those cities after a massive, dimension-spanning apocalyptic event occurs. This would likely appeal to the nostalgia of longtime Final Fantasy fans while simultaneously incorporating Dragon Quest Builders' unique formula. Going in that same direction, the game could feature some of Final Fantasy's most famous characters — like Cloud Strife, Terra Branford, or Clive Rosfield — who perhaps partner with players in rebuilding their cities and expunging any evil that threatens them.
It would also make sense for a "Final Fantasy Builders" game to feature a narrative that is even more structured than those in the Dragon Quest Builders series, as is tradition for Final Fantasy.
A potential "Final Fantasy Builders" game would also feature a notably different art style, as the Final Fantasy series has generally had more "mature" and realistic visuals than Dragon Quest. Its environments could still be vibrant and colorful, as those in the Dragon Quest Builders series are, but it would likely still need to blend that motif with the more detailed art style Final Fantasy is known for. These elements, along with the Final Fantasy series' recurring features, would likely be enough to set a "Final Fantasy Builders" game apart from Dragon Quest Builders to offer fans both a familiar and unique experience.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- July 12, 2019
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix, Omega Force
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
