Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's director thinks Final Fantasy's brilliance is that Square Enix can do "whatever they want with it" - so he isn't particularly worried about what direction Final Fantasy 17 might go.
Ever since Final Fantasy 16 came and went last year, series fans have had semi-regular debates about whether the arguably inevitable Final Fantasy 17 should stick to the real-time action formula established in 16 or return to the series' roots for another tactical turn-based adventure.
When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was revealed earlier this year, its creative director Guillaume Broche said in an interview that he has a "love for JRPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, Lost Odyssey," and others. It's pretty clear, then, that Broche and Expedition 33 are somewhat inspired by Final Fantasy games both new and old.
- The old-school Expedition 33 looks like the turn-based AAA JRPG Square Enix refuses to give me with Final Fantasy, and it's out this April
- After Black Myth: Wukong's "social phenomenon," Final Fantasy creator says new tech like the RTX 5090 can power diverse RPGs, but the "old style" still has a place
As part of GamesRadar+'s extensive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 preview, I asked Broche where he'd like to see the Final Fantasy series go next from the perspective of a fan and game developer. "I think they can just do whatever they want, like I think that what's cool about Final Fantasy and something that defined the franchise as a whole, they can just do whatever they want," the creative director responds.
"And I think that's what makes it the pillar of the franchise. To me, they never rest on what they did before. And it's actually quite fresh in the industry when you see the franchise, who just take what they did before and improve it," Guillaume continued while adding that "so actually, I don't want to enter into the debate" on what form the next Final Fantasy should take.
Right now, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is on track to release next year across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, while Final Fantasy 16 finally arrives on PC next month on September 17. Final Fantasy 16's own director recently told us it's "possible, probably even likely" that future Final Fantasy games launch on PC on day one.
For more on what to expect on the gaming horizon, read up on our new games 2024 guide for a look into the future.
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