Final Fantasy 16: With Open World, it would have taken 15 years to develop

Naoki Yoshida, the President of Final Fantasy, claims that it took 15 years to develop Final Fantasy 16 with an open world. That is also the reason why the title does not have such a world.

That’s why Final Fantasy 16 doesn’t need an open world

In an interview with the Famitsu, Naoki explained that he preferred to focus on other elements. An open game world would have been just too much.

“When I played the first Final Fantasy, I thought, ‘This is a movie-like gaming experience,'” says Yoshida. “The staging, the dialogue timing, the drama, the sound all combine to create the best possible gaming experience. As soon as a Chocobo or a Moogle appeared, I thought it was already a Final Fantasy experience. That gaming experience needs to be replicated in Final Fantasy XVI to be felt.”

The strengths of the team and the overall design of the game also need to be considered, according to Yoshida. When I thought about it, I thought, ‘I don’t think an open world would fit with what we’re planning now.'” There were many arguments against open world and the associated development time for him.

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“I want a story about a hero who saves the world because this is Final Fantasy. I want a summon that turns everything upside down and destroys the map. I want to release this game as soon as possible. I can do this game not publish in parts,” said Yoshida.

“If you take those four main points into account, it’s practically impossible to ask for everything. If we had had a development time of about 15 years, we might have had the opportunity to challenge ourselves with an open world,” says the producer, smiling. “After all, developing a global story in an open world is almost impossible in terms of time and expense.”

For the best story Final Fantasy 16 can tell, it doesn’t need the concept of an open world, adds Yoshida.