The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked many a discussion online regarding whether or not the mainline Final Fantasy games should go back to turn-based combat or continue on with action-based combat. Speaking to Anime New Network, Final Fantasy producer Naoki Yoshida, said there’s no clear-cut answer. Mr. Yoshida, went on to explain that there are many different things at play depending on how the game is shaped and the narrative that the team wants to tell consumers. Here’s what he said:
“With this question of turn-based versus action, it tends to isolate the gameplay to just the battle system. That doesn’t take into account what kind of game the creators want to deliver to players. For example, based on a certain graphical quality we want to present to our players, or the narrative we want to deliver to our players, it relates to how we set up the game’s systems around it. This includes the battle system, game design, and gameplay feel. It’s not a clear-cut answer, whether it will become all turn-based, or if it’s going to become more action-based.
“[I’m] not necessarily going to be on Final Fantasy 17, so we also don’t want to obstruct or limit our future director or whomever will be producing the games like 17 or even 18,” Yoshida continued. “We don’t want to put them on a rail.”
I think there’s a time and place for both. I love the tight and unforgiving turn-based combat of stuff like DQ 11 but I also adore the action gameplay of FF16 and 7Remake. As long as either is done right and fits well into the overall vibe of the game I have no preference nowadays.
“For example, based on a certain graphical quality we want to present to our players” – but as everyone is well aware by now, E33 proves that turn based combat does not get in the way of high graphical quality.