Final Fantasy series
Between Final Fantasy XVI, VII Remake, and X-3, the series is keeping busy
Comments made by Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida during a recent livestream for FFXIV (on which he’s director and producer) reveal work on the latest numbered entry is going well. It seems to be that rather than teasing players over a drawn-out period, the development team have been focussed on getting everything well underway ahead of time. Specifically, some aspects of the story are already almost finished, and this time the English-language version has come first.
Or, to be more exact, the British English version, bucking the trend for entries to favour American for vocal performances. But it makes sense when you consider XVI shares a lot of staff with XIV, which has featured a lot of actors from our side of the pond. Ever a fantasy trope, we can’t deny it’s nice to hear our accents represented in gaming – it’s yet to get ye olde. From what we’ve seen, the mature story, all wars, blood, and intertwining family trees, has echoes of Game Of Thrones, making the British English direction feel even more appropriate.
The English recording of the voice lines is ahead of the Japanese version mainly because they’re using facial motion capture of those actors. It’s a little unusual for a game developed in Japan to do it this way around, but it perhaps speaks to the tone Square Enix is going for with the narrative, leaning into the theatrical to weave a classic-feeling dark fantasy story. We’re definitely excited to see how the voices are used – and to learn who’ll be providing the voice for each character, as the actors have yet to be revealed. Of course, the story nearing the end of development doesn’t mean the game is nearly done; the rest still takes a lot of work. But it’s getting there.
SIN AND REWARD
For those yearning for the dulcet
American tones of, say, James Arnold Taylor (Tidus’, and now Ratchet’s, voice actor), it also seems that Final Fantasy X-3 might be on the cards. Speaking with Japanese magazine Famitsu, Tetsuya Nomura indicated that Square Enix already has a scenario synopsis written by Kazushige Nojima, who wrote X and X-2.
The original FFX just celebrated its 20th anniversary, and remains a firm favourite in Japan. As time goes on, the number of those who grew up with that entry being the most important to them is only growing. X-3 is on Square Enix’s mind, though it’s not in production, as Final Fantasy VII Remake remains the focus.
But wouldn’t it be wonderful to see it?
Would you like to see Final Fantasy X-3? Let us know: play@futurenet.com