Thanks to a couple of leaks beforehand, the recent reveal ofFinal Fantasy 16came across as no shock, but it itself was shocking. Shortly afterward, Square Enix gave a quick, more detailed glimpse at everything fromFF16’s main protagonist Clive’s backgroundand key characters like Joshua to small tidbits of story and information on the powerful icons. With a return-to-form of sorts with medieval fantasy, there’s a lot of promise here, but fans of the franchise know that it’s not all in the works.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakereleased earlier this year to generally favorable reviews, but only the first part. It’s uncertainhow many parts theFF7 Remakewill have, butPart 2is currently in development. There’s still a lot of questions there, but ultimately, it’s possible that Clive and Cloud butt heads in ways that are unintended.
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FF16 vs. FF7 Remake Development
To note, Square Enix is a large company with multiple teams, so the chance of a development overlap or one constraining the other directly is small. But the build-up to any release will always be the marketing and final stages of development, withFinal Fantasy 16potentially releasing sooner than expected.
It’s no secret that these games can take years to develop, and given that the originalFinal Fantasy 7 Remakewas originally announced in 2015, that could be big. Most reports indicate thatFinal Fantasy 16could arrive in or by 2022, and at that point, the game would have been in development for 6 or so years.
The question becomes: willFinal Fantasy 16marketing andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, Part 3, and so on butt heads? Indeed, there’s plenty of room for both in fans' eyes, but at the same time, constantly or even irregularly hearing about one or the other will get to be a bit much. There’s no moreFF16news coming until 2021, it seems, butthe absence ofFF7 Remake Part 2newsis equally telling. Will it release the same year asFinal Fantasy 16is a big question, especially when followed by even if it releases sooner, what about the next part? Square Enix talking about one but being quiet about the other is sure to be an up-and-down for some, especially as fans divide over which they want more.
Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 Release Dates
That final question faces another big challenge: hopefully,Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2releases sooner rather than later, or at least, more news comes out. There’s little doubt that COVID-19 did some damage to its development, but if it doesn’t release in 2021, that puts it andFinal Fantasy 16in a close window. Not to mention the discord of their releases: for example, ifFinal Fantasy 16releases in 2022 andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2manages to release in 2021, then it’s possible some fans will be playingPart 2first, thenFF16, and then, eventually,Part 3.
It’s a confusing scenario. Sure, there’s plenty of room forFinal Fantasy 16’s Clive andFF7’s Cloud, but some wallets may strain, especially if the latter parts ofFF7are full retail releases. Attention may be strained, as trying to keep up with the marketing of both goes. And overall, while they may not outright punch each other in the face, it’s hard to see how they won’t step on each other’s toes at the least.
BothFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2andFinal Fantasy 16are in development.
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