Final Fantasy XVI was a big hit last year, and its Rising Tide expansion releases Thursday. DLC Director Takeo Kujiraoka talked about the new expansion in a recent interview. He also described the game’s success in attracting a new generation of fans to the long-running series.
Final Fantasy XVI DLC Director talks about attracting new audiences and MMO-inspired approach to DLC
“In recent years, players of the Final Fantasy series have tended to skew towards a higher age range,” Kujiraoka told Push Square. However, this time, there are survey results showing that more people in their teens and 20s played Final Fantasy XVI. I think this shows that, to a certain extent, we’ve achieved one of our initial goals – to have players of all ages play the latest Final Fantasy game.”
He clarified that that doesn’t necessarily mean that future games will be more like Final Fantasy XVI. The game deviated from other installments in several ways, such as action combat, a grittier tone, and a medieval European-inspired setting. However, Kujiraoka thinks the game helped bring new fans on board and opened new possibilities.
He went on to talk about the new DLC later in the interview. “Our concept for The Rising Tide was to approach it like an MMO expansion pack,” said Kujiraok, “and include all the elements that make up Final Fantasy XVI.” Players will explore a new area and a new town with new quests, items, bosses, abilities, and even endgame content. However, the team worked hard to make something that felt integrated into the game without making the DLC mandatory.
“For those coming back to Final Fantasy XVI for the first time in a while,” said Kujiraoka, “it will no doubt feel like Valisthea has grown along with Clive’s story. If you’re playing Final Fantasy XVI for the first time, the overall game experience will be richer and all the more satisfying to play.”
