A few days before its launch, the youngest of the franchise signed Square Enix generates strong reactions.
After The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Switch, it’s time for the PlayStation 5 to receive its summer blockbuster. Final Fantasy, an RPG franchise that needs no introduction, is about to receive its new main episode. Seven years after a Final Fantasy XV in halftone and ten years after a Final Fantasy XIV which continues to delight MMO players, it’s time for the license to enter a new era.
Following the dazzling success of Final Fantasy VII Remake, what was once a turn-based role-playing game now takes the direction of an action-RPG, and we don’t mind. In keeping with its time, the title has already surprised us during a preview test, now accessible to all via a downloadable demo from the PlayStation Store. This one will now have to prove itself in its entirety. Clive’s adventure promises to be grandiose, but some players remain on the sidelines now that Square Enix is breaking promises.
Some corrections to apply
At the end of May, the development teams of Final Fantasy XVI created the surprise by revealing that the game would not need an update at launch. This practice, which has become customary in the industry, requires the downloading of additional data to ensure the integrity of the game. The simple data on the disc is no longer enough to enjoy a title since the studios apply a few modifications before the launch: the famous “day one patches“.
Visibly proud of their work, the developers of FFXVI then boasted of offering a complete and finished game on CD, like in the good old days of the PS2. Unfortunately, this beautiful promise did not last very long. It was during a pre-launch stream that the teams revealed the bad news. The title ultimately needs slight tweaks to ensure the best possible experience.
Naoki Yoshida promptly apologized and also took it upon himself to reassure players that this is just a “quick patch which is not needed when starting the game“. This update will fix performance in some areas, some text errors as well as two bugs that can cause progression to crash and crashes.
A call for a boycott
This small setback is not the only concern that bothers the community. If the beautiful words not respected have aroused some reactions on social networks, it is a survey spotted by our colleagues fromEurogamer which is the most surprising. Some players are calling for a boycott for lack of representation and diversity. Already questioned about it, the developers had replied that it was about a world inspired by medieval Europe and that it was “It’s not easy to assign distinct ethnicities to antagonist or protagonist without stirring up public preconceptions, inviting unwarranted speculation, and ultimately fanning the flames of controversy.”
This justification did not fail to disturb some fans who today call for a boycott of the title via the forum ResetEra. The reactions to this request reveal a complex subject to which players do not have the same sensitivity. While one chants “I won’t buy it. To be completely honest, knowing that Starfield and Dragon’s Dogma are coming with black characters and allowing black character creation makes boycotting that much easier.“, another minority user explains: “If I boycotted games because of the lack of diversity in terms of characters that looked like me, I would have nothing to play outside of a few indie games at best, to put it bluntly. The representation of black women in games is abysmal and I’d say it’s even worse for South Asian, South American, etc. etc. women.”
While this sudden call will most certainly have no impact on final sales figures, gamers are entitled to wonder if they are being properly represented in today’s gaming worlds. Although the situation seems to be clearly improving, cultural works will again and again serve as platforms for important societal messages. We had also prepared an anthology of games for you to discover to celebrate the month of LGBTQIA+ pride, to be found right here.
