By Going Back in Time, Final Fantasy Rediscovers What Made it Special

ign.com:

For almost 30 years, Final Fantasy was all about the party; the diverse team of fighters, mages, adventurers, and scoundrels that fought together. Spin-offs and online entries toyed with alternate formulas, but the idea of a group saving the world via turn-based battles was the cornerstone of the mainline series. Until 2016, that is. Final Fantasy 15 saw Square Enix controversially pivot to real-time action combat, and with it we lost direct control of our party allies. By 2023’s Final Fantasy 16 the party was practically eliminated, replaced by an occasional helping hand from an NPC. It’s a shift that’s eroded a vital piece of Final Fantasy’s soul.

Parties have historically been an important foundation for many RPGs because they operate at both the narrative and mechanical levels. In combat they offer a range of interesting fighter archetypes that can be mixed-and-matched to unlock valuable tactics and synergies. Those archetypes are reflected in their stories – the wise wizard, the hot-headed mercenary, the awkward lone gunslinger – which in turn sets the stage for strong character arcs. Because party members are positioned as ensemble protagonists rather than supporting characters, there’s generally a lot of effort put into the writing, forging bonds between allies and finding ways to make each member a satisfying part of the whole. A good party elevates an RPG to the next level.

It’s been unfortunate, then, to see Final Fantasy gradually drift away from the party. The highs of what many would consider the series’ golden age – Final Fantasies 6 through 10 – are behind us. We’ve not had a fully-controllable party since 2011’s Final Fantasy 13-2. And so it’s been interesting to see the Final Fantasy 7 remake project, which by its very nature must feature a party, unfold alongside the distinctly partyless Final Fantasy 16. Where the latter honed focus on its action game-like protagonist and relegated allies to secondary supporting cast status, the former has added