Final Fantasy 16 Will Be Missing Fan Favorite Feature

gamerant.com:

Square Enix recently revealed that the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy 16 will not be bringing back a popular feature from past games. With the newest entry in the Final Fantasy franchise slated to launch this Summer, Square Enix has already shared several major details about the upcoming RPG. The developer has confirmed the game will not feature an open world, shifting instead to a more linear gameplay style. Now, Square Enix has confirmed one more open world feature the RPG will be dropping.

Final Fantasy 16 has already shown off several departures from Final Fantasy franchise norms alongside shedding the open world format of recent games. Final Fantasy 16 has been confirmed to be the first main-series game in the history of Final Fantasy to receive an M rating. The ratings have revealed the newest game will feature somehow feature drugs and torture, implying Final Fantasy 16's tone will lean significantly darker than past entries. Now, Final Fantasy 16's director and producer confirmed the game will not see the return of optional dungeons.

Final Fantasy 16 Will Be First M-Rated Game in Main Series

During a recent interview related to Final Fantasy 16, director Hiroshi Takai and producer Naoki Yoshida spoke more about the non-open world nature of Final Fantasy 16. The game's world map will feature several different zones to travel to from its world map, but Takai confirmed optional dungeons would not be returning. Takai explained the rationale behind the change, suggesting that optional dungeons were shelved in order to focus more on the areas featured in Final Fantasy 16's main story. He expressed a feeling from players of «having to go there» to explore side dungeons, instead of focusing on the main quest.

Yoshida