Final Fantasy XVI’s lack of diverse characters makes a huge world feel small

theverge.com:

By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.

Early in Final Fantasy XVI’s marketing cycle, producer Naoki Yoshida was asked about the apparent lack of inclusion of people of color in the game. His answer wasn’t great, essentially stating that including people of color would violate the narrative boundaries established by the fantasy world the developers created. 

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to follow up with Yoshida about that answer, asking him if he had the opportunity to hear the response to his words and if he had anything to say to the fans of color that he upset with them.

“I believe that with Final Fantasy XVI, we weave together a variety of peoples and cultures set in this kind of sweeping fantasy narrative and world, and one that we strived to create with care and respect,” Yoshida responded. “We hope that when players finally are able to take up the game in their own hands, that they will be able to see what we’ve aimed for and will hopefully ultimately be able to connect with that unique experience.”

With the game now in my hands, I can finally see what Yoshida and the narrative team were going for — and I don’t get the care or the respect.

The world of Valisthea is made up of six countries, each evoking a real-world counterpart. Sanbreque, with its name and imperial designs of conquest, should bring to mind Napoleonic France, while the Crystalline Dominion, with its loose alliance of free cities, screams Holy Roman Empire. And you know Dhalmekia is supposed to be reminiscent of the Middle East because the second you’re introduced to it, all the colors shift from blues and greens to sandy browns