Here’s hoping ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ marks the beginning of the end for toxic elitism in gaming

wegotthiscovered.com:

The next numbered entry in Square Enix’s flagship franchise has arrived – Final Fantasy XVI. It comes from the very same minds that saved the now-wildly popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV from the brink of doom, led by Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida.

Following that monumental success, Yoshi-P and his team over at Creative Business Unit III turned to the task of breathing some new and much-needed life into the franchise as a whole, and they’ve pulled it off once again. Its rave reviews say as much, but their success may well extend beyond the brand – it could be great for gaming in general.

While Final Fantasy XVI has been well-received overall, there has been some social media chatter and complaints about the game being “too easy,” no thanks to the inclusion of accessories available to players right out of the gate that have been dubbed “cheat rings.” Said rings can simplify – and even automate – some of the more challenging parts of the game, like managing companions and perhaps most importantly, dodging mechanics. For the sake of delivering a narrative as exceptional as this to as wide an audience as possible, this is a good thing.

Now – I’m no stranger, nor am I averse to challenging video games. The original Dark Souls is one of my all-time favorites – and I spent eight straight hours in a tattoo parlor having Artorias the Abysswalker and Sif the Great Grey Wolf etched into my arm to show my passion for it off to the world. I’m all for the “sweaty” side of the gaming industry. There’s a time and a place for FromSoftware titles and their ilk, MOBAs, tactical/extraction shooters, and so on. I wouldn’t dare say they don’t have a place in gaming, because they do. But, if the industry wants to continue broadening its audience – more