Final Fantasy 16 ditches open-world design

'Final Fantasy 16' won't be open-world.

The game's producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed they are switching up the format of the next game in the popular fantasy role-playing series to offer players an experience that is on a "truly global scale".

Speaking to IGN, Yoshida said: “To bring a story that feels like it spans an entire globe and beyond, we decided to avoid an open-world design that limits us to a single open-world space, and instead focus on an independent area-based game design that can give players a better feel of a truly ‘global’ scale."

During the interview, the Square Enix employee also revealed that the pup in the first trailer for the game is called Torgal and is "more wolf than dog".

He also teased: "As for him being a party member, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

What's more, main protagonist Clive Rosfield will be joined by some AI companions.

Yoshida added: “For most of his journey, Clive will be accompanied by one or more companions."

Fans can expect some “high-octane battles” when the game launches exclusively on the PlayStation 5 in summer 2023.

© BANG Media International