With Final Fantasy XVI releasing in just under a week, people may wonder if and how all the previous Final Fantasy games are connected. In reality, it’s a fairly complicated question. As noted in a previous guide, there have been 126 Final Fantasy games to date. These include mainline games, spin-offs, and other releases here and there. So are the Final Fantasy games connected in any way?
Do You Need to Play Final Fantasy XV to Understand XVI?
In short, you absolutely do not need to play previous Final Fantasy games to understand newer ones. Each and every Final Fantasy game takes place in its own self-contained universe. Final Fantasy XVI has a completely different tone to XV, which has a different world and style to Final Fantasy VI.
An example is how Final Fantasy VII focuses on a cyberpunk yet magic-filled world. There are corrupt corporations that coexist alongside a sentient planet with defenses in the form of giant Kaiju. Final Fantasy XVI, however, is themed around the dark fantasy genre, akin to Game of Thrones. The tone is grim and devoid of much humor or light.
So, in reality, the best reason to pick a Final Fantasy game to play is based on what kind of genres you enjoy rather than having to play the next game in the series.
What Does Every Final Fantasy Have in Common?
However, despite the Final Fantasy games not being connected, there are a few commonalities between every game. Each game has similar concepts, such as species, magic, and summons. Every game has Chocobos and Tonberries. Every game has summons in the form of Ifrit and Shiva. Even the materia and items like Pheonix Down and Restore are very similar between games. There are even some rare easter eggs that connect some of the aforementioned games together, such as one in Final Fantasy VII Remake that ties it to Final Fantasy X.
So while there aren’t any story commonalities between Final Fantasy games, there are a few ideas and concepts that link the many games together.
So What Do You Need to Know Before Final Fantasy XVI?
Thankfully, there isn’t much you need to know before playing Final Fantasy XVI. The game will explain the concepts of the world within the game. There is no prerequisite knowledge you need in order to understand the story. The same goes for any Final Fantasy games before and will likely be the case for any games that will release many years from now.
Final Fantasy XVI will release on June 22, 2023. Stay tuned to Final Weapon for more coverage of the upcoming release!
