We zoom in on Midgar as the train arrives at its destination. The spiky-haired Cloud leaps off the train, the synths chug with tension, and we’re ready to blow up a reactor. It’s time for another Final Fantasy adventure.
Final Fantasy games are known for their openings, with FF7 in particular being an iconic example. Then there’s the Squall and Seifer battle at the start of FF8 before waking up at school; waddling around Alexandria as Vivi in FF9; and those wailing heavy metal chords that initiate blitzball in FF10.
Final Fantasy 16 is no exception, as anyone who’s played the demo will know. It is the full game in microcosm: Eikon battles, melodrama, flashy combat, and a heavy influence of Game of Thrones.
Yet as much as these moments are seared into my brain (with a big dollop of nostalgia on top), my enjoyment of the series stems from its sense of adventure – a sense that only comes into perspective in the endgame. And in FF16, it’s particularly rewarding.
It happens in almost every game. Those unforgettable openings send us through linear story beats; we travel from location to location in a predetermined order, slowly getting to grips with whatever combat intricacies are in place this time; piece by piece the jigsaw puzzle of a world takes shape.