We imagine that the time recently spent in Cultured Vultures Towers has been pretty similar to a lot of other people around the world, in that we’ve been playing a hell of a lot of Final Fantasy 16. The latest entry in Square Enix’s long-running RPG series, FF16 is a bit of a departure from previous installments, as the game leans more towards action and gameplay over actual RPG mechanics, but 16’s enhanced focus on bombastic set pieces and Devil May Cry-esque combat has entertained us quite a bit over the past couple of weeks.
While the core gameplay is solid and all, what really makes Final Fantasy 16 standout from the competition are its massive, anime inspired Eikon battles. These are more cinematic heavy moments in the game’s story that feature huge monsters beating the snot out of each in some of the most beautiful looking scenes in gaming. The moments themselves are few and far between, especially if you’re completing every side quest and hunt between the main story beats, but when they arrive, they’re utterly wonderful.
This isn’t a comparison that’s particularly new or shocking, but these Eikon fights evoke memories of Asura’s Wrath, an underappreciated and oft-maligned game that launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2012. Developed by Capcom, the whole brief for Asura’s Wrath was essentially just a playable anime experience, which combined elements of beat’em up gameplay, rail shooters and lots of quick time events, all three of which are core parts of the Eikon fights in Final Fantasy 16.
Reviews for Asura’s Wrath weren’t completely kind when the game originally launched, but seeing a modern release champion those same ideas over a decade after the game’s release feels like a redemption of sorts for a game I absolutely loved when I was younger. After the release of Asura’s Wrath, it felt like we might never see another game like it again, so to see a franchise like Final Fantasy take those ideas and allow them to flourish on a bigger stage than ever before.
There’s an argument to be made that the approach Asura’s Wrath takes to its gameplay champions style over substance, something that long-time fans of Final Fantasy have criticised the newest entry for. It’s a fair assessment, as FF16 is definitely much more simplified than other games in the franchise, and we’re definitely not saying that this is the direction that the Final Fantasy series should continue with going forward, but there’s clearly a desire for Asura’s Wrath style gameplay, especially with FF16reaching over 3 million sold copies.
Maybe the success of Final Fantasy 16 will inspire Capcom to do something more with Asura’s Wrath, much in the same way that the success of Ghost of Tsushima inspired Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to release Like A Dragon: Ishin! in the west. Capcom are still yet to release Asura’s Wrath on PC, while it would also be nice to see a remaster that actually includes the real ending as part of the base game. As much as Asura’s Wrath holds a special place in my heart, that DLC debacle was absolutely “not it”.
Regardless of what Final Fantasy 16’s new direction means for the future of the series, it’s just nice to see the ideas and style of a cult hit being resurrected once again. Hopefully we’ll see more Asura’s Wrath-like games in the future, though maybe we should save it for new properties and not long-established RPG franchises.
READ MORE: How Long Is Final Fantasy 16?
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