There's literally like
nothing they could do that would easily please any majority segment of the audience, in terms of sticking to some arbitrary scenario setting, so they should simply do whatever they feel inspired by, do it with passion and do it right.
I honestly don't care what they choose to do because no Final Fantasy is meant to fill some "need" or "want" save for maybe the sequels or spinoffs. They make what they make and express their creativity as they so choose. Regardless of if it's classical fantasy, techno noir, transhumanist space opera, dystopian cyberpunk future, or something new entirely, if it's a Final Fantasy, it'll do
something that leaves it's mark and be its own thing. It'll be different and familiar in numerous significant ways.
Hell, no one gave a
fuck about FFXIV. No one asked, wanted or even held respect for the very
idea of
another FF MMORPG (FFXI was still
going), yet they
chose to make it. And it was a laughing stock with it's development issues. Then they nuked the game, redid it, and it became the most successful MMORPG now, with some of the most acclaimed storylines for the modern era of the franchise. People unaware of XIV's greatness are like in the shadows because yeah, it's an MMORPG, but it's been a flagbearer of the IP for years and it's base is massive. A significant number of FF fans come from XIV. But I digress ..If S-E are smart, they'll do what they
want, do it
well, and it will be a success.
FFXV was also a success despite having the most hellish, dramatic and turbulent developmental issues in a modern RPG. Sold like gangbusters, put S-E back in solid black and put S-E back as a full contender for current gen AAA RPG games. No one will know why they decided to suddenly
strangle to death their gifted honor student child before he went to college, but it certainly wasn't over lack of success or sales. Some sort of BS internal corporate politics and clash of egos may have influenced Tabata's departure and trashing of his future content. But XV did its job with honors, and it's what got S-E fully in the door with the PS4 era.
Not every FF speaks to every fan because many are so wildly different, and reflections of different eras of game development, design and storytelling. But that only reflects the sheer breadth and scope of the franchise now due to how wide and varied the fan base of FF is. The audience has a very wide age range, generational scoop, and appeals to all genders.
....Also, people need to stop acting like The Crystal Bearers and World of Final Fantasy somehow don't exist.
And don't tell me they don't count as main FFs just cause they don't have an arbitrary number, because those games were full, single player RPGs of the FF series and they definitely weren't carried by swordsmen protagonists.
