One of the quotes from an Octopath Traveler developer was that the game was designed as a FF6 spiritual successor and although it looks like it'll be a fantastic game, one that I'm personally excited to play more of (enjoyed the 3-hour demo so much that I probably spent a good 7-8 hours on it), I don't think it'll quite scratch that FF6 itch. It did get me thinking about what a game would need to be considered a worthy FF6 successor and this is what I came up with.
1 - The presentation needs to be top-notch. At the time, FF6 had some of the best graphics & music for an JRPG around and so ideally, its successor should follow suit. But if the developer wanted to try to ape FF6 visuals style to really hit home the homage, well, that's another option.
2 - A large cast of playable characters with no definite lead. Although there were characters more important to the plot than others (Locke, Edgar, and Terra are way more critical than Gau, Umaro, and Mog), there's no real main character. This is emphasized a few times - early on when the game split into 3 scenarios when your party splits up and later on when you lose everyone and start over with just Celes.
3 - Characters play very differently. From Edgar's item-based abilities to Sabin's moves that require fighting game-style inputs to Relm/Strago/Gau's movesets which all are monster-based in different ways, the developers didn't skimp in programming unique ways to fight with and power-up your characters.
4 - Character backstories. Yeah, there's a few throwaway characters, but most characters have a reason for teaming up with your party & you get to explore their motivations, both through the main story, and through sidequests that focus on them.
5 - A villain you love to hate. Before Sephiroth, there was Kefka. Interestingly enough, Kefka is actually the 4th most talkative character in the game, with more dialogue than even Terra! The game gives the player plenty of opportunities to interact with & see Kefka's villainy so that it's all the more rewarding to finally take him out at the end of the game.
6 - Structure. FF6 uses a very common structure in JRPGs - it starts out linear and becomes more non-linear (more sidequests) as the game progresses. However, it takes this one step further and features a major fake-out ending partway through the game that results in major changes after (revamped world map). A worthy FF6 would most likely need to do something similar to really match the feeling.
7 - Memorable setpieces. At a time when most JRPGs were fine with the "Town, Dungeon, repeat" structure, FF6 was more ambitious. From the river raft to the opera house to Locke's escape from South Figaro to the Ghost Train, the game is jam-packed with memorable scenarios. For that matter, the game starts off with the player piloting mechs - something that would have been a major selling point in most games (see Xenogears) but is just a random gimmick FF6 throws out a handful of times.
8 - Drama. Things get dark. Major characters can and will die. Though there are lighter moments and you can avoid some bad stuff based on your actions (like Celes' attempted suicide doesn't have to happen), it's not all fun and games.
9 - Secrets. From little ones like hidden items scattered various places (clocks!) to big ones like entire dungeons that are easy to miss, FF6 doesn't skip on the hidden content. Some of it is even story-focused like Shadow's dreams.
10 - Fun transportation. Chocobos. Airships. Ghost Trains. A castle that can submerge itself underground. The Serpent Trench. In FF6, you're going to be travelling all around the world & you're going to be doing it in style.
So there you have my list. What do you think a FF6 successor would need to have? Are there any games that have come close in your opinion?
1 - The presentation needs to be top-notch. At the time, FF6 had some of the best graphics & music for an JRPG around and so ideally, its successor should follow suit. But if the developer wanted to try to ape FF6 visuals style to really hit home the homage, well, that's another option.
2 - A large cast of playable characters with no definite lead. Although there were characters more important to the plot than others (Locke, Edgar, and Terra are way more critical than Gau, Umaro, and Mog), there's no real main character. This is emphasized a few times - early on when the game split into 3 scenarios when your party splits up and later on when you lose everyone and start over with just Celes.
3 - Characters play very differently. From Edgar's item-based abilities to Sabin's moves that require fighting game-style inputs to Relm/Strago/Gau's movesets which all are monster-based in different ways, the developers didn't skimp in programming unique ways to fight with and power-up your characters.
4 - Character backstories. Yeah, there's a few throwaway characters, but most characters have a reason for teaming up with your party & you get to explore their motivations, both through the main story, and through sidequests that focus on them.
5 - A villain you love to hate. Before Sephiroth, there was Kefka. Interestingly enough, Kefka is actually the 4th most talkative character in the game, with more dialogue than even Terra! The game gives the player plenty of opportunities to interact with & see Kefka's villainy so that it's all the more rewarding to finally take him out at the end of the game.
6 - Structure. FF6 uses a very common structure in JRPGs - it starts out linear and becomes more non-linear (more sidequests) as the game progresses. However, it takes this one step further and features a major fake-out ending partway through the game that results in major changes after (revamped world map). A worthy FF6 would most likely need to do something similar to really match the feeling.
7 - Memorable setpieces. At a time when most JRPGs were fine with the "Town, Dungeon, repeat" structure, FF6 was more ambitious. From the river raft to the opera house to Locke's escape from South Figaro to the Ghost Train, the game is jam-packed with memorable scenarios. For that matter, the game starts off with the player piloting mechs - something that would have been a major selling point in most games (see Xenogears) but is just a random gimmick FF6 throws out a handful of times.
8 - Drama. Things get dark. Major characters can and will die. Though there are lighter moments and you can avoid some bad stuff based on your actions (like Celes' attempted suicide doesn't have to happen), it's not all fun and games.
9 - Secrets. From little ones like hidden items scattered various places (clocks!) to big ones like entire dungeons that are easy to miss, FF6 doesn't skip on the hidden content. Some of it is even story-focused like Shadow's dreams.
10 - Fun transportation. Chocobos. Airships. Ghost Trains. A castle that can submerge itself underground. The Serpent Trench. In FF6, you're going to be travelling all around the world & you're going to be doing it in style.
So there you have my list. What do you think a FF6 successor would need to have? Are there any games that have come close in your opinion?
