Square Enix hints at Final Fantasy 15 as an action RPG
"That's a trend, and you ignore things like that at your peril."
Square Enix has hinted that the inevitable Final Fantasy 15 may ditch the series' turn-based roots in favour of action role-playing gameplay.
In an interview with Edge, Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase acknowledged the popularity of action role-playing games such as BioWare's Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
"I think the nature of the franchise is to present something new each time," he said. "In the global market we see many players moving away from games that used turn-based systems toward what you might term an action-RPG.
"That's a trend, and you ignore things like that at your peril."
Final Fantasy 13's linear gameplay proved divisive, but its battle system, which fused turn-based strategy with real-time action, won plaudits.
Direct sequel Final Fantasy 13-2 builds on that battle system, but according to Kitase, future games in the series could see even more drastic changes.
"FFXIII and FFXIII-2's battle systems have those elements of speed and action that are the key words for us, though that doesn't necessarily mean we're going to stick to the same route in our next game," he said. "That's something only time can tell."