Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi discusses the essence of the series

Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has discussed what makes a game a Final Fantasy game, noting it's all about the development team taking on new challenges.

During a Q&A with Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida at the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest, Sakaguchi used the latest game - Final Fantasy 16 - as an example.

"I felt this when I saw Final Fantasy 16 and this comes from a perspective of someone who creates these different works," said Sakaguchi. "I think with Final Fantasy you always want to take a challenge to take an adventure into building a new system for the new installment, that courage to be able to take that risk.

"Of course it's a very hard job and a very large undertaking but with a series that has continued for this long sometimes people might think 'why don't you just make more of the same thing?'. I think that shouldn't be the case in Final Fantasy.

"Every time we should have that courage, that sense of adventure, to take on new challenges and then that's when that sort of gravity that pulls people into a Final Fantasy title will activate and that produces a title that feels very much like a Final Fantasy. Truly with Final Fantasy 16 I think you [Yoshida] did take on a lot of challenges and I do feel that it feels very much like a Final Fantasy game."

Yoshida thanked Sakaguchi for playing the game. "We are going to continue to keep that challenge in mind and try to deliver the best content we can," he said, referring to both Final Fantasy 16 DLC and future expansions for Final Fantasy 14.

Final Fantasy 16 was criticised by some players for its action combat, rather than turn-based, while other players appreciated its different take on series staples. During previews, Yoshida discussed what he thought was the essence of the series - a cinematic quality established in the first game.

Later at a press conference during Fan Fest in London, Yoshida thanked Sakaguchi for playing Final Fantasy 14.

"To have the founder and creator of the franchise himself, Sakaguchi-san, play through Final Fantasy 14 and pick up those various elements from the history of the franchise - we're talking about a franchise that has a history of 35 years, and then he goes on and picks up each element - it makes us realise that what we've been doing for the past 10 years, in the past 13 years, really resonates in a way with the fans. And that serves as a source of motivation for us in our development."

Earlier at Fan Fest Yoshida revealed the Viper Job to be added in next expansion Dawntrail. There will also be a crossover with Final Fantasy 16.