Hijime Tabata is the director behind not only the recently rereleased Final Fantasy Type-0, but also of the hotly anticipated Final Fantasy XV. Featuring the largest playable cast of any Final Fantasy, 14 characters to be exact, Type-0 was originally a PSP game released only in Japan. Receiving an HD overhaul however, Square Enix brought the game to the west earlier this month, bundling early editions of the game with a hefty demo for Final Fantasy XV.
Sitting down with Gamespot, Tabata laid out the reasoning behind having such a large cast in Type-0. It turns out the initial design took inspiration from old Japanese war dramas, which often featured large casts, an easy comparison to see given the more mature tone of the game’s take on war. Explaining further, he said, “The idea was that if you had thirteen characters, each one capable of being the lead, that you would have made a game filled with personality by having that many lead characters present.”
Tabata also had a chance to address the all-male party appearing in FFXV’s demo. Seeing as Final Fantasy has never been a series to shy away from strong female characters, the fact the only woman in FFXV’s demo was a non-party member, complete with a ditzy attitude, a thong, an open shirt, and massive breasts, struck some gamers as odd. Focusing on the idea of male-intimacy, Tabata felt an all-male party would simply make the game more accessible.
“Speaking honestly, an all-male party feels almost more approachable for players. Even the presence of one female in the group will change their behavior, so that they’ll act differently. So to give the most natural feeling, to make them feel sincere and honest, having them all the same gender made sense in that way.”
Referring specifically to the four characters showed in the demo, “The world might be ready to see the curtain lifted on what boys do when girls aren’t around, when they come out of the tent all prim and proper. That’s kind of the idea behind it… we think, male or female player, that everyone will feel a certain connection and bond with the four characters.”
Have you played Type-0 of the FFXV demo? What did you think of the casts? Let us know in the comments. For all your Final Fantasy coverage, including the ‘5 things you need to know about Type-0,’ keep checking back here on Gamespresso.