Final Fantasy 16’s hopes of competing with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth look dim. The games technically won’t battle with each other in the marketplace because their release dates are slated months apart (FF16’s in June and Rebirth next winter). However, hype for Rebirth is already much greater than that for FF16, suggesting FF7 Remake’s sequel has beaten FF16 in its marketing campaign.
Any game relating to the beloved Final Fantasy 7 is bound to have an easy time getting attention. Still, Square Enix has done an excellent job promoting Rebirth over the last three years, slowly releasing information like in last year's 25th anniversary celebration for the original FF7’s release. In contrast, much of the information surrounding FF16's story and gameplay only came with the world premiere trailer in December 2022 and the recently unveiled gameplay previews.
Final Fantasy 16 Could Never Compete With FF7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 16’s comparable lack of hype build-up is going to make things difficult for it once it comes to launch day. However, the game might have always been doomed from the start. Rebirth will not only be connected to the prestige of the original FF7, but also the compelling story changes in Remake; fans’ imaginings of what Rebirth will do with FF7’s plot passively markets the game for Square Enix. But with FF16 seemingly taking place in a new world with new characters, players have less to latch onto before it comes out, and they can only base their expectations off of the lackluster game preceding it: Final Fantasy 15.
FF16’s Comparisons To Past Games Hurt It, While FF7 Rebirth’s Help
Final Fantasy 16 may not be a direct sequel to FF15, but connections between their gameplay and narrative tropes have already been made. Though FF15 was successful, it received criticism for how empty it feels in comparison to other Final Fantasy titles. Noctis and his allies have a lack of depth and clarity that makes them feel closer to FF15's barren open world than iconic characters like Cloud Strife. Though FF16 has had a more stable development than FF15 and doesn't have a true open world, anxieties over whether Square Enix will drop the ball with a cast of new, flat characters and gameplay have reasonably developed.
In contrast, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth have gained their hype by not just drawing from the original FF7, but expanding upon it. FF7 was already famous for its characters and their emotional depth: an entire sub-plot is based in exploring Cloud Strife's past traumas and identity. Remake - rather than simply improve the original's graphics and mechanics - fleshed out FF7's main and side characters even more by spreading out storylines and introducing new elements. Fans awaiting the game are, consequently, more excited to see what Square Enix does with Rebirth than FF16, partly because its predecessors make it more interesting and hopeful.
Of course, new stories, characters, and worlds should always be appreciated, and the Final Fantasy series' daringness to constantly change and evolve between entries is admirable. Final Fantasy 16 has a lot to offer in this respect, but it simultaneously appears to draw upon FF15 - particularly in its hack-and-slash components and narrative tropes - in ways that hurt it. Hence, it has little chance of capturing the hype Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth already has.