Summary
While the exact date is unknown,Monster Hunter Wilds' release is approaching. The game had a successful showing in its first public demos at Gamescom, and is poised to follow up on the enormous success ofMonster Hunter World. Capcom’s future is looking bright, but things are more murky for Square Enix. Having pivoted many keyFinal Fantasytitles into the action RPG genre recently, Square Enix and its star franchise have been doing well, but not as well as they have been in the past.Final Fantasyand its ilk will continue, but they may need to find new audiences to receive them.
TheFinal Fantasyfranchise has tried a lot of different permutations over the years. Its own mainline games have run the gamut of turn-based and action gameplay, while spin-offs have tried everything from real-time strategy, toMystery Dungeonincorporation, and evenaFinal FantasySoulslike. Such broad experimentation is part of the series’ identity, but there’s one well it hasn’t fully tapped. AfterMonster Hunter Wildsis released and has its months of fame,Final Fantasywill have an opportunity to reintroduce an old spin-off fans didn’t expect to see again:Final Fantasy Explorers.
Final Fantasy Explorers Couldn’t Make The Cut
Back in 2014,Final Fantasy Explorerswas revealed as a Japanese Nintendo 3DS exclusive in June, and later launched in December. It was ahunting game in the vein ofMonster Hunter, adapting classicFinal Fantasymonsters and jobs into a party-centric system geared toward beginners. The game sold over 265,000 copies by the end of 2015, after which it finally went global in January 2016. Unfortunately, a lack of sales data beyond this point speaks to the game’s fate. Even with decent review scores and word of mouth, competing withMonster Hunterproved to be a death sentence.
Monster Hunter’s Audience Didn’t Need Alternatives In FFE’s Heyday
BeforeMonster Hunter Worldturned the franchise into a global success on consoles,Monster Hunterwas still the king of its subgenre on handhelds.Fan-favoriteMonster Hunter 4G, aka4 Ultimate, beatFinal Fantasy Explorersto the punch in Japan by a couple of months, and in other territories by nearly a year. The JapaneseMonster Hunter X/Generationsrelease even precededFFE’s localization by two months, andGenerationsspread across the globe a few months later. With even the mobile sequelFinal Fantasy Explorers-Forcegetting a chilly reception,FFEdidn’t have what it took to breakMonster Hunter’s monopoly on hunting game players.
Final Fantasy Explorers Could Nail Its Second Try
A modernFinal Fantasy Explorers, however, has the chance to turn things around. Now, there is mainstream recognition and a demand for hunting action-RPGs, andFinal Fantasy Explorerswould not have to change much about its framework to slot cleanly into that niche.Monster Hunterstands unchallenged in its genre, so a sufficiently polished title with dedicated support could easily take the number two slot. Ifa newFinal Fantasy Explorersaccounts forMonster Hunter’s update cycle and launches during the time when active players tend to decrease, it should be an almost guaranteed success as long as it doesn’t repeatWild Hearts’ tragic fumbles.
The Second Final Fantasy Explorers Has A Working Formula Already
While a newFFEwill not need to go open-world likeMonster Hunter Wilds, it must at least measure up to the larger maps inMonster Hunter World. Collecting small monsters as AI allies during solo play should remain a big part of the game, and would justify incorporating elements of standardFinal Fantasydungeons in the lead-up to boss fights. All the while, players would be gaining materials that they couldcraft into iconic or monster-inspiredFFequipment. Combined with the standardFinal Fantasyjob system permitting lots of different play styles, a newFinal Fantasy Explorersfeels like a shoo-in for a strongMonster Hunter Wildscompetitor.
Final Fantasy Explorers
WHERE TO PLAY
The world is at war over the greatest source of power in the world, the Grand Crystal. Players must band together to form an elite squad of Explorers, who venture out to collect pieces of the Grand Crystal to provide energy for the planet while fighting off hordes of monsters.FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS focuses on cooperative play with friends, utilising a refined party system allowing Explorers to master over 20 jobs, each offering unique ways to defeat or even recruit the realm’s mightiest monsters. Players will have the ability to call upon the powers of eidolons like Ifrit and Bahamut, as well as to transform into legendary characters from the FINAL FANTASY series via the Trance ability. Multiplayer functionality is enabled through the Nintendo 3DS wireless communication.
