Final Fantasy creator says FF6 is the "epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG," and that replaying it after 20 years shaped the feeling he wants Fantasian to invoke

GamesJRPGFantasian Neo DimensionFinal Fantasy creator says FF6 is the “epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG,” and that replaying it after 20 years shaped the feeling he wants Fantasian to invokeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesJRPGFantasian Neo DimensionFinal Fantasy creator says FF6 is the “epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG,” and that replaying it after 20 years shaped the feeling he wants Fantasian to invokeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

A boy and girl from Fantasian point off camera as a ship appears behind them

Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi calls FF6 the “epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG.”

Speaking to the press at the Tokyo Game Show ahead ofFantasian’s eventual console and PC release, Sakaguchi takes a question about how his experience with the Final Fantasy franchise played into the development of Fantasian Neo Dimension, a souped-up version of the original JRPG that launched on Apple Arcade. He initially credited replaying Final Fantasy 6 as the inspiration to make the original Fantasian, though lately ismore frequently spotted in Final Fantasy 14.

AsOne More Gamereports, Sakaguchi remains happy to talk about his time in Eorzea, though that replay of Final Fantasy 6 remains the spark of his latest JRPG.

“Right now, I’m a big consumer of RPGs and I’ve been playing Final Fantasy 14 every day,” he says. “I just arrived in Japan yesterday, and I was already spending a few hours in Final Fantasy 14 raids. In Savage 1, 2, 3, 4… (laughs).

“In terms of Fantasian, I can attribute a lot of it to my experience playing Final Fantasy 6 over again. A few years ago, the platform makers were making miniature versions of their consoles, and it was the SNES that it was included in, and it was one of the first ROMs that was on that particular platform.

“And playing FF6 for a Famitsu livestream, it made me realize how this is really kind of the origin or kind of epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG. So after playing that, having spent, you know, 20-plus years away from it, made me realize that this is the type of feeling that I really want to invoke in my game, and I think that informed a lot of how Fantasian turned out to be.”

It’s not the first time Sakaguchi has spoken about the role Final Fantasy 6 played in Fantasian’s direction, though hearing him call the JRPG the “epitome of what I felt was my creative JRPG” is certainly heartening for fans of turn-based RPGs.

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And he wasn’t joking about the Final Fantasy 14 part, either. Sakaguchi previously revealed that hisMMO habit got so badthat “on rare occasions” some of his employees would hop on the FF14 to DM him about missed meetings.

Fantasian Neo Dimension launches on December 4 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

You can’t keep Moo Deng for yourself, so Final Fantasy 14 players are swarming the MMO’s Hippo Calf minion instead – and even Square Enix has caught the fever.

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

5

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

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