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[Rhazer Fusion]

I feel they pushed for an M rating to try to make the franchise appeal more to the Western/worldwide audience or to even try to push it into uncharted territories(different audiences). Final Fantasy to me always had somewhat of an innocence or class to it. It’s like seeing an M rated Zelda.

I don’t think they will go too extreme with the game, but we’ll see what happens. I doubt they will pull a Ninja Gaiden 3 situation where the F-bomb was literally muttered every 5 seconds in that game to make it “edgy”.

 

[LordCBH]

I’m very excited for this game.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I feel they pushed for an M rating to try to make the franchise appeal more to the Western/worldwide audience or to even try to push it into uncharted territories(different audiences). Final Fantasy to me always had somewhat of an innocence or class to it. It’s like seeing an M rated Zelda.

I don’t think they will go too extreme with the game, but we’ll see what happens. I doubt they will pull a Ninja Gaiden 3 situation where the F-bomb was literally muttered every 5 seconds in that game to make it “edgy”.

If it is a great story (something that this series has been lacking) this rating would be the best thing that happen to this IP.

 

[remember_spinal]

After the last few entries its good to break final fantasy out of the teeny j-pop crowd

 

[Doom85]

better example...

Better example? They turn into kaiju in Vinland Saga?

 

[Teslerum]

There's been a lot of mature content in FF, to the point that the series has been censored plenty of times in the west even before. There's also a lot of things masked by early graphics (or deliberatly in IX's case.)

Just take your random FF and think about it for a second. Random example 4. Not only does the game start with the protagonist brutally invading and murdering in foreign nations to the point where his crew even ask themselves if what they're doing is sane, but like half an hour in a little girl sees her entire village genocided in front of her eyes. Imagine that with *realistic* graphics.

Or like, just the whole of Final Fantasy Tactics with all the shit that happens. This isn't new, even if its intensified in this one. And most likely the direction where Matsuno Final Fantasy games would have headed anyway.

 

[remember_spinal]

 

[hemo memo]

oh no characters are having sex and blood comes out when someone is stabbed with a sword

the jrpg sky is falling

SMT says hi.

 

[Danjin44]

Better example? They turn into kaiju in Vinland Saga?

I meant more of mature and violent anime.

 

[Doom85]

I meant more of mature and violent anime.

I see. I just got mind blown with the AOT comparison because admittedly there are quite a few similarities in what appears to happen in their stories. Not plagiarism levels of similarities of course, but still fairly similar.

 

[thebigmanjosh]

But I wonder if there were any devs that lied about the game's content before? Or forgot to provide the most "extreme" scenes to ESRB?

Rating change for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | ESRB Ratings

ESRB announced that it has officially changed the rating assigned to The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion from T (Teen 13+) to M (Mature 17+).

www.esrb.org

This is the only one that comes to mind.

OT: You can tell they’re going for a mature GoT style game, or at least in the same vein as FFT. I love what I’ve seen so far and just hope it doesn’t feel forced in the final release.

 

[Ozzie666]

So serious question. Is the direction of the game because FFXIV is dark and mature at times or is it Square keeping up with an aging audience who grew up on the game. Which is probably the core audience now?
Is FF popular with the young crowd in Japan? The game doesn't appear to be the juggernaut it once was.

 

[Airbus Jr]

The game doesn't appear to be the juggernaut it once was.

Bro XV was the second best selling final fantasy game

 

[Ozzie666]

Bro XV was the second best selling final fantasy game

Yeah, my bad, I should have researched that one. I just know I found the game and it's setting terrible and assumed it hadn't done well. I just remember a lot of issues. That piece of turd sold over 10M? wow.

 

[cireza]

This reads as if it was a random Western RPG. Precisely what I was expecting from Final Fantasy.

 

[Kaachan]

People are seriously salty over some blood and buttocks?

 

[Meicyn]

People are seriously salty over some blood and buttocks?

of course

game of thrones invented sex scenes and violence in a fantasy setting

 

[shiru]

People are seriously salty over some blood and buttocks?

No one is salty. But this isn't GTA. It's a franchise that's generally lighthearted in tone. So this change in direction isn't well regarded.

 

[Teslerum]

Not to forget that Delita gets himself murdered (at least attempted) in the end by his misgiving wife because of his constant manipulations.

But no sir, this is random western stuff that has never existed in Final Fantasy. How dare you.

 

[Teslerum]

No one is salty. But this isn't GTA. It's a franchise that's generally lighthearted in tone. So this change in direction isn't well regarded.

Again and for the thousandth time. No it isn't. I can't think of a single truly *lighthearted* mainline title. Even the newer ones.

 

[shiru]

Again and for the thousandth time. No it isn't. I can't think of a single *lighthearted* mainline title. Even the newer ones.

Lighthearted in tone, as in language and overall presentation (gore, sex etc), not content.

 

[GymWolf]

Never read the rating thing, it is full of spoiler of things that happen in the game.

 

[GymWolf]

Im not reading the spoilers. But its seemed obvious to me since day 1 this is Final Fantasy Game of Thrones. It takes that many years for the influence to move into AAA games.

Lol it's not gonna get even close to got level of nudity\sex or violence.

Call me when you see a guy literally crushing another dude's head with his bare hands with full display of mashed brains etc.

At the very best you are gonna see a cutted limb with some blood or an head chopper off.

 

[Nickolaidas]

Don’t be a prude

Don't worry, he shits on every sequel of every IP. It's his gig.

 

[Airbus Jr]

This reads as if it was a random Western RPG. Precisely what I was expecting from Final Fantasy.

You should try the older final fantasy game (<6)

Felt like wrpg game, no emo spikyheads kingdom hearts anime esque characters

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

If it is a great story (something that this series has been lacking) this rating would be the best thing that happen to this IP.

A higher rating does allow more freedom to the creators, but it also depends on talent as well. I’ve seen some T rated games with better stories than M rated games. For example, FF: Stranger’s Paradise is M rated, yet it seem like most people didn’t like the story and writing in it. Forspoken is another M rated title, yet again it seems like people don’t like the story and writing in that as well, but it’s still early so we’ll see about that one. Should be really interesting seeing how they’ll handle FF16.

 

[mckmas8808]

No one is salty. But this isn't GTA. It's a franchise that's generally lighthearted in tone. So this change in direction isn't well regarded.

You're crazy. I think this makes things more interesting.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

No one is salty. But this isn't GTA. It's a franchise that's generally lighthearted in tone. So this change in direction isn't well regarded.

Huh? This seems pretty damn salty to me. And I am a sausage.

 

[shiru]

You're crazy. I think this makes things more interesting.

How does cussing make it more interesting?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

How does cussing make it more interesting?

Oh, c'mon bro.

 

[shiru]

Oh, c'mon bro.

I forgot you can't tell a good story or make an interesting game without mature things like sex and swearing.

 

[mortal]

Finally, the first M-rated mainline entry.
I remember expecting FF Versus XIII / FFXV to be the first one back then, but that never came to be with the revisions.

Good to see that Square Enix, or at least Naoki Yoshi & Hiroshi Takai acknowledge their adult FF fans, rather than just appealing to the broader audience again.

 

[sigmaZ]

Taking the FANTASY to a whole new level

 

[Astral Dog]

Sure, and it's interesting that they've pushed things this far.

However I'm a believer in long-running franchises (especially mainline ones like this one) holding some kind of a consistent range for the age group the series has been known for even as things change and evolve, and "M-rated" doesn't feel right to me for Final Fantasy. (Albeit what's described seems pretty light for M-rated territory, and I have a feeling they will appeal before release.) Stranger of Paradise went too far in that direction and that was one of many things that turned me off of that game, but it was a side-game so whatever. (Sort of like how Andor added "shit" lines and almost had the first "fuck" in Star Wars, but it's deep-canon rather than mainline; the series still doesn't and probably shouldn't have a Rated R-type product, even though on the flipside it has lots of Rated G content for little kids.) This is a numbered FF, and IMO those work best as games made for general audiences. I'm not at all opposed to an M-rated RPG (blowjobs and bloodshed in games could be a bulletpoint in a game by another name), but Final Fantasy feels like it should strive for a certain standard wherever they take the concept.

I guess we'll see if this is the new way of things whenever XVII shows up...

nah i think its perfect time for a change, keeps things interesting in such a long running series, more blood/violence can(and sure will) be impactful to the narrative, instead of trying to censor the story they wanted to tell, same with the sexual innuendo, i understand if it was trying to be too edgy but XVI still looks like Final Fantasy to me, just 'darker' and more 'mature' wich is fair if this is the game they wanted to make then its worth a risk

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I forgot you can't tell a good story or make an interesting game without mature things like sex and swearing.

And you are forgetting this franchise needs something different. Especially in the way characters are portrayed and their dramatic arcs.

You are hung up with the sex-swearing. I can warranty you this is not a porn.

 

[shiru]

And you are forgetting this franchise needs something different. Especially in the way characters are portrayed and their dramatic arcs.

You are hung up with the sex-swearing. I can warranty you this is not a porn.

And I disagree that an M rating alone is a meaningful way to achieve that. Also change things too much and it's no longer FF.

 

[Faust]

This is a series that has involved political murders, the death of children, subjugation and mental domination of young women, and genocide.

Final Fantasy has always had mature themes, settings, characters, and tone. This is nothing new.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Sexual moaning sounds in a brothel? So why wasn't X-2 rated M?

Somehow I find “sexual moaning sounds from adults having sex” a lot more tasteful than “sexual moaning sounds awkwardly added to non-sexual situations”.

Like this shit:

 

[ManaByte]

They were trying so hard to make a "mature" and edgy Final Fantasy that they got the rating they were aiming for.

But the end result is not Final Fantasy.

They wanted to turn it into Game of Thrones.

 

[Black_Stride]

Im guessing the main reason for getting an M rating is the more realistic depictions of violence.
XV the humanoid enemies were automatons or something, so you never saw them bleed or cry out in pain.
From the descriptions we are getting blood spatter and realistic depictions of humans having violence committed against them in cutscenes.

Shiva was already a thot in XV.
I expect her to be no different in this one.

 

[shiru]

This is a series that has involved political murders, the death of children, subjugation and mental domination of young women, and genocide.

Final Fantasy has always had mature themes, settings, characters, and tone. This is nothing new.

WOW! It was basically Game of Thrones all this time and no one noticed.

 

[mckmas8808]

How does cussing make it more interesting?

Are you 18 years old or younger? Serious question.

 

[shiru]

Are you 18 years old or younger? Serious question.

Are you?

 

[cireza]

You should try the older final fantasy game (<6)

Felt like wrpg game, no emo spikyheads kingdom hearts anime esque characters

I played all of them.

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

As someone that never cared for FF I love what I'm seeing

 

[mckmas8808]

Are you?

Nope

 

[skyfall]

Only partial nudity?

 

[solidus12]

Taking the FANTASY to a whole new level

 

[shiru]

Only partial nudity?

Couldn't even fully commit to that spicy M rating. The old games had like genocide and shit, yet never got more than a lowly T...

 

[Sub_Level]

Have not seen either of the last 2 trailers. I’m so excited and ready to go on a singnleplayer FF journey. Even if you liked FFXIII that shit was 13 years ago….