Square Enix has already made it clear that Final Fantasy 16 will not have an open world. But in a recent interview with IGN, the developer explained how its segmented map works, revealing that the world of Valisthea is made up of multiple areas of varying sizes that will provide opportunities for non-linear exploration.
Speaking as part of a roundtable discussion with the press, Final Fantasy 16 director Hiroshi Takai explained that the world is made up of several maps; Some are small, others are large. Referring to a larger scale, Takai said “we have — I think — four areas that are about two miles by two miles.”
Producer Naoki Yoshida detailed the way players will navigate and explore these areas, which together make up the landscape of Valisthea. “On the world map you have the areas you can travel to and you pick that area and then you seamlessly jump into that area. And then you follow the main quest there. And then once you’re done with that, you go back to that center area […] called “the hideout”.
Takai describes the Hideaway as a location from which to start both main quests and optional side quests, the latter of which includes monster hunting among other activities. Yoshida also notes that the Hideaway is where players will find the item shop, as well as a blacksmith who can craft and upgrade weapons.
Much of this lineup will be somewhat familiar to series veterans; Even back in the days when Final Fantasy had an ‘open world’, the overworld was more home to a variety of areas (or ‘terrain maps’) rather than what we would consider open world today. But unlike many of the beloved classics of the series, Final Fantasy 16 will not feature dungeons or hidden areas.
“We didn’t create anyone [hidden dungeons or maps] Because we wanted players to focus more on the main scenario and not have the feeling that you have to go to this area and clear this area,” Takai said. “We wanted them to focus on that and we wanted to focus our development more on the main areas. So we didn’t go out of our way to create maps that don’t need to be visited.”
“However, there are areas I suppose players could consider dungeons,” he continued. “They’re off the field and you go deep inside, but they’re all related in some way to the story. And they’re all professionally structured dungeons. We’ve created these as great places, we want players to go there and so we’re going to give players reasons to go there. We didn’t want to create something that most players might not even They won’t find it.”
Even so, Yoshida wanted to assure players that there’s still a lot to see and do in the world of Final Fantasy 16. “The only thing is when you hear that answer you think, oh, so there’s not a lot of places you can explore,” he said. “There are many areas you can explore. So don’t worry about it.”
For more on Final Fantasy 16, check out how it could be made just for PS5 hardware, its new approach to accessibility, as well as our hands-on preview. You can also read Yoshida’s comments on Final Fantasy 16’s approach to its diverse characters and cultures.
Matt Porslow is IGN’s UK news and features editor.