„We value the turn-based genre” Expedition 33’s success left an impression on Square Enix

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Today, it’s been confirmed that Square Enix is celebrating the success of one of this year’s most significant RPGs – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The game’s emphasis on turn-based combat is noteworthy, a style that Square Enix is famous for, particularly through their iconic Final Fantasy series. However, recent installments in the Final Fantasy franchise have leaned more towards action-oriented gameplay, deviating somewhat from the traditional turn-based format. This change has sparked debates among fans, with Final Fantasy XVI receiving particular criticism due to its departure from the classic style. Now, Square Enix has expressed their intention to continue exploring turn-based combat as a viable strategy in future games.

Square Enix will release more turn-based RPGs in the future after the success of Expedition 33

The news article, originally published by VideoGamer, stems from a social media post by user @yuzz_. This individual, who was present at a Square Enix investors meeting, described their experience and interactions during the event. At this gathering, it’s said that Yuzz_ voiced a wish for potential future “…Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games to be command-based RPGs…”. This suggestion seems to reflect the changing direction with Final Fantasy XVI and the recent triumph of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

As reported by Yuzz_, Square Enix expressed a favorable response, stating, “…they are cognizant of Expedition 33 and view command-based role-playing games as the root and backbone of Square Enix’s history… They appreciate the turn-based RPG genre and aim to keep producing games in this fashion in the future.

It appears that every so often, the gaming community expresses bewilderment once more about the enduring appeal of turn-based role-playing games. This phenomenon occurred recently with the triumph of “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”. Back in 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 cleaned up at every award ceremony. It’s safe to say this pattern will repeat itself. Interestingly, a large segment of the gaming community continues to question why these games remain popular. This observation doesn’t begin to encompass the immense popularity of “Pokémon”, the most profitable media franchise globally, which centers around turn-based gameplay.

The third installment of Final Fantasy VII Remake is still in development by Square Enix, and at some point, we’ll likely hear about a new seventeenth game in the series. It remains to be seen whether a return to turn-based combat will spark as much controversy or if the fanbase has become so divided that there’s no clear preference anymore. We’ll just have to wait and see!

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2025-06-25 23:02