Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi left Square Enix in 2003 to found Mistwalker, since when he's worked on an eclectic mix of games from lavish RPGs to mobile titles. Sakaguchi had previously indicated that after 2021's Fantasian, which has just received a director's cut on Steam, he'd be stepping back from the coalface and enjoying a well-earned retirement.
Now? Crank up the engine and fetch the driving goggles, because Sakaguchi reckons he's got one more left in the tank. Speaking to The Verge, Sakaguchi says he "intended Fantasian to be my final project before I retired, so it was somewhat of a farewell note from me." He says that, with the release of Fantasian Neo Dimension, he considers the game complete, and then gets rather existential about it:
"In the distant future, or maybe after I have already left this world, I imagine this game will find its meaning if someone chooses to look into the legacy of either myself or Final Fantasy."
- Hideo Kojima is 'tired' while crunching on Death Stranding 2 and wonders how long he'll be able to keep making games: 'Every day feels like I'm racing against the clock'
- Dragon Quest 12 is still coming, says Yuji Horii, but they're determined to make a game 'worthy of the posthumous work' of the late Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama
Sakaguchi says the whole process of making Fantasian "was so enjoyable" that he "found it hard to part ways" with the development team. "Humans are greedy creatures, aren’t we? For that reason, I’m currently working on a new project with the same team that worked on Fantasian Neo Dimension," says Sakaguchi.
"It’s generally going to follow a similar style to my previous works, and it’ll be something that can be a successor to Final Fantasy VI in a good way—our goal is to create something old but new at the same time. It’ll be part two of my farewell note."
The old fox knows exactly what he's doing here: Any mention of Final Fantasy 6, widely regarded as the finest 2D entry and still considered by some the series' pinnacle, will have those of a certain vintage salivating. You can never truly go back, of course, but the fact Sakaguchi is thinking on those lines for his last hurrah does stir the blood. Retirement is for the weak: It's time for Kefka 2.0.
