FF XVI Devs Were Working on a Bloodborne-like Game; 'It Would've Been a Failure'
Around 2010, a group of developers at Square Enix were working on a gothic action game with asymmetrical multiplayer. The project was scrapped when its creators were redeployed to save Final Fantasy XIV.
In his book Naoki Yoshida from Square Enix revealed that several years ago he was working on a dark action game, which was eventually canceled. The producer compares the atmosphere of this project to Bloodborne, although it should be added that it was abandoned long before FromSoftware even started creating its hit.
- The game was a gothic fantasy, enabling us to fight with both melee weapons and firearms.
- Yhe game offered asymmetrical multiplayer. In it, one player would control a powerful murderer, while the other four users would take on the role of his potential victims.
- The game was also supposed to have light sci-fi elements.
- Its style was similar enough to Bloodborne that Yoshida believes his project would have been considered a copycat had it been released after FromSoftware's hit.
- The project was abandoned after a year of work, as in late 2010 his team was redirected to salvage Final Fantasy XIV. The developers did a great job and it is now one of the most popular MMORPGs on the market, so Square Enix definitely made the right decision. Yoshida himself agrees, saying that the abandoned game would have been a failure.
- Also working on the canceled project was Hiroshi Takai, who currently leads the team responsible for Final Fantasy XVI, as well as Kazutoyo Maehiro, who was responsible for the script.
This information is not only a curiosity, it may also have implications for future projects. Upcoming FF XVI seems noticeably darker than the typical installments of the series, with Ryota Suzuki, who had the same role in Devil May Cry 5, hired to design the combat system. So we wouldn't be surprised if some of the ideas from the abandoned game show up in Final Fantasy XVI.
It is worth adding that the fans speculate Square Enix could use elements of the canceled project to develop the mobile game Bloodmasque.
