A Bloodborne-esque co-op game was reportedly in the works under Naoki Yoshida before his team began the introduction of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI. This news surfaces as FF16 moves nearer to completion, with a brand new trailer set to release soon.
Naoki Yoshida, known as Yoshi-P, was previously producer for Square Enix's beloved MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. He remained at the helm from the game like a producer throughout its many expansions. Yoshi-P's plentiful career includes director credits on multiple entries in the Dragon Quest series. Recently, he was tasked because the producer on Square Enix's long-awaited next entry within the legendary RPG franchise Final Fantasy. Within the game's reveal trailer, Final Fantasy XVI was announced being an exclusive for that PlayStation 5. According to its reveal, Final Fantasy XVI appears to be returning to a dark fantasy setting similar to classic titles within the series' legacy.
Related: Final Fantasy XVI: Why FF16 News Has Been Delayed
Chris J Capel of PCGamesN reported on a translation of a column in Famitsu from Naoki Yoshida. Within this column, Yoshida states that before development began on Final Fantasy XVI, and even before Final Fantasy XIV, he was working on another game alongside other leads at Square Enix. Yoshida says his game was similar to Bloodborne; Final Fantasy XVI director Hiroshi Takai supports this claim, saying the sport “had the same weapons and guns, also it was in Gothic style.” Takai notes that the game was not an RPG but would have featured fully asymmetrical multiplayer, much like Dead By Daylight. Growth and development of the sport eventually halted, and also the game's leads were assigned to work on Final Fantasy.
Interestingly, this canceled Bloodborne-esque game was in the whole shebang even before Final Fantasy XIV. Its development cycle may have been simultaneous using the very game Yoshida compares it to. Bloodborne is a gothic horror action RPG released in 2022 by FromSoftware. This PlayStation exclusive was a spin-off from the Dark Souls series and was received like a critical and commercial darling. Bloodborne paired a gothic setting and fast-paced combat using the high level of difficulty and action RPG gameplay associated with other soulsbornes.
Despite the overwhelming hype surrounding Final Fantasy XVI, Bloodborne and Final Fantasy fans might have likely been excited to determine what this canceled game was like. It's fascinating that Yoshi-P and other Square Enix leads were working on something so drastically different before developing Final Fantasy XIV. Furthermore, a pairing of Bloodborne with fully realized asymmetric multiplayer is one thing many could be eager to play. Regardless of this, Final Fantasy XVI appears to be a return to a much darker tone for that series; perhaps the development of this Bloodborne-esque game influenced this style to some degree.
