Disappointed in Final Fantasy XIV? Saddened by Final Fantasy XIII? Don't worry, commenter Zasalamel says Final Fantasy XV is coming, and he'll tell you why it will be amazing in today's Speak Up on Kotaku.
Final Fantasy XV is coming this gen and it will be awesome. How can I make such a statement? I'll tell you how. It's simple really. There's always been three main-series FF games per console generation (3 on NES, 3 on SNES, 3 on PS1, 3 on PS2), so it's only natural for there to be a third game this generation. The reason I believe FFXV will be awesome is that I'm pretty sure that it will be directed by Hiroyuki Itō because he has been directing the third FF game every generation since the SNES, namely FFVI, FFIX and FFXII. Those three games are the three FF games with the highest Metacritic scores and some of my all time favorite games. They represent the true essence of Final Fantasy in my eyes.
No offense to those that like the Kitase/Toriyama/Nomura style FF games but I do not enjoy those games as much, except for FFVII of course, but that game retained a lot of classic FF elements despite the futuristic setting thanks to Sakaguchi (Producer) and Itō (Materia system concept). Kitase's philosophy is very narrow, story-driven and cinematic whereas Itō prefers a balance between story and gameplay which features more freedom. To me Itō is one of the people who has contributed the most to the FF series. He invented the ATB system and the overall battle system for the SNES and PS1 games, helped create and then perfected the Job System, created the Materia system from FFVII and even created the beloved Triple Triad mini-game from FFVIII.
I would love to hear some FFXV news at this year's E3. Itō has apparently been working on a secret project for some time. To me, it can only be FFXV and I believe it will be amazing. Don't take my word for it though, take Hironubu Sakaguchi's. A couple of months ago at a UK launch event for The Last Story, Sakaguchi was asked who he thought at Square could save Final Fantasy. His answer: Hiroyuki Itō.
About Speak Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That's why we have a forum on Kotaku called Speak Up. That's the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Every weekday we'll pull one of the best Speak Up posts we can find and highlight it here.