Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for designing Final Fantasy during the beginning of his significant time at Square Enix, has announced the development of a new game. The unidentified title should be derived from Mistwalker, the studio he created after leaving his previous work (though his ties to Square and to Final Fantasy remain strong enough that Hironobu Sakaguchi started a free company in Final Fantasy 14 to pay tribute to his early days in the industry).
Sakaguchi built his reputation in the JRPG genre, and Mistwalker hasn’t exactly been a slouch either. Blue Dragon, The Last Story, Lost Odyssey, and more films have been produced by the company since its inception in 2004. While its production isn’t the most prolific, it’s apparent the firm is still going strong; Fantasian, the studio’s most recent release, is regarded as one of the finest games on Apple Arcade.
Hironobu Sakaguchi joked to Famtisu that he felt he would retire in 2023. He did, however, add that he had chosen to “give this another go.” Sakaguchi has contemplated retirement in the past, but he must find it tough to leave the business he loves. He also claimed that he has begun developing the plot for an unknown new dark fantasy game, in addition to declaring that he would never stop playing Final Fantasy 14 and urging gamers to meet him in Eorzea. Famitsu editor-in-chief Katsuhiko Hayashi singled out his statements, which Sakaguchi retweeted last week.
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Mistwalker’s future game, which may or may not is the one mentioned by Hironobu Sakaguchi, might be released on nearly any platform. Early work from the company preferred more conventional platforms of the time, such as the Xbox 360, Wii, and DS. Its games have since been available for iOS and Android smartphones. Fantasian, which was released in early 2021, received positive reviews. Despite continuous interest from gamers who would like to play it on other gear, it is now only accessible for Apple devices.
The release of Hironobu Sakaguchi’s next fantasy game, wherever it may be, is sure to be met with a warm reception from devoted fans. Despite the company’s long history, there are no current plans to rebuild early Mistwalker titles since such attempts would divert resources better focused on new projects. Though this is sad in some ways since cherished tales will not benefit from a new coat of paint and simplified gameplay, Mistwalker’s desire to continually produce something new may enable dark fantasy to assure the acclaimed developer’s future.
