Summary
- Masayoshi Soken has revealed that his experience working on music for FF14 and FF16 at the time was a “really horrible hell”.
- According to Soken, the radically different tone of both games was a big issue, claiming that “14 has variety and 16 requires stories.”
- When asked if he’d compose Final Fantasy 17, he said he’d have to begrudgingly decline, only because he’d need to have “two bodies”.
Final Fantasy 14 has had such consistently great music for so long that it makes me wonder how composer Masayoshi Soken actually manages it. Combat, story, characters, and writing have all peaked and dipped at points during the game’s almost fifteen-year-long runtime, but the music has remained great, and Soken has established himself as not only one of the best Final Fantasy composers, but one of the best in the industry right now.
It would make sense that Square Enix would want to utilize Soken’s talents outside of Final Fantasy 14 too, which is exactly what it did during the development of Final Fantasy 16. It was a sensible decision to have Soken compose for the game, especially since Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida was directing. Those two are practically inseparable.
Final Fantasy 14’s Composer Says It Was “Hell” Working On FF16 At The Same Time
However, just because something sounds like a sensible idea, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is one, as it seems Soken’s workload composing for both Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion and Final Fantasy 16 at the same time was far too great. In a recent interview with PCGamesN, Soken claimed that working on both games was “a really horrible hell”.
Related
Looking Back After Five Years, I Don’t Think Final Fantasy 7 Remake Should’ve Been A Trilogy
It’s bittersweet looking back at Final Fantasy 7 Remake five years later: a great game that kickstarted a misguided trilogy.
As for exactly why, it sounds as though the differing tones of both Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16 are what contributed to Soken’s struggles working on both at the same time, explaining that “14 has variety and 16 requires stories”.
“I can’t really come up with a specific example, mainly because of the sheer amount of work that was needed, but in terms of the spirit that went into the creation of 14 and 16, I would say that it was very different,” says Soken. “Every day was a really horrible hell – really something beyond your imagination of hell.”
Thankfully, Soken was able to use his experience of working on Final Fantasy 14 1.0 and A Realm Reborn simultaneously to get the job done, and his efforts did get him a Best Music award at The Game Awards, but admits it’s going to be the last time he has two massive projects on the go at once. When asked whether he’d do it again for Final Fantasy 17, Soken claims he’d have to have “two bodies” for him to attempt the feat again.
Final Fantasy 14
- Released
-
August 27, 2013
- ESRB
-
T for Teen – Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Engine
-
Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it’s a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Playable