Final Fantasy XVI M-Rating Explained by Game’s Producer

There was a time in gaming when an M-rating was seen as a “black mark.” The ESRB was created because of the questionable content in video games like Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, and many others. Nowadays though, there are plenty of M-rated games that are not only praised, but applauded, becoming Game of the Year titles, or, in the case of GTA V, one of the best-selling games of all time. Even with this massive shift, some people continue to question the M-rating, such is the case with the upcoming title Final Fantasy XVI.

The game is expected to get an M-rating, making it the first Final Fantasy game to do so. Many fans of the series have questions about this, and in a recent interview, producer Naoki Yoshida did his best to put any fears to rest.

“When trying to tell a story with difficult adult themes, these ratings can end up becoming somewhat of a hindrance. And you find yourself changing things that you wanted to do in the game based on that rating,” said Yoshida. “This time, to make sure that we could tell the story that we wanted in the way that we wanted to, we decided to pursue a mature rating in most of the regions that will be releasing the game.”

He also made it clear that while it may be M-Rated due to story content, that doesn’t mean it’ll be “filled with gory violence.” Consider this like Mass Effect, one of the most popular game franchises ever, with all three of the main titles being M-rated due to story elements and a certain set of scenes.

We’ll have to wait and see how Final Fantasy XVI “crosses the line” when it releases next year.

Source: GameSpot