Most fans can agree that one of the standout aspects of Final Fantasy XV was the open world concept being brought to the franchise. The latest installment in the lengthy series is one of the largest explorable worlds the game has ever seen. Looking ahead, it could be that the next Final Fantasy game may also feature an expansive world for players to delve into.

In a recent interview Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy XV, discussed what his hopes were for the next project. It wasn’t explicitly stated that his next project would feature the same open-world concept, it was suggested that their upcoming project may have a similar feel. Here is what Tabata had to say about the next Final Fantasy game:

It’s hard to say at this point if the entire game is gonna be based on an open world. But I would say that the overall experience that users get from playing in a massive area, that overall game experience is something that we’re gonna make sure is in the next project as well.”

During the interview, Tabata also discussed what he thought of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s smash hit brought a lot of new elements to the franchise that made fans fall in love with the setting and story. The director himself admits that his team enjoys the game and that he is interested in recreating that experience in a way that better reflects the expectations of the next Final Fantasy game.

I’ve heard a lot from the dev team and their reactions to having played it. But just from hearing the stories and the feedback, you know, we can tell that it’s a really complete game. It’s very polished, almost a perfect game in that regard. And our goals are probably to take that experience that players felt with Breath of the Wild, but with our own technology and our own know-how.

We have in our disposal to create a very, very high-quality game with a strong visual element to it, while creating a world that’s really immersive and really beautiful. That’s probably our goals in terms of what we want to be with our next project.”

It will certainly be interesting to see what Tabata has in mind for the next Final Fantasy game. With open-world becoming more and more important to players, it seems a smart move for the director to continue the trend. Time will tell what can be expected from the franchise until then there is still plenty of FFXV to dive into!

What about Breath of the Wild would compliment the next Final Fantasy game? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!