While continuing its legacy through ongoing full mainline releases, Final Fantasy has also managed to make the most of its relationships with other franchises. Taking particularly well to the fighting game genre, the appearance of Clive Rosfield in Tekken 8 is the latest collaboration that introduced a Final Fantasy character. With only one other series rivaling the dynamic he's reinforced, there's significant promise in Clive making it to the next Super Smash Bros. Title.
The addition of Cloud Strife and Sephiroth in Smash has roughly aligned with their reappearances in the FF7 Remake games, but Tekken's use of even more recent protagonists has made its Square Enix crossovers more timely than those found in the recent Super Smash Bros. Entries. The variety of powers granted by his access to various Eikons ensures that Clive has more than enough source material to build an entire platform fighter moveset, and he would once again act as a bridge between the latest games in two major series.
Clive Rosfield Represents the Latest Final Fantasy Collaboration with a Popular Fighting Game Series
Final Fantasy Has A Long History With Fighting Games
Beginning with fighting games like Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring and Tobal 2 in the late 1990s, Final Fantasy guest characters have long found themselves in arenas outside the RPG genre. Dissidia Final Fantasy's ongoing legacy has even served as a battleground for the series itself since 2008, but modern crossovers with Bandai Namco have brought this concept into the mainstream. Now that Smash Ultimate has prominently featured Cloud and Sephiroth, and Noctis previously dominated the meta of Tekken 7 during his era, Clive's latest outing marks yet another significant milestone in this gradual expansion.
Paving the Way for Unused Crossover Characters
Tifa Lockhart was a popular fan request for Tekken even moreso than Clive, and she probably would have been a more thematically appropriate fit for the context of the game overall. Just because Clive is already added, however, doesn't mean she isn't still on the table for future DLC slots in the series. Contrary to this situation, Clive might be perfect for Smash in an opposite manner, which also sets him apart from the other Final Fantasy reps.
The Final Fantasy Character Who Should Appear in the Next Super Smash Bros. Title is Obvious
Clive Rosfield's Eikonic Abilities Are Perfect for Super Smash Bros.
Between those of his own Ifrit to the fiery Phoenix, swift Garuda, or brutal Titan, the slew of Eikonic powers in Clive Rosfield's arsenal come with the potential for essentially premade Specials and Smash attacks to round out his kit in Smash Bros. He's capable of spawning wings from up to three different sources for his Up Special, while his Neutral Special could be as versatile as Clive Rosfield's Phoenix Shift in Tekken 8. He could occupy the role of a sword user who just as frequently employs his magic at various ranges, possibly acting as one of the title's most balanced all-rounders as a result.
With the Leviathan and Ultima Eikonic abilities Clive Rosfield acquired in Final Fantasy 16 throughout his DLC adventures, there's no shortage of projectile and Final Smash inspirations as well. He could get just as much mileage out of switching into his Ultima set of powers for a limited time as Priming into Ifrit's massive fully-formed summon form, or even have access to both, depending on how creatively the kit design of the next Smash Bros. Is approached.
Tekken 8
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
- Franchise
- Tekken
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
