Final Fantasy Type-0
While working on "Final Fantasy XV", Tabata decided to make a high-definition remaster of "Type-0" for eighth-generation consoles. Developed by Square Enix and HexaDrive, "Final Fantasy Type-0 HD" was originally announced at E3 2014, and released worldwide in March 2015. After "Type-0"s release, Tabata stated in an interview that he wished to explore the distant history of Orience after the events of the game. Trademarks for "Type-1", "Type-2" and "Type-3" were registered shortly after the "Type-0" trademark, but it was suggested that they were simply a protective measure. During interviews given in 2014, Tabata commented that he wished to work on "Type-1" after completing "XV", and later explained the conceptual "Type" series as a means of publishing "Final Fantasy" games too experimental for the main series. He hoped to continue with the "Type" series if "Type-0 HD" was commercially successful.
Final Fantasy Type-0
"Type-0"s scenario was conceived by Tabata and written by Hiroki Chiba and Sarah Okabe. While the game was still titled "Agito XIII", Tabata described it as "a major title [...] formed from a variety of concepts" which included the collision of four fantasies (the game's view of Orience), a battle between magic and weapons, and the two sides of reality. The early story concept drew heavily from popular manga and anime, but little survived after the platform change. Tabata instead chose a new style similar to historical films and documentaries. The new story's concept started with the idea of a war story told by young people caught up in the event, with its story themes revolving around death and its impact on others. A major inspiration was the Japanese documentary series "Centuries of Picture". The final story was darker than many other "Final Fantasy" games. Despite its title change, the game was kept within the "Fabula Nova Crystallis" mythos. The approach taken with the mythos was to portray the roles of its deities from a historical standpoint, while telling a story focused on the human side of events. The cyclic nature of the game's universe was created to help incorporate aspects of the mythos. The roles and backgrounds for each character in the game were conceived and put into place after the setting and main story had been finalized. After the game's release, Tabata commented that when he was writing the story he would have liked to have been more thorough, and to have made the story easier for players to understand.