The following contains light spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI on PS5.
The Final Fantasy franchise doesn't shy away from the use of iconic motifs as a mark of identity on the series' distinct worlds. Characters like Chocobos and Moogles, or Cid and his daughter Mid have been known to recur from time to time, and it's always a pleasure to fans when they do. In fact, Cid and Mid both return in Final Fantasy XVI to fill some rather significant roles. While Cid does not function as a pilot in this particular installment, Mid does, and her quest to build the perfect airship eventually leads to a callback to Final Fantasy III.
Final Fantasy III is lauded as one of the most important games of the series, as it introduced the iconic job system that allowed players to change their characters' classes on the fly. Its job system isn't the only feature it's known for, however, as it happens to be the title in the series that introduced "Enterprise" as a name for Cid's airship, which was used again for the same purpose in Final Fantasy IV and then again in Final Fantasy XIV. The significance of the name increases even more now in Final Fantasy XVI as Mid names her ship "Enterprise," and the latest installment gives a subtle nod to the first Enterprise during a side quest called "Aiming High" that becomes available near the end of the game.
Aiming High Is a Gentle Callback to Cid's Airship from Final Fantasy III
Late in the game, during the main quest "Like Father, Like Daughter," players are tasked with helping Mid finish her ship, Enterprise, so the team might be able to travel across the sea to reach otherwise unreachable places. Unfortunately, unlike previous installments, the Enterprise is used for narrative purposes only and cannot be controlled by the player at any point in the story. Still, its name and function point directly to the Enterprise from Final Fantasy III.
Like Final Fantasy XVI's Enterprise, the Enterprise of Final Fantasy III begins as a ship that can only travel on water. However, after acquiring the Wheel of Time and giving it to Cid, he is able to modify it into an airship, enabling it to fly over land, although it can still only land on water. This was not only the first time the name Enterprise was used, but also the first time the series saw a ship transformed into an airship.
Final Fantasy XVI's "Aiming High" side quest becomes available near the end of the game and can be triggered by speaking to the Hideaway's children in the Atrium above Mid's Dungeon. Upon speaking to them, the children tell Clive that Mid is no longer her usual chipper self and are concerned that something might be amiss. They then encourage Clive to visit Mid and check on her. He does, only to discover that Mid has been working on an airship model, which happens to be a modified version of her current Enterprise, and still needs a few key components to finish it -- specifically, an Adamantoise Shell and two Shipwright's Tallow.
Upon retrieving the items and handing them over to her, she tells Clive that she still lacks one piece: a Brass Cogwheel that she later reveals will make the ship's wings move, thus granting it flight. She suggests Clive ask the children if they have the cogwheel, and they do. Once she receives the Brass Cogwheel, she equips the ship with it and attempts to make it fly. To her dismay, the airship's wings begin to move but slow to a halt only after a moment. After she realizes her ship won't fly, she decides it is probably for the best, and that the people of the realm of Valisthea are better off with their feet planted firmly on the ground for the time being.
The side quest points to Final Fantasy III in a number of ways, but perhaps the most notable is the ship's design and the Brass Cogwheel used to make it fly. Although Cid's airship in Final Fantasy III may have been too pixelated to make out any specific details, the original artwork of the airship resembles Final Fantasy XVI's Enterprise design almost perfectly, with moving ores on its sides and spinning wings on its top. The Brass Cogwheel that Mid uses in an attempt to make her model fly is also a subtle callback to the Wheel of Time that was used to transform the Enterprise ship into a flying airship in Final Fantasy III.
While it may not be the most obvious Easter egg in any Final Fantasy game, it is an Easter egg nonetheless, and one that will likely produce a gentle smile on the faces of many of the franchise's longtime fans. Although Mid was unable to get her Enterprise off the ground, perhaps she will at some future point in the story of Final Fantasy XVI that proceeds beyond the end of the game. No matter what happens, the inclusion of a nod to previous Final Fantasy titles is always welcome, as it serves to connect the franchise's varied worlds in a sentimental and nostalgic way.