Final Fantasy 16: Everything We Know
It’s been six years since the last mainline installment in the Final Fantasy series by no means, making this one of the biggest gaps between games in the series’ 35-year history—though all the waiting seems to be for good reason. What we saw in Final Fantasy XVI makes this game seem like a highly fantasy epic, combining the grandeur of the old game with the cutting-edge technology of the new game, and let’s hope the next entry will be worth the wait.
During the summer reveal season, we got a whole new look at Final Fantasy XVI, and we got more details thanks to a candid interview with producer Naoki Yoshida. The game appears to be an ambitious Final Fantasy game, with unique legendary combat and an expansive scope spanning decades. Here’s everything we know about Final Fantasy XVI.
release date
Final Fantasy XVI may not have an official release date, but we do know it’s aiming for a summer 2023 release. In a recent interview, Yoshida said the developer is in the “final stage” of development.
“Unlike an online game that depicts multiple players at the same time, FFXVI focuses on the individual, so the state of being immersed in the story will be different,” he said. “I think the story is going to be very deep.”
Yoshida confirmed that the development team has completed the main storyline and English dubbing of Final Fantasy XVI.
Like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI will be a limited-time PlayStation exclusive. Unlike FF7 Remake, however, it won’t be cross-generational, meaning PS4 owners will have to switch to PS5 to play it.
Square Enix shared the news in the game’s trailer, noting that “the following was captured on a PC emulating the PS5 experience” before adding the latest entry in Final Fantasy Saga, “not [be] Available on other platforms when released on PS5. “
Will Final Fantasy XVI come to PC or Xbox?
Rejoice, PC gamers! The trailer also says the game will be coming to PC after its exclusive window, though there’s no word on how long that might last. If it follows the same trend as FF7 Remake, FFXVI will likely make its way to PC about a year and a half after its initial console release. Considering a handful of Final Fantasy games already run on the Xbox platform, it wouldn’t be too surprising if FFXVI makes its way to the Xbox at some point.
Massive Eikon battle
The second trailer, shown at Sony’s State of Play in June, showcases Eikon’s massive battle with Eikon, which will serve as the main anchor. Yoshida told Esports.com.tnin an interview that each of these Eikon fights will be unique — one might mimic a wrestling match, while the other might look like a 3D shooter, to name just two — and it’s estimated to be around 20 in total. While these battles are the focus of the game, Yoshida also said that there will be skirmishes against standard enemies, mini-bosses and even human-sized Eikons.
While these battles take place in a wide space, Square Enix later clarified that FFXVI is not an open-world game. This seems to make Eikon Battlegrounds more of an arena.
Final Fantasy XVI Game Trailer | Sony State of Gaming June 2022
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behind the scenes
In addition to the detailed reveal trailer, Square Enix has also launched an official website with an in-depth look at FFXVI’s new world and characters to get you started on the backstory. Notably, it’s being developed by Creative Business Unit III — a less flashy name for the division behind the incredible MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. This is promising given that Naoki Yoshida is leading the production of FFXVI – he led the team behind FFXIV Reborn and continues to direct the MMO, which keeps getting better and is considered the top level of video game storytelling. FFXVI itself is directed by Hiroshi Takai, who has a long history with Final Fantasy and Square Enix, and even worked on the FFXIV reboot.
The story ends here
As we can see from the trailer and the official website, there is conflict and a bunch of political drama between realms (basically nations) in Valistea’s world, but there’s also a focus on rulers. The Domnant is one of the few special characters who can use the power of the Eikons, which is called the Summoning in the world of FFXVI (and FFXIV).
It looks like you’ll be going through two different timeframes in FFXVI’s story, as you can see from the evolution of the protagonist Clive Rosfield, from a handsome young man with a fancy haircut to a man with a sloppy beard and tattoos on his face The later life of the gray veteran. Yoshida tells us the story will span three different eras: Clive in his teens, his 20s and his 30s.
Clive is the son of the Archduke of his realm and has powers associated with Eikon in battle, but he is not necessarily the ruler himself. He swore to protect his brother Joshua, the little boy destined to be the ruler in the trailer. However, as shown in the trailer, Joshua has no control over his Eikon – he summons the phoenix after seeing a potentially important person killed right in front of his eyes. These events ended with a battle between Phoenix and Ifrit, which may have been the tragedy that drove Clive in FFXVI (stated in the official character profile).
One of the themes of Final Fantasy 16, Yoshida told us, is that multiple different people with different ideals share the same space and try to work together to decide what is right and what is wrong.
“You’ll focus on those motivations and those struggles, and then, when it comes to how people should live, you’ll delve into the darker themes; should people live the lives chosen for them or fight to get out of that fate?” he said.
Another character in the trailer is Jill Warwick. She is the gray-haired girl accompanying Joshua. It is said that her life is complicated and comes from another realm. She was basically adopted by Rosefield and acted as a mediator between warring nations. She is said to be a trusted confidant of Clive and Joshua.
In the first trailer, you’ll see other characters in battle and conversations about the political turmoil that seems to fuel Valistea’s war. You’ll see other iconic Eikons like Shiva and Titan used on the battlefield. It appears that the Eikons and extended Dominators resemble powerful weapons of war that can alter the balance of power between the realms of Valistea. There’s also a battle with the armored, spear-wielding dragoons, said to be Imperial Vipers, that shake the character – another staple of the series.
The world of FFXVI also revolves around the Mother Crystal, which is said to bless the land with ether (basically magic). But a destructive force called The Blight is also sweeping the world. It’s worth remembering that FFXVI’s tagline is, “Crystal’s legacy has shaped our history long enough.” We’re not sure what that means, but it’s provocative and may have something to do with what happened to Valistea.
FFXVI’s first trailer, titled “Awakening,” offers four minutes of story, cutscenes, and gameplay. It also has a strong choreographed theme with some Final Fantasy elements like the iconic Crystal Prelude. If we had to take a wild guess, it sounds a bit like composer Masayoshi Soken’s work in FFXIV: Heavensward, suggesting a similar tone.
It will also be the first Final Fantasy game to receive an M rating, which Square Enix says is an intentional move for a more mature story.
What logos can tell us
We can always count on artist Yoshitaka Amano to create a new logo for each Final Fantasy that tells us something about the game’s story. Take the FFXVI logo, for example, which features Ifrit and Phoenix going head-to-head, a battle that ends the trailer. With Ifrit being the key opposing force and Phoenix being the Eikon of the Rosefield family, it appears to be the core conflict driving the game. It seems that the Eikons are crucial to how the world of FFXVI works, more so than previous Final Fantasy games.
Gameplay
Judging from the gameplay footage in the trailer, FFXVI features an action RPG-style combat system that looks similar to FF15 and FF7 Remake. Clive can cast fireballs, engage in melee combat using his sword and warp-like abilities, and use some powers that appear to be related to the Eikons (indicated by the stone fists summoned in battles with dragoons).
While Clive is the central character and player protagonist, he won’t be the only adventurer in the quest. The Washington Post reports that he will be accompanied by AI-controlled party members who will joke and connect throughout the game, as well as a “loyal buddy” character you can direct command. However, Clive will still be the protagonist.
No UI or HUD elements are shown, so it’s hard to tell if or how it incorporates parts of the series’ signature ATB (Active Time Battle) system, how spellcasting works, or even how combat encounters flow. We’ve also only seen Clive in action, so we’re not sure if there’s a party system or how it works (if it exists). In fact, Yoshida even mentioned that the studio hid UI elements in its Eikon battle trailer, as the UI itself was a story spoiler.
Ryota Suzuki is the combat designer for Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma, and is the combat director for FFXVI, which could lead to some pretty exciting things. Despite the renewed focus on action, producer Naoki Yoshida noted that this new approach won’t come at the expense of the game’s story.
How to book
Sorry guys. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for pre-orders, but don’t worry, we’ll let you know when pre-orders begin.
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