After a controversial 15th installment, Square Enix put the drool on the lips of its fans with the announcement of Final Fantasy XVI. Here’s everything you need to know about the next flagship of the cult JRPG franchise.
We never leave Final Fantasy aside, even if the license isn’t necessarily at its best. In recent years, Square Enix’s cult JRPG has found itself in a very peculiar situation. On the one hand, the last official canon installment failed to convince gamers. Final Fantasy XV, which was to be a spin-off of the already controversial Final Fantasy XIII universe, disappointed. On the other hand, the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has only ceased to explode in popularity. While Final Fantasy XVI is approachinghas the developer learned the lesson.
When is the Final Fantasy 16 release date?
The next major installment of the Final Fantasy series is released June 22, 2023. Final Fantasy XVI will be exclusive to Sony for a period of 6 months, and will be released on PS5 until this date. It will then come to other platforms, including the PC, and perhaps the Xbox Series X and S.
The game was first announced during the PlayStation Showcase on September 16, 2020, thanks to this trailer called “Awakening”.
Regarding the PC version, producer Naoki Yoshida has already warned that the PC version of the game will not be released once the exclusivity window ends.. So it is certain that the PC version of Final Fantasy 16 will not arrive at the beginning of the year 2024, when Sony’s exclusivity period ends. We can therefore probably expect it to launch around the second quarter of 2024, or even the third quarter.
Where does Final Fantasy XVI take place?
Like all major games of the Final Fantasy license, a new world and brand new characters are presented to us for this new installment. If you’re not familiar with the series, rest assured, you don’t need to watch the previous 15 episodes to follow the story, which is completely new.
Final Fantasy XVI takes place the new world of Valisthea. Made of crystalline mountains and plains, this area is divided into 6 nations, each with a different mother crystal: the Archduchy of Rosalia, the Sacred Realm of Bloodbrec, the Kingdom of Valoed, the Republic of Dalmequia, the Kingdom of Iron, and the Crystal Dominion. These 6 nations live in peace, but the balance of power is threatened by the arrival of the “Black Scourge”.
Every country has its emissary, the name given to people who provide shelter the Primordies. You probably already know this one as Summons, since they’re clearly the big cult monsters of the series, like Ifrit or Titan. It is this great conflict that will form the basis of the Final Fantasy XVI scenario, where it seems that the Primordials representing the same element (fire, water, wind, etc.) will be at war.
The universe of Final Fantasy XVI appears for once strongly influenced by Western history, instead of the Japanese. A feature that we already found on FFXIV, and which is increasingly confirmed by this development team. This does not mean that the Japanese influences and traditions of the series (such as the presence of the chocobos or the Moogles) will be completely forgotten; to tell the truth, the team is known for mixing everything up to create ultra cohesive universes that appeal to a maximum of players.
Who is the main character of Final Fantasy XVI?
The main hero of Final Fantasy XVI is Clive Rosfield. This is the eldest son of the Archduke of Rosalia. As the game’s official website explains:
“Everyone expected him to turn out to be the Phoenix Emissary, but fate wanted his younger brother, Joshua, to inherit the responsibility. Clive then decided to devote himself to wielding the sword. Barely fifteen years old, he won the field fencing tournament, which earned him the title of Guardian of Rosalia, responsible for protecting Joshua. On the other hand, he received Phoenix’s blessing, which allows him to use some of this Primordial’s fire powers. Alas, tragedy will befall Clive, leading him to vow revenge against Ifrit, a dark Primordial who seems to be the source of all his misfortunes.”
However, the game’s storyline introduces us to many different faces from each of the main regions of Valisthea’s world. We already know of two: Hugo Kupka, Titan’s emissary to the Republic of Dalmequia, and Benedikta Harman, Garuda’s emissary.
What gameplay for Final Fantasy XVI?
The gameplay of FFXVI gets closer and closer to the action in this new installment. The combat system is meant to be an evolution of that of Final Fantasy XVI, and not a mix between nostalgia and novelty like that of FF7 Remake. The protagonist has the ability to use his sword and shield, as well as equip himself with various powers of the Primordials to perform magical attacks.
In addition to these classic stages, Final Fantasy XVI will also offer battle Primordials against Primordials who strives to be as epic as possible. From what we see in the game’s second trailer, they seem to mix different gameplay phases and are reminiscent of games like Naruto Ninja Storm.
exploring, Final Fantasy XVI will not feature an open world. However, it will be divided into several very large areas that should provide a lot of content for the curious who want to get lost in its world and look for the smallest treasures.
According to Naoki Yoshida, the producer, and Hiroshi Takai, the director, it will take between 70 and 80 hours to complete the game at 100%, with no less than 11 hours of cutscenes for total immersion in the universe of Valisthéa. But for those who are in a hurry, it is possible to finish the main story in 35 straight hours. This is much more than the initially planned 20 hours.
Who develops Final Fantasy XVI?
Final Fantasy XVI was developed by thea Creative Business Unit III within Square Enix. If this name doesn’t ring a bell for you, you’re probably not a huge MMORPG fan. This team is actually the one behind Final Fantasy XIV, the most popular video game released by the publisher for a long time. Known as Yoshi-P by his community, the director is one of the most respected Japanese creators in the world today.
It doesn’t stop there. The battle director is none other than Ryota Suzuki, who previously worked on Devil May Cry V, Dragon’s Dogma, and Marvel vs Capcom 2. The game’s director is Hiroshi Takai, who previously worked on Final Fantasy V. In the script we even find Kazutoyo Maehiro, who previously worked on The Last Remnant and Final Fantasy XII. What beautiful people.
