After a controversial 15th episode, 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 installment of the cult JRPG franchise.
We never leave Final Fantasy aside, even when the license is not necessarily at its best. In recent years, Square Enix’s cult JRPG has been in a very peculiar situation. On the one hand, its latest official canon episode failed to convince gamers. Final Fantasy XV, which was to be a spin-off from the already controversial Final Fantasy XIII universe, disappointed. On the other hand, the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has only ceased to explode in popularity. Whereas Final Fantasy XVI is approachingthe developer learned the lesson.
When is Final Fantasy 16 release date?
The next major episode of the Final Fantasy series will be released during the summer of 2023. The game’s release date was slightly pushed back recently. Final Fantasy XVI is a PlayStation exclusive at the moment, and will be released on PS5 to this date. However, this exclusivity may be temporary.
The game was first announced during the PlayStation Showcase on September 16, 2020, thanks to this trailer called “Awakening”.
Where is Final Fantasy XVI set?
Like all major games of the Final Fantasy license, a new world and brand new characters are presented to us for this new episode. 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 is set in the new world of Valisthea. This territory is made of crystalline mountains and plains and is divided into 6 nations each with a different Mother Crystal: the Archduchy of Rosalia, the Holy Empire of Bloodbrec, the Kingdom of Valoed, the Republic of Dalmequia, the Kingdom of Iron and the Crystal Dominion. These 6 nations are at peace, but the balance of power is threatened by the arrival of the “Black Scourge”.
Each country has its Emissary, the name given to humans sheltering the Primordials. You probably already know these as summons, since they are obviously the great cult monsters of the series like Ifrit or Titan. It is this great conflict that will be the basis of the scenario of Final Fantasy XVI, where it seems that the Primordials representing the same element (fire, water, wind, etc.) will be at war.
The universe of Final Fantasy XVI seems for once heavily influenced by western history, rather than the Japanese one. A trait that we already found on FFXIV, and which is increasingly confirmed with this development team. This does not mean that the Japanese influences and the 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 succeeding in mixing everything to create ultra coherent 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 would have it that his younger brother, Joshua, would inherit the responsibility. Clive then decided to devote himself to the handling of the sword. Barely fifteen years old, he won the court fencing tournament, which gave him the title of Guardian of Rosalia, responsible for protecting Joshua. On the other hand, he received the blessing of Phoenix, which allows him to use some of the fire powers of this Primordial. Alas, a tragedy will strike Clive, making him swear to take his revenge on Ifrit, a dark Primordial who seems to be the source of all his misfortunes.”
The game’s storyline, however, will introduce us to many different faces from each of the major regions of Valisthea’s world. We already know two of them: Hugo Kupka, Titan’s Emissary for 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 episode. Its combat system is intended to be an evolution of that of Final Fantasy XVI, and not a mix between nostalgia and novelty like that of FF7 Remake. The main character will have the ability to use his sword and his shield, but also to equip himself with various powers from the Primordials to launch magic attacks.
In addition to these classic phases, Final Fantasy XVI will also offer battles Primordials against Primordials which will aim to be as epic as possible. From what we see in the second trailer of the game, they seem to mix several different gameplay phases and are reminiscent of games like Naruto Ninja Storm.
On exploration, Final Fantasy XVI will not feature an open world. However, it will be subdivided into several very large areas which should offer a lot of content to the curious who would like to get lost in its world and seek its smallest treasures.
Who is developing Final Fantasy XVI?
Final Fantasy XVI is developed by thea Creative Business Unit III within Square Enix. If this name means nothing to you, you must not be a big 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. Its director, nicknamed Yoshi-P by his community, is among the most respected Japanese creators in the world today.
It doesn’t stop there. The combat 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.
