Final Fantasy XVI Reveals 25 Minutes of Gameplay in the PlayStation State of Play
Apr. 17, 2023Final Fantasy XVI Reveals 25 Minutes of Gameplay in the PlayStation State of Play
Final Fantasy XVI released over 25 minutes of gameplay footage in last week’s PlayStation State of Play.
Last week’s PlayStation State of Play was an exciting time for fans of the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. Game Producer Naoki Yoshida took some time to sit down while showing off to the world one of the biggest content drops for the upcoming action RPG.
Yoshi-P himself did some narration (with a translator nearby), but spoke very little overall. He let thefootagespeak for itself. And the footage said a lot.
Final Fantasy XVI’scombatis split into two distinct types: fights that involve Clive in his human form, and encounters that have the Dominants take on their massive Eikon Forms.
Most fights will have the player control Clive in his human form. He isn’t a slouch in fights, however, as he is an expert swordsman. Enhancing his skill is his ability to draw power from the various Eikons that he’s encountered throughout his journey.
For example, Clive can be seen making use of gigantic stone fist attacks because of Titan. He will have access to a basic attack and an elemental spell based on the currently selected Eikon. Additionally, he will have two other abilities that he can make use of, also granted by the current Eikon.
Fights are quick and flashy, and extremely entertaining to watch. The screen can get quite busy, however, as there are tons of particle effects from almost all of Clive’s abilities.
Abilities can be equipped beforehand on the character screen. There look to be dozens of different abilities that you can choose from. You have the choice of unlocking new ones or upgrading existing skills whenever you have enough Ability Points.
Eikon fights are truly breathtaking, heart-pounding fights. These Eikon battles were definitely the stars of the 25-minute gameplay reveal. They are flashy, seamless, and full of high-adrenaline action. It looks as if every encounter is quite cinematic and unique.
One fight has you brawling mercilessly with Garuda, other times you’re flying in the sky as Pheonix while you evade Bahamut’s Omega Flare attacks.
You can also be seen running up a massive earth titan while smashing boulders that come your way. The amount of action in these encounters is truly wild, and quite the spectacle.
Talking about it would give away too much of the spectacle, so be sure to pay attention to the tail end of the gameplay presentation for more!
As expected with any Final Fantasy game, Clive will have a strong cast of characters to back him up and support his quest. One of these is his forever-loyal dog, Torgal. He will be present in almost all situations it seems, be it combat or exploration.
Torgal will fight independently of Clive but can be instructed with specific commands if needed.
Final Fantasy XVI will also have other companions adventure alongside Clive. Unfortunately, they will be purely AI-driven and thus cannot be controlled directly in combat. The players will need to focus solely on the main character, just like Noctis in Final Fantasy XV. However, it is said that they will be “constantly adapting” to the player’s actions, whatever that means.
We can also expect to see manydifferent and varied locations. It was already confirmed that Final Fantasy XVI will not be an open world. Instead, it will be a series of loosely connected expansive locations much like more classic installments.
Navigation will be done primarily via an extensive World Map that gives an overview of the land. Apparently, this world map can be opened at any time and Clive can fast-travel almost instantly.
Clive’s home base will be at Cid’s Hideaway. A small haven in the corner of Valisthea where he and his friends can take a breather and relax. There, you can shop around for new weapons and armor, or craft entirely new pieces instead.
There will be many sidequests to start as well. The nearby Moogle Hunt Board will give you a selection of missions to track down specific beasts that have been causing problems for the local population.
An Arete Stone inside the hideaway will let you enter training mode to practice your combos and fighting style. An optional Arcade Mode can also be accessed here where you can rack up a high score and compete with players.
In terms of people to talk to, the showcase highlighted two people. Loresman Harpocrates unlock Valisthea’s secrets as you tell him of your travels. Vivian Ninetales is a scholar and strategist. She can give you more information on the current political situation in Valisthea as well as the major personalities to take note of.
Just like many games in recent memory, Final Fantasy XVI will have tons of accessibility options. There will be many “Timely” typed accessories that can be equipped for those who aren’t used to the real-time action that Final Fantasy XVI offers.
One of these accessories helps you perform last-second dodges by giving players a more generous evade window. Those who want to automate dodges entirely can do so by equipping another specific accessory.
Even further, there’s an accessory that lets you launch heavier and combo attacks with a single button press instead of having to memorize sequences or mash buttons.
If you want to focus purely on thegame’s story, you can select Story Mode when starting a new game. Doing so will automatically equip Timely Accessories on Clive so that the experience is consistent throughout the entire game.
Final Fantasy XVI has alreadygone goldand is jet set to release on June 22nd as scheduled. However, it will only arrive on the PlayStation 5 (at least initially) despite rumors that it would have a simultaneous PC release. Perhaps we’ll have to wait atleast 6 monthsfor it to arrive on Windows. The game’s chunky35-hour main storyis sure to keep fans busy for quite some time.
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Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
