This latest PlayStation State of Play was fully focused on the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI.
We were given an in-depth look at the combat and support systems, some friendly NPCs and RPG elements.
I’m trying hard not to fanboy too hard before I get my hands on the game, but boy, does it look good!
Square Enix
We got a full tour of Cid’s Hideaway, a staging area where Clive can purchase or craft new items and weapons, perform combat training to test new abilities and prepare for upcoming battles.
Clive can also pick-up new side quests and view information about all available quests in the world.
There’s Loresman Harpocrates and Vivian Ninetales, who’ll have your lore and world politics on lock.
And to my absolute joy, there’s also a hunt board, where a friendly moogle will guide you on quests to take down ‘elite marks’ and be handsomely rewarded. One of my favourite pastimes from Final Fantasy games!
The User Interface looks sharp and clean, and the dynamic world map looks gorgeous, with its detailed points of interest and animated water making it shine.
We got a good look at the abilities page, where actions tied to each Eikon are clustered. A little preview clip will show you what each ability does before you unlock it, which is always nice. The aesthetics reminded me of FFX’s Sphere Grid a little.
We also saw a LOT of combat, from the fast and frenetic battles, with Clive unleashing a smorgasbord of eye-catching abilities. To the titanic clashes between the Eikons themselves.
Companions can aid Clive in battle along his journey and are fully AI controlled. However Torgal, Clive’s trusty hound, can be given specific commands if need be.
Square Enix
Each showdown between Eikons will be unique, some look to be straight up brawls like you’d find in a fighting game, others play more like a 3D scrolling shooter. In one of the epic battles we even saw Ifrit sprinting along a massive tree branch, parkouring over crystals and dodging boulders.
My hype level is through the roof!
Really the only thing we haven’t seen much of yet is the story, which I appreciate as it prevents too many spoilers. But because of that there’s still a small question mark hanging over the game, though with Hiroshi Takai and Naoki Yoshida steering the ship, I am confident the story will be just as good as the rest of the game looks.
While watching though the State of Play, I couldn’t help but think how many categories this game could be nominated for at The Game Awards this year.
There’s the obvious Best Role Playing Game and Best Score and Music (SquareEnix always bringing the bangers) but I was more drawn toward the possibility of:
– Innovation in Accessibility. There are a number of accessories that will help ease your journey in specific ways should you need it.
For example the ‘Ring of Timely Evasion’ will allow Clive to auto-evade most attacks, so if the combat feels too tough and you’re getting knocked around too much this ring will make the game feel much more manageable.
‘The Ring of Timely Strikes’ will allow the player to perform complex ability combinations by repeatedly pressing a single button, so if you’re having trouble remembering the various button prompts for all the different attacks, this ring can basically turn combat into a button masher.
There are 5 rings that we know of in the game that can be used in combination to find a play-style that works best for each player, and of course, you don’t have to use the rings at all if you want the full challenge.
It’s a much more inventive and nuanced approach to difficulty than the traditional ‘Easy’ mode.
– Best Art Direction. The world of Final Fantasy XVI is stunning, there are plenty of biomes and locations to explore, all with their own individual look and feel.
The combat animation is next level with hundreds of unique animations for the wide array of attacks and spells. Not to mention the insane amount of particle effects popping off!
Final Fantasy is known for it’s mammoth bestiary, and XVI is no exception, the enemy variety and design is looking top notch and my jaw was on the floor watching those gargantuan Ekion battles!
And of course, it could very well take the illustrious Game of the Year honours.
Square Enix
You can check out the full State of Play HERE.
Final Fantasy 16 launches exclusively for PS5 on June 22.
