Final Fantasy XVI fans might be able to get in their preorders for the game sooner than they may have thought, according to a recent rumor.
As reported by Insider Gaming, the highly-anticipated sixteenth entry in the main Final Fantasy series will become available for pre-purchase following The Game Awards on Dec. 8. An unnamed source told the publication that Square Enix is planning to announce the opening of preorders, which will either occur during the event's livestream or in a special event held beforehand. As if that wasn't enough to stoke excitement, a new trailer is also expected to debut during the festivities.
Square Enix first unveiled Final Fantasy XVI during Sony's PlayStation 5 showcase in September 2020. The game's initial trailer was well-received by fans, who praised the game's hyperrealistic graphics and medieval setting. Since then, excitement has only grown as the developers have revealed more of the game's new world of Valisthea.
Final Fantasy XVI's Story
As shown in the trailers, Valisthea is a nation falling under darkness due to the "fading light" of the Mothercrystals, an ancient power source central to the setting and plot of Final Fantasy XVI. Valisthea's various kingdoms fight over resources in a power struggle involving summonable beasts called Eikons, which figures called Dominants aim to control. Though the game's scope appears enormous, producer Naoki Yoshida said earlier in 2022 that Final Fantasy XVI won't be open-world to better emphasize the game's sprawling narrative.
While fan reception thus far has been notably warm, Square Enix has received criticism for Final Fantasy XVI's ostensible lack of diversity, with trailers seemingly showing mostly white characters with little variety in ethnicities. In a recent interview, game director Naoki Yoshida said the reality of the situation was "disappointing" but claimed Valisthea couldn't be "as diverse as a modern-day Earth" due to the setting's "underlying geographical, technological, and geopolitical constraints."
Final Fantasy XVI's Combat System
In a bid to appeal to younger players who enjoy more action-orientated gameplay, Final Fantasy XVI will feature a real-time combat system as opposed to the franchise's historic turn-based battles. Franchise fans widely praised a similar change in Final Fantasy VII Remake for making gameplay feel more dynamic. Indeed, many critical reviews highlighted the redux's new combat system as one of the game's best modernizing features. Work on Final Fantasy XVI is almost complete, with director Hiroshi Takai saying the game was "95% done" and that all that was left to do was extensive play-testing and bug-squashing.
Final Fantasy XVI launches sometime in the summer of 2023, exclusively on PlayStation 5.
Source: Insider Gaming