The Final Fantasy franchise is slashing its way onto the new generation of consoles with the upcoming game Final Fantasy XVI. Continuing the franchise's evolving direction, the game takes from recent titles like Final Fantasy XV while also hearkening back to the franchise's fantasy roots.
The game may still be farther away than some gamers would like, but they can look forward to a much darker, faster-paced Final Fantasy than ever before. All the while, the game's story and regions will be filled with elements familiar to fans of the franchise. Here's what been revealed so far about the latest game in Square Enix's hit series.
What Is Final Fantasy XVI About?
Taking place in the world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI returns to a high fantasy setting after its predecessor's more modern one. The main character is a young man named Clive Rosfield, the archduke of Rosaria's firstborn son. Rosaria is one of several kingdoms in the game, which also includes Sanbreque, Waloed, Dhalmekian, the Iron Kingdom and the Crystalline Dominion. Though the Mothercrystals keep the world a safe and prosperous place, this peace is threatened by the presence of Eikons.
These monstrous creatures have had a tragic effect on Valisthea, namely on the life of Clive. Thus, he embarks on a quest for revenge alongside his brother and several others from neighboring kingdoms. Joshua, Clive's younger brother, also has healing abilities, which are sure to be a big part of the game's story.
Final Fantasy XVI's Trailer
The game's previous trailer gives a closer look at its story, namely how young Joshua Rosfield will be involved. Most notable is the violence, as well as the story's darker tone. This helps to truly bring the franchise into the next generation while keeping it from seeming stale or childish compared to franchises like The Witcher or Dark Souls.
Clive is also shown in the trailer fighting foes such as the gigantic Eikons, as well as other human opponents. This fast-paced and stylized action is just that, action-based, continuing the trend of the main series ditching turn-based battles and other classic mechanics. Juxtaposed with this darker tone and more epic scope is an almost Celtic-sounding rendition of the franchise's iconic "Crystal Theme" that's heard early in the trailer.
FFXVI's newest trailer was shown off at Sony's June 2022 State of Play, giving a further look at the mechanics, namely the battle between the Dominants and Eikons. The former are those who can summon the latter. Eikons are new versions of the franchise’s classic monsters, including the Phoenix and the gigantic Titan. Many of the political trappings of the game’s story will center around them, as well as those who can control them.
News to Know About Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVI is being developed by Creative Business Unit III, which was also behind Final Fantasy XIV. Hiroshi Takai is the game's director, and he has ample RPG experience given that he worked on the SaGa series and The Last Remnant, which shares some stylistic similarities to FFXVI.
The game's showcase during Sony's State of Play also brought with it a release window of Summer 2023. Since then, new images have been released for different areas in Valisthea, all of which are already planned to tie heavily into the various kingdoms' political landscapes.
Final Fantasy XVI is currently still set for release exclusively on the PlayStation 5, with early reports of a Windows release latter retracted. More information is sure to be released as the game nears closer to coming out, preparing gamers for a Final Fantasy adventure like no other.