After nearly two years of silence, a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI has finally been released, showcasing new designs for the game's summons alongside a confirmed release window of Summer 2023.
Sony's State of Play event streamed live to the PlayStation YouTube channel, brought a slew of new titles and trailers for upcoming PlayStation 5 titles, and amid major announcements like a remake of Resident Evil 4 came a second trailer for the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI. The trailer features several iconic summons from the Final Fantasy series, now called Eikons.
Just before the trailer, producer Naoki Yoshida (who previously worked on Final Fantasy XIV) announced that more information will be coming very soon regarding Final Fantasy XVI, as the team will begin to give interviews to press outlets starting today. Yoshida affirms Square Enix's number one goal with Final Fantasy XVI: "Though the world finds itself in turmoil, we'll continue to focus on what we do best -- making games." Square Enix has a little more time to make Final Fantasy XVI the best it can be, as the game is slated to launch in Summer 2023.
The trailer highlights previously unseen elements of the story, including new information about the "Dominants," a group of characters who are uniquely capable of summoning Eikons. The Dominants and Eikons appear to be at the center of some significant political turmoil, and they aren't all on the same side, as the new footage showcases a handful of fights between different dominants.
The new trailer also reveals the biggest chunk of gameplay yet, highlighting the action-oriented combat that sets the game apart from past Final Fantasy entries. The game's protagonist, Clive, zips through combat encounters fluidly and quickly, taking on both individual bosses with fittingly gargantuan health bars and small crowds of enemies. Series mainstay items like the iconic Potion and High Potion make an appearance, as do some of the more recognizable spells from throughout the series' history. Clive also appears to be shifting between different gameplay modes as different icons in the top-right of the screen cycle in and out.
Final Fantasy XVI will come to PlayStation 5 in Summer 2023. More information is expected in the near future as Yoshida and his team speak with press outlets. Previous Final Fantasy titles, including Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, are available now.
Source: YouTube