Square Enix has already shown off quite a bit of Final Fantasy 16 over the last couple of months, but clearly, it’s not even close to being done yet. Recently, Sony and Square Enix premiered a State of Play presentation dedicated entirely to the highly anticipated action RPG, and showcased over 20 minutes of new gameplay footage. A lot of what we got to see expanded further on mechanics and features that have been previously confirmed, fleshed out further with additional gameplay and a flood of gameplay footage. Here, we’re going to parse through some of the most crucial new details that were revealed.
THE WORLD
We’ve known for a while now that Final Fantasy 16 is not going to be open world, while Square Enix has also confirmed in the past that the game will still have plenty of massive zones and plenty of opportunity for players to explore. How exactly is the world of Valisthea in Final Fantasy 16 going to be structured though? Well, it’ll take the form of a world map, where players will be able to select between a number of locations to travel to, with new locations being added as you progress further in the story. The world map will be accessible at all times, which means jumping from location to location should be pretty quick. From what was showcased in the presentation, it looks like there’s going to be plenty of variety to the areas we’ll be visiting, including towns, deserts, forests, different kinds of dungeons, towns and settlements, and more. There are, of course, also going to be plenty of side quests, which we also got some brief glimpses of.
TIME PERIODS
Every bit of footage that Square Enix has shown for Final Fantasy 16 so far has hammered home the fact that its story is going to focus singularly on the life of its protagonist Clive Rosfield, and that it’ll be covering a long span of time. As confirmed by producer Naoki Yoshida during the State of Play presentation, the game’s story will be told across three distinct periods in Clive’s life- his teens, twenties, and thirties. In addition to three main parts, the game will also feature a fully playable flashback that will go back even further in time and look at the earlier years of Clive’s life and how they shape what follows.
COMBAT
Final Fantasy as a series has always loved to experiment with its combat systems, and Final Fantasy 16 is very much following that trend. The fact that it’s going to be the series’ first ever action RPG with fully real-time combat has grabbed plenty of headlines by now, and we got to see a great deal of it in action during the recent State of Play. In terms of Clive’s quick movements and the fast and dynamic nature of the melee combat, it’s clear that Final Fantasy 16 is borrowing heavily from character action games, but when it comes to his abilities, there’s plenty of high-octane fantastical stuff going on as well, from ice blasts and barrages of electric bolts to jets of flame and what can only be described as Kamehameha blasts. Many of those will be abilities that Clive will gain from the Eikons he meets throughout Valesthia, while others will be unlocked through the game’s progression mechanics. Speaking of which…
PROGRESSION
Final Fantasy 16 might be taking the full action route with its combat, but it is still an RPG, which means it is also placing plenty of emphasis on its progression mechanics, which, on top of encompassing Clive’s stats and the gear he has equipped, will also be tied to the abilities he will be able to use in combat. Different abilities will have different characters depending on which Eikon you get them from, and each will have their own tree of upgrades. Using ability points, which will be gained by killing enemies, players will be able to both unlock new abilities and upgrade those that have already been unlocked.
ACCESSORIES
Square Enix has previously touched on how Final Fantasy 16 will feature no difficulty options and will instead allow players to tailor the difficulty in more granular ways by equipping specific accessories, and during the recent State of Play, we got more details on that. Clive will have three accessory slots, and while you will have the option to equip regular accessories that increase your stats or provide other perks as you would in any RPG, some specific accessories will make the combat unique in a variety of ways. For instance, the Ring of Timely Focus will slow down the time every time you’re about to get hit by an evadable attack to make dodging easier, while the Ring of Timely Evasion will take that another step further and just make every evade automatic. The Ring of Timely Strikes, meanwhile, will will let you unleash complex combos with just a single button press.
COMPANIONS
Gathering a party of characters that go with you on a massive journey and can be controlled in combat has been a hallmark of Final Fantasy as long as anyone can remember, but Final Fantasy 16 is doing things a little differently. That it will feature Clive as the sole playable character and won’t have traditional party members has already ruffled some feathers in the fanbase, but Clive won’t be completely solitary on journey. Several characters will accompany Clive as companion characters, presumably for specific sections of the story, and will be completely AI-controlled in combat. One companion who’ll seemingly remain a constant is Torgal, Clive’s loyal hound, who you’ll also be able to give direct commands to in fights.
CID’S HIDEAWAY
During the recent State of Play, Square Enix revealed Cid’s Hideaway, which, it seems, is going to be the central hub location for the duration of the game (or at least a significant portion of it). Unlocked in the early stages of the game, Cid’s Hideaway will allow players to explore the area and speak to NPCs, purchase new gear, weapons, and items at a shop, or head to Blackthorne the blacksmith to craft or upgrade weapons and gear. You can also pick up new side quests, view information on quests available all throughout the World Map, and more. We also got a look at something called The Patron’s Whisper, where you’ll be able to collect donations sent in to you from throughout Valisthea, with more donations coming in the higher your Renown is.
ARETE STONE
In the Hideaway, you’ll also find the Arete Stone, which will essentially serve a training arena. The arena, interestingly, will allow you to tweak your experience with a variety of options, including various toggles for how much damage you’ll take, whether or not you can automatically regain health, when and how you can use your Limit Breaks, whether or not Torgal is fighting alongside you, and more. You’ll also be able to choose which enemy you want, what size they should be, and whether you want a melee battle or a ranged battle. On top of that, the training arena will also include an Arcade Mode, which will essentially let you post your combat scores on global leaderboards and try to outscore other players.
OTHER HIDEAWAY ACTIVITIES
Beyond the training arena, Square Enix also revealed a couple more interesting activities tied to Cid’s Hideaway. One that we got a look at something referred to Otto’s Counter, which looked like a noticeboard with a Moogle hovering next to it (presumably the aforementioned Otto). This Hunt Board will contain information on elite targets and special monsters found throughout Valisthea that you’ll be able to track down and kill, which, in turn, will earn you more Renown (which we mentioned previously). Loresman Horpacrates, whom you’ll be able to visit regularly to recount tales of your adventures in exchange for learning more about Valisthea, its lore, and its secrets. Another character found in the Hideaway, Vivian Ninetails, is a strategist who will provide key information on the realm and its many different conflicts, as well as the various characters you’ll meet.
BOSS AND EIKON BATTLES
Finally, to round off the FF16 State of Play, we got a heavy, heavy dose of gameplay footage showcasing its boss fights and Eikon battles. Battles between Clive and the Dominants were shown off, but we we got to see a much greater amount of was the Eikon vs Eikon battles, which are obviously something that have been highlighted numerous times by Square Enix by now. One thing that looks clear beyond doubt is that when it comes to boss battles and set piece moments, Final Fantasy 16 is going to exhibit startling variety, and will be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to explosiveness and stakes.