Recent at The Game Awards, we finally got a firm release date announcement for the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 16, confirmed via a new trailer that also showed off more of the game’s world, combat, story, and more. Alongside that, a new post also went live on the PlayStation Blog, revealing further gameplay details.
Crucially, it’s been made clearer exactly how companion characters will function in the game, which is a question many have had since the game was first announced. With Final Fantasy 16 taking a much more action-driven approach to its combat, it won’t feature any traditional party members, with players only being in control of protagonist Clive at any and all times. That said, at various points in the story, Clive will have companion characters with him, though they will be AI-controlled, rather than letting players issue direct commands.
One of these companions, who’s likely to be a fan-favourite, is Clive’s faithful canine best friend, Torgal, who was gifted to Clive when, as a pup, he was found abandoned in the snow by Clive’s father. Though Clive and Torgal were separated when the Rosfield line was nearly destroyed, the two have been reunited a decade later. Torgal will be Clive’s side in battles, and can be issued commands, unlike other companion characters. In addition to attacking foes, Torgal can also mend Clive’s wounds.
Another new companion character that has been revealed is Cidolfus Telamon, known to his friends as Cid- because what would a Final Fantasy game be without a Cid? Cid is a soldier-turned-outlaw who’s fighting to better the lives of persecuted magick casters, and is himself a man of science- and a Dominant, to boot, with ties to the Eikon Ramuh.
Meanwhile, Square Enix has also provided further details on the game’s two different modes, with the game catering to both, veterans of action games and those who want to focus more on the story. There’s the Story-focused mode, which will see Clive automatically evading some attacks, and will allow Eikon combos to be unleashed with a single button press. Action-focused mode, on the other hands, will put full control in the hands of the players for every combat action and combo.
Additionally, another crucial new combat mechanic has also been revealed. While we’ve known for a while that Final Fantasy 16 will allow players to summon massive Eikons and command them in battle, Square Enix has also now revealed Eikonic powers, which will see you “not only utilizing Eikonic powers woven into your swordplay, but also controlling Eikons yourself.” Players will “switch between Clive’s Eikon skills one after another in speedy real-time action battles and participate in dynamic battles taking on the role of an Eikon as they clash against each other.”
Square Enix has also revealed new screenshots for Final Fantasy 16. Check them out below.
Final Fantasy 16 launches exclusively for PS5 on June 22, 2023.
