Final Fantasy 16 made a big impact earlier this month with a new trailer and release window announced. Since then, we’ve learned more about the combat, the Eikon battles and the various characters that protagonist Clive will run into. In new official interview with Square Enix, producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed that new details would be revealed this Fall.
“We plan to share some more details about the world and the story sometime this autumn, but I hope the latest trailer and media interviews can keep your imaginations racing until then. The whole development team, helmed by our director Hiroshi Takai, is pulling together to make the game the best that it can be, so please look forward to it!” said Yoshida.
He also shined more light on why the team went with a real-time, action-focused battle system. “Each new entry in the Final Fantasy series brings with it a new world, new characters, and a new battle system. We get a lot of different suggestions from fans about what they want to see in future games, and unfortunately, it isn’t possible for us to satisfy every one of them.
“There are also a lot of younger gamers out there who might never have played a Final Fantasy game before. With Final Fantasy 16, we wanted to appeal to as wide a range of gamers as possible by setting the story in a classic fantasy world that’s reminiscent of the early Final Fantasy games, but combining that with fast-paced, real-time action.”
Recent trailers have showcased combat that’s more akin to a hack and slash game, which makes sense given that Ryota Suzuki of Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma fame is the battle director. However, it seems the development team has a “comprehensive support system in place for players who aren’t too confident with action games, so even if action isn’t your thing, I hope you’ll give it a try.” The main goal of this approach is to “push the boundaries of what a Final Fantasy game can be and expand the range of possibilities for the developers who pick up the reins of the series after us.”
Final Fantasy 16 is out in Summer 2023, exclusively for PlayStation 5. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months and check out our feature here for what we know so far.