10 Things to Know Before Playing Final Fantasy 16
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
As we all eagerly await the launch of "Final Fantasy XVI," here's what you need to know before playing. For this list, we'll be looking at all the info we know going into the latest release in SquareEnix's longest running franchise. Our list of things to know before playing "Final Fantasy XVI" includes the Smaller Open World, Changes to Eikon Summons, the setting of Valisthea, Dominating Combat, and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re traveling to a world of fantasy that’s anything but final as we break down 10 things you need to know before playing Final Fantasy 16. For this list, we’ll be looking at all the info we know going into the latest release in SquareEnix’s longest running franchise. What are you most looking forward to in Final Fantasy 16? Tap into the power of the crystals and let us know down in the comments.
Summons have been a series staple since the earliest days of Final Fantasy but have mostly been another tool in the player’s arsenal during battles. However, in Final Fantasy 16, they’re at the heart of not only combat but also the narrative as well. Final Fantasy 16 will feature many familiar summons or Eikons as they’re known this time around, such as Phoenix, Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh and Bahamut as well as countless others and the game will feature not only battles against many of them Shadow of the Colossus style, but also one on one clashes with the player in direct control of one of the mighty Eikons. These climatic clashes will feature different playstyles depending on the Eikon such as an on rails shooter or straight up brawler.
As the story progresses, players will gain access to Cid’s Hideout which acts as a HUB world for Clive during his travels through Valisthea. Along with various side quests Clive can pick up, he’ll also have access to the many shops and merchants where he will gain some of his most powerful weapons to battle the many monsters both man and beast in his journey. Clive can also bring new materials to the blacksmith for him to craft even more powerful weapons and armor as well as upgrade your favorites. Clive can also access a training arena to try out his new skills and weapons by using the Areta Stone and can adjust the parameters for every match as well as share completion scores online with other players.
Final Fantasy 16, like its predecessors, is a massive game but unlike those that came before it, we’ll get to live out Clive’s adventure throughout a large portion of his life. An early flashback will allow players to play through Clive’s early years of his teens, 20s, and finally his 30s in present day and discover the events that started his adventure as well as how these moments shaped not only Clive and his companions but also the world and many kingdoms of Valisthea. Given what we’ve already seen from the trailers, we can’t imagine it will be an entirely happy upbringing.
As one of the longest RPG franchises in video games, the Final Fantasy series has always been one of the most approachable RPG series for newcomers and Final Fantasy 16 is taking strides to help ease those into its new gameplay style. Players who want to focus on just the story and world of Valisthea can opt for Story mode and are given numerous extras in the form of various Rings Clive can combine and equip to give him certain advantages during combat such as auto evasion, or some of the more advanced combat abilities being mapped to a single button press. Producer Yoshi P says the team is aiming to make this the most accessible Final Fantasy game to date and allow players of any skill level to see the story through to completion.
While the majority of mainline Final Fantasy titles are predominantly single player, gamers still had control over their various companions’ actions or in the case of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, direct control via character swapping. In Final Fantasy 16 however, even though Clive will have numerous companions accompany him out in the world, Clive will be the only playable character under the player's control with the game’s AI taking full control of your allies and adjusting their attacks accordingly during battles. There is, however, one companion Clive can issue commands to: his loyal pupper Torgal who will not only aid Clive in battle but can also heal his master when needed. Plus, you can give him treats and pets to let him know what a good boy he is!
The majority of Final Fantasy games within the mainline series have typically been more well, fantasy, taking players to medieval lands full of warring kingdoms and world ending calamities. In recent years, many Final Fantasy games have taken a somewhat more modern approach to the “Fantasy” formula but with 16, the series is returning to its roots. Final Fantasy 16’s main world Valisthea is composed of 6 kingdoms built around enormous Mothercrystals and the powers they give to their respective countries. Clive will eventually travel to all 6 kingdoms and players will get to see first-hand how each kingdom has adopted the properties of the kingdoms that give them their power and how the infectious Blight that is sweeping the lands has affected their allegiances with the neighboring kingdoms.
While the world of Valisthea and its six ruling kingdoms might seem like it would rival the vast open world of Final Fantasy 15, Valisthea isn’t a true open world for players to freely roam from one kingdom to the next. Instead, Valisthea is broken up into segmented areas that are open for the player to explore but confined within its boundaries. Within these zones we’ve seen numerous different biomes such as arid deserts, dense jungles, as well as many rural areas such as the numerous villages and towns dotting the map. That being said, the explorable areas of Valisthea are still quite large so players won’t feel like they’re being pushed down a linear path to the next objective and will have plenty of room to explore, especially on the back of the fan favorite Chocobo.
The Final Fantasy series has never been afraid to tackle serious and oftentimes uncomfortable subjects but even by those standards, Final Fantasy 16 seems to be one of the darkest entries in the mainline entries, especially given it’s the first numbered entry to receive a “Mature” rating. Beyond the obviously more bloody and visceral combat, anyone familiar with “Game of Thrones” will have an idea of what sort of political backroom dealings and backstabbing plots the kingdoms of Valisthea will undoubtedly be involved in in their quests for power. Within Cid’s Hideout players can also visit the loresman Harpocrates to keep up to date with the story as it progresses as well as Vivian Ninetails who will keep Clive up to date with the many allegiances and connections between the six kingdoms.
While Final Fantasy 15 took the franchise into more action-oriented territory, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake rode the line between turn-based and all-out-action RPG. Final Fantasy 16, however, is fully leaning into a more action RPG style of combat and more akin to the over-the-top spectacle of Devil May Cry and considering the game’s combat director also worked on the spectacular 5th entry, it isn’t hard to make the comparison. Clive can unlock various skills to expand his repertoire of moves and even these are far more like the special moves seen in DMC than a traditional Final Fantasy game. In addition, Clive will have access to numerous Eikon’s abilities during normal combat and can switch powers quickly with a single press of the trigger, allowing him to open all new combos and combat opportunities for whatever stands in his path.
Although with recent releases in the Final Fantasy series being multiplatform, Final Fantasy 16 will be a PS5 console exclusive, also making it one of the few truly current gen titles in the PS5’s growing library. While the developers haven’t completely ruled out a PC port in the future, those hoping to play the newest mainline Final Fantasy game on their Xbox Series consoles seem to be out of luck for the time being. Producer Yoshi P has also stated that the game needs to be exclusive to the PS5 due to the increased power and the larger-than-life battles against the Eikons that all take place in real time and constantly switch back and forth between gameplay and cinematics. Final Fantasy 16 will be released on June 22nd, 2023, exclusively for PS5.
Eikon-ic Summons
Summons have been a series staple since the earliest days of Final Fantasy but have mostly been another tool in the player’s arsenal during battles. However, in Final Fantasy 16, they’re at the heart of not only combat but also the narrative as well. Final Fantasy 16 will feature many familiar summons or Eikons as they’re known this time around, such as Phoenix, Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh and Bahamut as well as countless others and the game will feature not only battles against many of them Shadow of the Colossus style, but also one on one clashes with the player in direct control of one of the mighty Eikons. These climatic clashes will feature different playstyles depending on the Eikon such as an on rails shooter or straight up brawler.
A Fantastic Hideout
As the story progresses, players will gain access to Cid’s Hideout which acts as a HUB world for Clive during his travels through Valisthea. Along with various side quests Clive can pick up, he’ll also have access to the many shops and merchants where he will gain some of his most powerful weapons to battle the many monsters both man and beast in his journey. Clive can also bring new materials to the blacksmith for him to craft even more powerful weapons and armor as well as upgrade your favorites. Clive can also access a training arena to try out his new skills and weapons by using the Areta Stone and can adjust the parameters for every match as well as share completion scores online with other players.
Generations of Fantasy
Final Fantasy 16, like its predecessors, is a massive game but unlike those that came before it, we’ll get to live out Clive’s adventure throughout a large portion of his life. An early flashback will allow players to play through Clive’s early years of his teens, 20s, and finally his 30s in present day and discover the events that started his adventure as well as how these moments shaped not only Clive and his companions but also the world and many kingdoms of Valisthea. Given what we’ve already seen from the trailers, we can’t imagine it will be an entirely happy upbringing.
A Fantasy For Everyone
As one of the longest RPG franchises in video games, the Final Fantasy series has always been one of the most approachable RPG series for newcomers and Final Fantasy 16 is taking strides to help ease those into its new gameplay style. Players who want to focus on just the story and world of Valisthea can opt for Story mode and are given numerous extras in the form of various Rings Clive can combine and equip to give him certain advantages during combat such as auto evasion, or some of the more advanced combat abilities being mapped to a single button press. Producer Yoshi P says the team is aiming to make this the most accessible Final Fantasy game to date and allow players of any skill level to see the story through to completion.
Single Player
While the majority of mainline Final Fantasy titles are predominantly single player, gamers still had control over their various companions’ actions or in the case of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, direct control via character swapping. In Final Fantasy 16 however, even though Clive will have numerous companions accompany him out in the world, Clive will be the only playable character under the player's control with the game’s AI taking full control of your allies and adjusting their attacks accordingly during battles. There is, however, one companion Clive can issue commands to: his loyal pupper Torgal who will not only aid Clive in battle but can also heal his master when needed. Plus, you can give him treats and pets to let him know what a good boy he is!
Valisthea
The majority of Final Fantasy games within the mainline series have typically been more well, fantasy, taking players to medieval lands full of warring kingdoms and world ending calamities. In recent years, many Final Fantasy games have taken a somewhat more modern approach to the “Fantasy” formula but with 16, the series is returning to its roots. Final Fantasy 16’s main world Valisthea is composed of 6 kingdoms built around enormous Mothercrystals and the powers they give to their respective countries. Clive will eventually travel to all 6 kingdoms and players will get to see first-hand how each kingdom has adopted the properties of the kingdoms that give them their power and how the infectious Blight that is sweeping the lands has affected their allegiances with the neighboring kingdoms.
Smaller Open World
While the world of Valisthea and its six ruling kingdoms might seem like it would rival the vast open world of Final Fantasy 15, Valisthea isn’t a true open world for players to freely roam from one kingdom to the next. Instead, Valisthea is broken up into segmented areas that are open for the player to explore but confined within its boundaries. Within these zones we’ve seen numerous different biomes such as arid deserts, dense jungles, as well as many rural areas such as the numerous villages and towns dotting the map. That being said, the explorable areas of Valisthea are still quite large so players won’t feel like they’re being pushed down a linear path to the next objective and will have plenty of room to explore, especially on the back of the fan favorite Chocobo.
A Game of Crystals
The Final Fantasy series has never been afraid to tackle serious and oftentimes uncomfortable subjects but even by those standards, Final Fantasy 16 seems to be one of the darkest entries in the mainline entries, especially given it’s the first numbered entry to receive a “Mature” rating. Beyond the obviously more bloody and visceral combat, anyone familiar with “Game of Thrones” will have an idea of what sort of political backroom dealings and backstabbing plots the kingdoms of Valisthea will undoubtedly be involved in in their quests for power. Within Cid’s Hideout players can also visit the loresman Harpocrates to keep up to date with the story as it progresses as well as Vivian Ninetails who will keep Clive up to date with the many allegiances and connections between the six kingdoms.
Dominating Combat
While Final Fantasy 15 took the franchise into more action-oriented territory, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake rode the line between turn-based and all-out-action RPG. Final Fantasy 16, however, is fully leaning into a more action RPG style of combat and more akin to the over-the-top spectacle of Devil May Cry and considering the game’s combat director also worked on the spectacular 5th entry, it isn’t hard to make the comparison. Clive can unlock various skills to expand his repertoire of moves and even these are far more like the special moves seen in DMC than a traditional Final Fantasy game. In addition, Clive will have access to numerous Eikon’s abilities during normal combat and can switch powers quickly with a single press of the trigger, allowing him to open all new combos and combat opportunities for whatever stands in his path.
Next Gen Fantasy
Although with recent releases in the Final Fantasy series being multiplatform, Final Fantasy 16 will be a PS5 console exclusive, also making it one of the few truly current gen titles in the PS5’s growing library. While the developers haven’t completely ruled out a PC port in the future, those hoping to play the newest mainline Final Fantasy game on their Xbox Series consoles seem to be out of luck for the time being. Producer Yoshi P has also stated that the game needs to be exclusive to the PS5 due to the increased power and the larger-than-life battles against the Eikons that all take place in real time and constantly switch back and forth between gameplay and cinematics. Final Fantasy 16 will be released on June 22nd, 2023, exclusively for PS5.
