Fans of Final Fantasy 16 have been eagerly waiting for new information about the upcoming action RPG from Square Enix. The game was announced in September 2020 with a trailer that showcased its medieval fantasy setting, its main characters, and its combat system. Since then, however, Square Enix has been relatively quiet about the game’s development and release date.
That changed this week when several media outlets published their hands-on previews of Final Fantasy 16 after attending a preview event in New York earlier this month. The previews revealed new details about the game’s story, gameplay, graphics, and features.
Here are few videos that you can watch:
SkilUp
EuroGamer
PlaystationAccess
IGN
Arekkz Gamming
According to Polygon, Final Fantasy 16 is set in a world called Valisthea, where six nations are locked in a conflict over crystals that grant them magical powers. The game follows Clive Rosfield, a young knight who is chosen by an Eikon (a powerful summon creature) called Phoenix to be its Dominant (a human host). However, Clive loses his Eikon to his younger brother Joshua after a tragic incident that also involves their childhood friend Jill Warrick. Clive then sets out on a quest for revenge against Ifrit, another Eikon that is responsible for his brother’s fate.
The game’s combat system is described as “pure action” by Square Enix producer Naoki Yoshida1 who also worked on Final Fantasy 14 and Dragon Quest 10. Players can control Clive as he fights with his sword and uses various abilities such as magic, Eikonic attacks (special moves that involve summoning Phoenix), and Soul Crystals (items that allow him to temporarily wield other weapons or Eikons). The game also features cinematic boss battles that require quick-time events and environmental interactions.
The game’s graphics are praised by GamesRadar as “spectacular” and “stunning”, especially on the PlayStation 5 console. The game uses Unreal Engine 4 and boasts realistic lighting effects, detailed character models, and immersive environments. The game also features dynamic weather changes and day-night cycles that affect the gameplay and story.
The game’s features include a photo mode that lets players capture screenshots of their favorite moments, a fast travel system that lets players revisit previous locations, and a companion system that lets players interact with their allies such as Torgal (a dog-like creature) or Joshua (who can heal Clive). The game also promises to have multiple endings depending on the player’s choices throughout the story.
Final Fantasy 16 is expected to release sometime in summer 2023 for PlayStation 5 exclusively at launch. Square Enix has not announced any plans for other platforms yet.
Voice Acting Comparison
This game had unique writing workflow
JP wrote script -> Eng Translate Script -> Record Voice and Mocap in Eng -> JP dub to match Eng mocap and voice
We’ve compiled a footage to compares both version, and spoiler alert, both are amazing