Final Fantasy XVI ‘State of Play’ showcases the thrilling experience it offers
With over 20 minutes of gameplay, Final Fantasy XVI won the summer video game blockbuster hype generation award over Tears of the Kingdom.
Final Fantasy XVI is a beautiful game with cutscenes and gameplay. The developers claim that Final Fantasy XVI will feel like a “high-speed rollercoaster.” Clive flipped, dipped, and parried with a satisfying flourish.
During the presentation, we learned about some smaller activities Clive can do when he isn’t saving the world or doing whatever it is Clive does since we’re not quite sure what motivates him.
Knowing the typical cadence of Final Fantasy stories, it’ll start out small, like “head to the village” and eventually end with “kill god.”
It appears he can complete a wealth of side quests and hunts. Though no mini-games have been shown, here’s to hoping that a version of Triple Triad will appear, somehow.
The presentation focused heavily on the Eikon battles. As Clive progresses through the game, he will come across Eikons (similar to summons from previous games) and fight for their powers.
Some fights, like the one against Garuda, are brutal 1v1 beatdowns. On the other hand, others, like the one between Pheonix and Bahamut, are more like aerial combat in Panzer Dragoon.
In Final Fantasy XV, exploring a beautiful landscape was a defining element, and it’s good to see that Square Enix is sticking to what works despite the tonal differences (high fantasy vs. techno-fantasy).
In previous Final Fantasy games, Clive went on adventures with other party members. Though you cannot control your companions, you can command your loyal hound Torgal, who can fight enemies and heal you.
Naoki Yoshida, director of this game, has said some disappointing things about diversity, implying that when players are given the opportunity to “see for themselves,” those concerns might be addressed in some way.
