The marketing drive for latest mainline Final Fantasy title is now in full swing, as Square Enix has revealed new Final Fantasy 16 gameplay details in a set of extensive interviews and new gameplay footage. The newest Final Fantasy steers away from an open world format to a more linear, self-contained map with expansive areas, with no loading screens across regions and a massive 35-hour story that features over “11 hours of cinematic cutscenes.” Read on for more details about Final Fantasy 16’s gameplay, combat, world format, difficulty settings, Timely accessories, and more, as well as a potential PC release down the line.
Final Fantasy 16 Gameplay Details – No Loading Screens, Story Length, Eikon Abilities & More:
Unlike the previous installment, Final Fantasy 16 has opted out of an open world setting and instead focuses on several gameplay areas created “in extreme detail.” Several large areas are available in the game that are not connected by land, but players can “jump into these story stages via the world map without loading.” “Four large-scale fields” are also present, and the game’s environments are described as “expansive” with “lots of opportunities for exploration” throughout a 35-hour story with over “11 hours of cinematic cutscenes.”
The game also opts out of a difficulty tier option, with the “Action Focus” and “Story Focus” modes only differentiated by “Timely” accessories that are available at the start of the game with the Story Focus mode to make aspects of the gameplay easier. However, besides a New Game Plus mode, an additional “Final Fantasy” mode is also available after the completion of a playthrough that massively changes enemy difficulty and placements, and is described as a “completely different type of experience.”
Some of the Timely accessories acquirable throughout the game are detailed below:
- Ring of Timely Focus – Temporarily slows time before an incoming attack, allowing you more time to react.
- Ring of Timely Assistance – Removes the need for you give Torgal battle commands manually.
- Ring of Timely Strikes – Execute deadly combos by only pressing Square.
- Ring of Timely Evasion – Automatically dodge most incoming attacks.
- Ring of Timely Healing – Automatically use potions when HP drops below a certain threshold.
Final Fantasy 16’s approach to the party combat system focuses more on a streamlined, uninterrupted combat experience than before. All party members are AI-driven so as to let players focus on Clive’s abilities and positioning in combat environments. The Torgal companion is partially controllable with respect to movement and combat actions, but can be delegated to the game’s AI with the use of a Timely accessory.
As a Dominant, Clive acquires Eikonic abilities through combat scenarios with the eight known elemental Eikons in the game. Though born to mantle the Phoenix, it is Clive’s brother Joshua who acquires the abilities of the fire Eikon and eventually passes some of these abilities to Clive with the Blessing of the Phoenix. Clive’s focal Eikonic relationship is instead with Ifrit, the “impossible” Eikon who also represents fire. The other side of Final Fantasy 16’s combat is summon vs. summon i.e. Eikon vs. Eikon battles, where Clive will use his powers as a Dominant to fight Eikons as an Eikon himself. These are described as “unique,” “large-scale” battles with significant symbolic and narrative value as well as gameplay variety across each Eikon vs. Eikon fight.
In combat, Clive can attune and use up to three acquired Eikonic abilities against enemies. Effective combat revolves around managing Eikonic abilities’ cooldowns while wearing enemies down with melee and ranged attacks. Attacking enemies depletes their “Will Gauge,” which allows players to critically strike temporarily staggered enemies for up to 150% damage. Players will also have to be more conscious of their attacks and cooldowns fpr enemies with the guard ability that mitigates all damage dealt from the front. Enemies with their guard up can only be attacked from open angles, or with the usage of Basic or Eikonic abilities to break through their guard.
Final Fantasy 16 PC Release:
Though Final Fantasy 16 is only exclusive to the PS5 console for six months, a PC release will not immediately follow the end of the exclusivity period. However, a PC version is indeed likely somewhere down the line as per producer Naoki Yoshida:
First of all, it is true that FINAL FANTASY XVI is a six-month limited time exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, it is a completely different story that the PC version will be released in half a year. I will make it clear, but the PC version will not come out in half a year.
This is because we spent a lot of time and money optimizing the PS5 platform to deliver the best gaming experience. Of course, I would like to release a PC version at some point so that everyone can play as many games as possible. However, even if we start optimizing the PC version after the PS5 version comes out, we won’t be able to optimize it in half a year, so it won’t come out in a short span of half a year. I would like to release it eventually, and I think I will, but I am not at the stage where I can say when.
First of all, I would be happy if you could play the PS5 version, which I made with the thought of being the best game in the world. If the PC version comes out in half a year, I can quit the company (laughs). Please don’t say, “I won’t buy the PS5 version because the PC version will be released in half a year.”
For further details about Final Fantasy 16’s combat, gameplay, lore and narrative, as well as extensive gameplay preview footage, check out these Gematsu and PS Blog articles showing a major early sequence of the game as well as the fight between the Eikons Ifrit and Garuda.
Final Fantasy 16 shoots out for the PS5 on June 22, 2023.