final-fantasy-16:-everything-we-know-so-far

One factor’s sure: Final Fantasy 16 is on its manner. What we do not know is when—or if—it will be coming to PC. An preliminary point out of a PC launch has since been disappeared, and Square Enix has been coy about whether or not we’ll get to smash Eikons collectively if we do not have a PS5.

This is the primary wholly new mainline Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy 15 and, in true collection type, it seems to star model new characters in a complete new world. And by all appearances, its going to play like one thing between FFVII Remake and a Kaiju battle movie.

Here’s all the pieces we all know, and have speculated, about Final Fantasy 16:

When is the Final Fantasy 16 launch date? Is a PC launch confirmed?

Final Fantasy 16 is at present set to launch on PlayStation 5 in the summertime of 2023. While a PC model was talked about within the game’s reveal trailer, Square Enix hasn’t acknowledged it since, and the game is at present being marketed as a PS5 unique. If a PC launch ultimately seems, it might be a protracted wait. After all, Final Fantasy 15’s PC port took two years to launch.

Here’s the most recent Final Fantasy 16 trailer from Sony’s 2022 State of Play

In between nuggets of fantasy political drama, the primary half of our newest have a look at FF16 is a stunning montage of flashy, energetic fight that is clearly enjoying with numerous the identical notes as FF7 Remake’s real-time battles. Our protagonist mulches so many faceless knights. So many.

Based on traces we hear all through the trailer, the story will closely function the Dominants, people who can command the ability of the huge Eikons—big incarnations of summons from earlier Final Fantasy video games. Combat between Eikons looks like it will issue into gameplay, too. The trailer’s second half turns into a large monster film, with back-to-back shots of Eikons wailing on one another as harm numbers fly off.

Here’s the Final Fantasy 16 announcement trailer

Our first have a look at FF16 focuses on the broad tones and themes of the game, that are positively trending darker than any fashionable game within the collection. The trailer feels similar to the dramatic CG trailers that Naoki Yoshida’s staff would make for FF14 expansions, which did a tremendous job of promoting the motion and kicking off its tales.

The game appears to star the private bodyguard of a prince named Joshua. We additionally hear acquainted names from the collection like Shiva, Phoenix, and Ifrit. With little to go on story-wise, the large spotlight right here is the setting, which seems to be extra medieval this time round. That’s a stark distinction from FF15 (and different video games within the collection), which melded magic and monsters with fashionable trappings like electronics and automobiles.

Final Fantasy 16’s story will contain a combat towards the Blight

New data on FF16’s web site helps to supply some context to all these correct nouns from the reveal trailer. 

The world of Valisthea has big glittering mountains known as Mothercrystals, Square Enix say. “For generations, people have flocked to these beacons to take advantage of their blessing, using the aether to conjure magicks that let them live lives of comfort and plenty. Great powers have grown up around each Mothercrystal, and an uneasy peace has long reigned between them. Yet now the peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions.”

Then there are Eikons and Dominants—the previous are probably the most highly effective creatures on the planet and the latter are the human vessels in a position to name upon their energy. Depending on the nation they’re from, Dominants may be revered as royalty for his or her energy or managed due to it.

Meet Final Fantasy 16’s characters

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Final Fantasy 16 Clive

(Image credit score: Square Enix)

Clive Rosfield

Main character Clive (yup, that is his identify alright) is the oldest son of the Archduke of Rosaria and was anticipated to be the brand new Dominant who would inherit the ability of Phoenix. Instead, his youthful brother turns into the Dominant and Clive will get the comfort prize of being named the First Shield of Rosaria. As the protect, he can wield a small a part of Phoenix’s flame and is in command of defending his brother. “Clive’s promising career is to end in tragedy at the hands of a mysterious dark Eikon, Ifrit, setting him on a dangerous road to revenge,” Square Enix say.

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Final Fantasy 16 Joshua

(Image credit score: Square Enix)

Joshua Rosfield

Joshua is the second son of the Archduke. He’s the candy and comfortable youthful boy archetype—a noble child who treats everybody beneath his social standing with respect. He appears to be like as much as his brother Clive too, in fact. ” Joshua often laments that it was he, the frail and bookish younger son, who was granted command of the firebird’s flames, and not his stronger, braver brother,” say Square Enix.

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Final Fantasy 16 Jill

(Image credit score: Square Enix)

Jill Warrick

Jill was born within the northern territories and was made a ward in Rosaria at a younger age to safe peace between the 2. She’s been raised alongside the Rosfield boys, so it appears she’s like a sister to them. “Ever kind, gracious, and unassuming, Jill has become a trusted confidant to the brothers,” Square Enix say.

Yoshida and Takai are engaged on FF16

Another thrilling little bit of this announcement is the names hooked up to it: Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai. After Yoshida’s Creative Business Unit III studio famously circled FF14, making it the massive success it’s at present, it will be fascinating to see how the pair deal with a conventional Final Fantasy presumably indifferent from multiplayer.

Additionally, Square Enix not too long ago employed Ryota Suzuki as a “battle director” and he’s rumored to be engaged on FF16. Suzuki was designer of Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma, which is a stable pedigree.

Final Fantasy 16 prioritized English voice recording

In July 2021, producer Yoshida stated that English voice performing had already begun forward of Japanese.

“We’ve been prioritising English voice recording. And we’re specifically doing it in British English. We’re using facial capture, so later on, we won’t have to adjust by hand each of the faces doing cutscenes. “And it is full seize, as in, the movement seize actors are additionally doing the voice performing concurrently,” Yoshida said. “The Japanese dubbing will begin quickly.”

Final Fantasy 16 is one other action-forward tackle fight

If you have performed FF15, or half one of many FF7 remake, you will not be shocked to see that Final Fantasy 16’s fight seems to be action-heavy. The fight system harking back to Kingdom Hearts combines celebration synergy and talents with fashionable real-time motion.

But chances are you’ll spend extra time alone, too?

Final Fantasy is thought for its celebration techniques with deep synergies, however each little bit of fight we noticed on this trailer confirmed the principle character alone towards monsters. That might simply be Square Enix pacing out the reveals of celebration members, nevertheless it might point out that you will spend numerous time in FF16 preventing alone. That can be an enormous change, and would additionally work with the thought of your character being the prince’s sole bodyguard.

The trailer additionally hints at Joshua having some form of particular energy, so maybe he will probably be a celebration member?

FF16’s complicated exclusivity

Remember how I stated FF16 was introduced for PC within the reveal trailer after which considerably unannounced by Square Enix? We cannot know for certain what’s inflicting the complicated messaging, however video games business analyst Piers Harding-Rolls claims that all of it has to do with a timed exclusivity cope with Sony.

According to Harding-Rolls, FF16 will probably be unique to the PS5 for its first six months. That can be the earliest time that the game can come to PC. As for different consoles, he says Sony has that exclusivity locked down for a full 12 months. If that is true, it isn’t an typical association. Games supported partly by first celebration publishers usually have timed exclusivity, although barring FF16 from PC as properly does go a bit farther than most.

As for why Square Enix is attempting to place the cat again within the bag about FF16 on PC? It’s attainable that Sony wasn’t psyched about it. As a showcase throughout its large PS5 video games occasion, Sony possible wished viewers to really feel just like the PS5 was the one technique to play FF16 (which it is going to be, simply not perpetually, maybe).

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Chocobos? Check.

Final Fantasy 16 - An adventurer stands with a white chocobo

(Image credit score: Square Enix)

Thank goodness. Driving the automobile in FF15 was enjoyable and all, however nothing might evaluate to mounting a chocobo and taking over the wilds together with your buds.