Final Fantasy 16 hands-on preview: Square Enix’s FF16 is pure action

Final Fantasy 16 is set in a high fantasy cold war, where the world of Valisthea’s superpowers wield weapons of mass destruction called Eikons — known as Summons to Final Fantasy players — to maintain their political dominance. It’s an action game, very much in the vein of Devil May Cry, that cleanly breaks from Final Fantasy’s turn-based heritage. It’s also the intensely personal story of a man seeking vengeance over the death of his brother.

It’s the most fascinating mainline Final Fantasy in many years, thanks to its mashup of character-action gameplay and Game of Thrones-style political intrigue that will play out alongside Clive Rosfield’s personal journey told over the course of three time periods.

A preview event was held in New York City earlier this month. Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida likened Square Enix’s newest entry in the 35-year-old role-playing game series to a “thrilling roller coaster ride.” He brought a playable PlayStation 5 demo of the game, one that included a pro wrestling-inspired battle between two giant monsters, to back up that statement.

But first, Yoshida outlined Final Fantasy 16’s setting in great detail. He described the kingdom of Valisthea as “a realm in its twilight,” where massive Mothercrystals serve as a sacred energy source for the residents of two continents: Ash and Storm. To the west lies Storm, home to the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, Clive Rosfield’s home, and the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, a theocracy. The Dhalmekian Republic is an imposing political power, while Waloed lies east. There’s also the Iron Kingdom. It houses Dominants (humans who embody Eikons), and its military might. At the heart of Valisthea is the isle of the Crystalline Dominion, established around the world’s largest Mothercrystal.

Numerous of these countries and states can be represented by Dominants, who have the power to become Eikons. Consider: Game of Thrones’ Westeros and Essos, only every faction has its own dragon. At the heart of the story, the duchy of Rosaria is represented by the Phoenix, for which Clive’s younger brother Joshua served as Dominant. When Joshua is seemingly killed, Clive’s journey of revenge and the fragile peace of Valisthea begins to shatter.

Square Enix

In an action-focused demo built especially for the media, a fact Square Enix repeatedly emphasized, I got to experience a taste of Clive’s journey. While there was some story in the demo, I was unable to understand it. Most of my gameplay was intended to demonstrate how action-oriented this game is. Final Fantasy 16They will. That should be no surprise, given that the game’s combat director, Ryota Suzuki, built a career at Capcom working on the likes of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Dragon’s DogmaPlease see the following: Devil May Cry 5.. Final Fantasy is still a fighting and action game, and this represents a significant change from its previous turn-based strategy. Here, Clive is mostly alone, with the exception of occasional support from his wolf Torgal and this game’s Cid, Cidolfus Telamon.

(Developers stated that Clive may have an occasional large party but these allies will be AI-controlled for most of the time.

Yoshida described Valisthea’s vastness as an open, rich world that is full of interesting places. It isn’t an open-world, though. Areas appear to have been mapped out and it will allow players to navigate across Valisthea starting from one central location. Playable demo available about 5 hours in. Final Fantasy 16’s story, I took control of Clive, sneaked into a fortress tower in search of Benedikta Harman, a representative of Waloed and the Dominant of the Eikon Garuda. Clive arrives with only light armor and his sword. At his side he has Torgal and Cid, and they’ll sometimes aid him in battle, autonomously (though the game does give players some semblance of control over Clive’s companions). But Clive’s greatest power comes from the Eikons.

Square Enix

Although Clive does not appear to be a Dominant, the demo shows him absorbing the power from various Eikons. This includes the Phoenix power that was once controlled by his brother. Clive also demonstrated abilities that he may not be able to use at the end of this demo. Final Fantasy 16You can use the power of the Titan or Garuda Eikons. Each Eikonic power is useful in battle. Developers expect players to mix loadouts that suit their style.

Clive’s Phoenix abilities include the Shift Strike (a teleporting dash attack) that reduces distance between him, and his opponent. Rising Flame, a form of uppercut that summons a flame wing to knock an opponent upwards and start a juggle combination. Scarlet Cyclone is a type of uppercut that summons a whirlwind if flame around Clive. This can cause severe injury to anyone in the vicinity.

Garuda’s Eikonic power lets Clive send out a giant claw to pull enemies toward him; Gouge, a rapid-fire series of punches; and Wicked Wheel, a rising attack that sets up a mid-air combo. Titan abilities include Upheaval which is a strong block and a punch that can be devastating. These two moves trigger a timing meter that allows players to unleash even more devastating attacks when they are timed correctly.

Square Enix

Combined with swordplay and magic projectiles, Clive’s Eikonic powers bring an incredible amount of depth to Final Fantasy 16’s real-time combat action. After some adjustment — learning all three Eikonic powers at once, instead of over time, was a bit of a challenge — I found myself rapidly switching between each ability set while certain abilities were on cooldown, and simply because it was so much fun to engage with the variety of attacks at my disposal. Given that many abilities can be upgraded and mastered through experience, there’s an impressive level of depth to Final Fantasy 16’s combat.

Much of the action takes place in Final Fantasy 16’s playable demo was centered around clearing rooms full of soldiers and magic-wielding sorcerers, it also featured two action-packed boss battles: one against Garuda’s twin allies Chirada and Suparna in a fortress chapel, and another against Benedikta, channeling Garuda. It’s in these battles that Final Fantasy 16’s emphasis on action, including perfectly timed dodges, parries, and fast, precision strikes, becomes most evident.

But what about longtime Final Fantasy players who aren’t action-game aficionados? They have the solution. Timely Accessories are items players can equip that allow them to dodge and perform complex combinations. You can also equip accessories that provide more defense or offense, though they are all optional. Players can choose to take on a challenging challenge. My part was to experience a lot of it. Final Fantasy 16’s demo both ways, employing the Timely Accessories to learn its systems, then revisiting it when I was more familiar with its controls. Both felt great, in different ways.

Square Enix

Square Enix

Which Final Fantasy 16Final Fantasy is unapologetically a boss-battle show. My encounter with the Garuda powered Benedikta lasted 10 minutes. It was filled with violence and outrageous action, as my opponent broke apart large clumps and launched them towards Clive. This was all intercut with melodramatic dialogue and Benedikta’s evolution from well-dressed woman to winged, green-glowing monster.

However, I saved the best for the final scene. Clive summoned full strength from Eikon Ifrit, and was able to reach skyscraper heights for a fight against Garuda. He is now a four-armed giant with six wings. This was an Eikon-versus-Eikon battle — officially called an Eikon Clash — in the scope of a Neon Genesis EvangelionTwo giant monsters, the Angel Attack, hurling huge earth chunks at one another with fireballs. There were body slams, limbs torn from their bodies, and a vicious pummeling that ultimately resulted in Clive’s Ifrit summoning forth Hellfire to burn Garuda alive. The Final Fantasy summon was long and tedious. It was then melded with an intense 3D fighting video, with health bars at the top of each screen. It was the kind of visual dazzle that will enrapt you even if you aren’t the one playing.

Yoshida, Suzuki, and I later learned that not all Eikon Battles will be this way. In fact, I was able to see an Eikon-vs. Eikon fight in just a small clip Yoshida had played. Space HarrierOder Panzer DragoonOnly the player could control a Phoenix flying.

Yoshida promised graphics and performance modes to the hardcore action-gamer who loves character games. Final Fantasy 16(The latter prioritizes a stable frame rate over graphic fidelity.

Yoshida was clear in his pitch at the start. Final Fantasy 16 at the preview event, his team’s new game is a thrill ride, with a focus on action and massive battle centerpieces. Of course, there’s a grand story to be woven in there, but based on the hours I spent with FF16The spectacle alone is enough to make you want to go.

Final Fantasy 16Is PlayStation 5 will be available on June 22,. The game will be exclusive to Sony’s console for at least six months. Square Enix states that the demo is an exclusive version for media. The contents of the final version may vary from what you see here.