Final Fantasy XVI Preview – Ifrit May Cry

I have been asking more questions since Final Fantasy XVI was revealed in 2020. Mind you, my questions are firmly planted in the fascination of everything surrounding this game, like how Final Fantasy XIV studio Creative Business Unit III is developing the title with Naoki Yoshida in the producer role or how former Devil May Cry 5 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 combat designer Ryota Suzuki is the game’s lead combat director. Will FFXVI be able to showcase the storytelling talents of FFXIV. Is it going to be full styled action in its combat? What does it mean that this upcoming sequel is the first Mature-rated game in the series (quick answer: hearing Final Fantasy characters say f**k)? 

These were some of my questions when I went to FFXVI’s hands-on preview. While many still linger, I’m now ready to let myself be fully excited for the game’s June 22 release. Yoshida assured us the game will not get delayed, but this is the same company that spent a lot of money on a three-hour Final Fantasy XV stage show to announce that game’s release date… only for it to get delayed. The game’s trailers have done a lot to sell me on the world, but with this being the most action-heavy Final Fantasy yet, going hands-on was something I’d been hoping to do for a while. After nearly two hours of controlling protagonist Clive and the Ifrit Eikon, I’m stoked by how well Suzuki’s Devil May Cry-isms work in Final Fantasy. 

FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved

Clive’s younger brother, Joshua, is a Dominant, a unique being that can transform into an Eikon, the game’s term for summon monsters. Rosaria, where they reside, finds this a useful power. The Eikons also help maintain control over the Valisthea lands, which are made up five countries each with Dominants. Clive sets out on revenge, and this is without spoiling too much. 

Yoshida says we’ll bear witness to Clive’s teen years, his 20s, and even his 30s. I like the idea of sticking with this main protagonist for so much of his life, especially because Yoshida says Clive is who we’ll primarily control throughout the game. Party members do join Clive from time to time, he says, but they’re always controlled by A.I. Clive, Cidolfus Telamon and a dominant character able become the Ramuh Eikon were the main characters of the playthrough. The castle dungeon took place approximately five hours into my game. 

Immediately, FFXVI’s combat is faster than anything else in the series. It’s combo-driven, reliant on a mix of Clive’s sword attacks, Eikonic abilities, and standard magic. After spending some time getting to know the combat system, I was capable of pulling off impressive combinations. I’d start slashing with my sword, then press Circle to use my Phoenix Eikon’s fiery dash-teleport ability to close the distance between myself and the next enemy. Once I have defeated that enemy, R2 is tapped to switch between my Phoenix ability and my Titan Eikon wheels. Its Circle ability allows me the ability to draw upon large rocks shields to deflect any incoming attacks. 

Clive is able to use each one of the weapon wheels for special abilities. At this point, the Phoenix uses large AOE fire strikes to lift enemies up into the air. The Titan, on the other hand, can use a huge rock hammer for extreme damage. The Titan’s abilities are especially fun to use because you can release the button during a specific window (indicated with a circle on screen) for extra damage. In between all of this, I’m dodging unblockable attacks and parrying others. In a fight with the boss, I was pushing buttons hard, trying to see how reactive combat is. It held up well, much to my surprise. FFXVI will be a homecoming for Devil May Cry lovers. 

But fret not if action games aren’t your thing; special ring accessories let you customize the difficulty on the fly. There’s no easy, medium, or hard mode – just story-focused and action-focused. You can use these rings to enhance or reduce the challenge. The ring I was able to access temporarily slowed the time between attacks. It allowed me to quickly press R1 and dodge. Another ring chose the attack Torpal, your dog companion, which you, yes, can pet, performed. Other ring let me use potions or auto-dodge the majority of attacks. There’s even one that turns the game’s heavy action into a one-button show that performs combos for you. The way I can curate combat is great. It doesn’t change how the whole system works. 

Clive and I were also able fight the Garuda Eikon. Although it was exciting and flashy it was not as thrilling. It was a close fight, so I kept pressing buttons until the prompts came to help me. The fight was dull compared with the rest. 

The Eikon vs. Eikon battle – my Ifrit vs. Garuda – was much more thrilling. The two huge summons, which were controlled like a Kaiju battle, hit very hard and took a lot of time. It was quite gratifying to watch the surrounding scenery crumble and ignite with fire and become more and more damaged. I only had access to a few attacks as Ifrit, and Yoshida says the fight reflects Clive’s inexperience tapping into the Eikon’s power. Cidolfus had to even use Ramuh after fighting against Garuda to get Clive to stop his fiery rage, drawing attention the damage Clive was causing in the region. 

What’s especially interesting is Yoshida says this particular Eikon vs. Eikon battle is like no other, as each of these special cinematic fights is unique. Whereas this one felt like a Kaiju fight – Yoshida says Evangelion, Godzilla, and Ultra Man inspire it – a battle with Phoenix will be more like a 3D shooter, while another with the Titan Eikon will be more about high-speed action. Yoshida also joked about the absurdity of making unique combat battles with associated combat systems that can only be used once. It’s exciting to see the battles that span genres and in Final Fantasy games. It’s different for the series, and something I think will, to some degree, become one of the defining facets of it across this decades-long series. 

I could go on for hours about my enjoyment in FFXVI. The taste of the score I heard was unsurprisingly fantastic, considering it’s coming from FFXIV composer Masayoshi Soken. Even though it’s a little too British-style, the voices are excellent, as is the acting. The characters seem to be very convincing and appealing. I was least impressed visually, but what I played through was dark and mostly took place in a nondescript castle; I hope the final game impresses me more because graphics and how Square Enix leverages hardware technology are a big part of the series’ draw. But still, if what I played is any indication, FFXVI is looking to shake up this long-running series in many exciting ways, and while I’d like to play more to see just how successful these unique moving parts work in tandem with each other, the game’s first impression is a strong one.

Editor’s Note about this preview build: This was a special version made for media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.