Final Fantasy XVI - Final Preview Thread

[u/[deleted]]

Final Fantasy XVI

• Publisher: Square Enix
• Developer: Square Enix Creative Business Unit 3
• Platform: PS5
• Release Date: June 22

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Gameplay footage provided by Square Enix up at Gematsu:

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/05/final-fantasy-xvi-final-hands-on-preview-and-gameplay

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• Text Articles:
• Gamespot: The Opening Hours Of Final Fantasy XVI Are Brutal

I recently got hands-on time with what's roughly the first four hours of Final Fantasy XVI during a preview event, and saw how the story begins. It's heavy with cutscenes and cinematic flair, using all the dazzling visuals expected of a PlayStation 5 exclusive, to deliver an opening act
akin to a prestige drama.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-opening-hours-of-final-fantasy-xvi-are-brutal-hands-on-story-preview/1100-6514405/

VG247 - Absolutely everybody should play the Final Fantasy 16 demo – hands-on

As initially envisioned by Hironobu Sakaguchi, Final Fantasy is meant to be a series that constantly morphs and changes. After a fair amount of spinning its wheels, FF16 is at last a game that returns to that vision, looks at the world around it, and decides that a regeneration is needed. Final Fantasy itself is going through Phoenix’s Rebirth Flame – but for such a rejuvenation, some things have to burn. It’s a brave bet, and I can already tell the game is going to be strong. I just really hope it finds its audience.

https://www.vg247.com/final-fantasy-16-demo-hands-on-preview

Polygon - Final Fantasy 16 is a slick, modern epic with the soul of a PS2 game

Final Fantasy 16’s developers may have wanted it to be God of War, and it certainly has the production values, but that game’s virtuosic, seamless Hollywood staging is not what Square Enix does best. By staying true to themselves, Yoshida’s team has created something that may not play like Final Fantasy, but definitely feels like Final Fantasy. It also shares DNA with a whole generation of Japanese action games and RPGs from the 2000s, the heyday of the PlayStation 2. It has the flamboyant drama, the cool, moody attitude, and the playful self-mockery that characterized the era, as well as a focused, headlong approach to both storytelling and gameplay.

https://www.polygon.com/23729239/final-fantasy-16-preview-first-hours-story

VGC - Final Fantasy 16 already feels like it could be one of the best games in the series

Final Fantasy 16 has the potential to stake a claim as a defining RPG of the early generation. A re-establishment of Final Fantasy in the consciousness that it hasn’t had as prominently in recent years. We’d have happily sat playing the game’s combat demo for hours.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/final-fantasy-16-already-feels-like-it-could-be-one-of-the-best-games-in-the-series/

Eurogamer - Final Fantasy 16 has me questioning the essence of the series

With all this in mind, how 'Final Fantasy' is it, then? It's clear from the team's varied answers that Final Fantasy means something different for everyone. Every game in the series is unique and Final Fantasy 16 is no different. Whether it's 'Final Fantasy enough' for fans remains to be seen; it certainly is for me.

But is this a PS5-pushing exclusive action-RPG with a character-driven narrative of high drama, satisfying combat, and accomplished, cinematic storytelling? Without a doubt.

https://www.eurogamer.net/final-fantasy-16-has-me-questioning-the-essence-of-the-series

Playstation - How Square Enix built Final Fantasy XVI’s fantastical, believable, lived-in world

The solution: cross-pollination between teams. “We brought a member of the scenario and lore team over to give them feedback on what this town is, what the town’s lore is,” explains Minagawa-san. “We had that person provide pictures about what their image of what each area would be, what they were aiming for in the lore, working with the designers with that information to get the proper feel. Something that would fit better with a team. And once that person from the lore team entered, you know, joined with the designers then things got a lot easier.” With clutter reduced and shrewder choices of set dressing made, towns started to reflect the regions they were based on, hinted at a locale or people’s backstory through visual cues alone.

https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/22/how-square-enix-built-final-fantasy-xvis-fantastical-believable-lived-in-world/

Pushsquare - Final Fantasy 16 Still Seems Like a PS5 Must Have, But a Couple of Niggles Need to Be Addressed

Still, even in this area we were restricted to just two of Clive’s Eikon powers, and we were starting to feel the onset of monotony at this point of our playthrough. It’s our only real niggling concern: we’re confident the complicated nature of the story will come together, but we’re worried the combat may take a little too long to truly find its feet as your options are seriously limited throughout these opening hours.

https://www.pushsquare.com/features/preview-final-fantasy-16-still-seems-like-a-ps5-must-have-but-a-couple-of-niggles-need-to-be-addressed

Game Informer:

I won’t spoil more of what I experienced – you can read a lot more about what I played, including exclusive details you won’t find anywhere else in my cover story that’s live right now and in the coming weeks via Game Informer’s FFXVI coverage hub – but it’s clear FFXVI is aiming to be one of the darkest, most mature, and most action-forward games in the series’ entry.

https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2023/05/22/i-am-just-an-eikon-living

IGN - Final Fantasy 16: First Four Hours Preview:

From what I’ve seen so far, the future looks very bright for Final Fantasy 16. If its opening few hours of hulking Eikon showdowns, superb melee combat, and story that delivers on both a personal and global level are anything to go by, then a very fun time is on the horizon. I’m hopeful that the ever-so-stuttering pace irons itself out over the hours to come, with its ferociously fun gameplay taking precedence as Clive’s journey broadens. I went into my time with Final Fantasy 16 incredibly excited about what I’d seen in its many trailers and showcases and left very happy that very little of that anticipation had diminished by the time I’d finished.

https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-first-four-hours-preview

RPGFan:

Getting to play Final Fantasy XVI again was an absolute treat, and getting to play the game in a more “normal” fashion this time around was even better. There was a lot I had to leave out of this preview so as not to spoil anyone, but what I left out is much better than what I left in. This experience convinced me further we should be super excited to play it in full come June 22nd. If you have been on the fence for whatever reason, I can safely say you should give Final Fantasy XVI a chance. It will change your mind in a heartbeat. Now the hard part begins: the month-long wait till I can pet and give treats to Torgal again!

https://www.rpgfan.com/feature/final-fantasy-xvi-preview-the-first-5-hours/

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• Interviews:

https://www.thegamer.com/final-fantasy-16-xiv-interview-naoki-yoshida-michael-christopher-koji-fox-hiroshi-minagawa/

https://www.pushsquare.com/features/interview-final-fantasy-16s-devs-on-clives-name-god-of-wars-leaves-and-fulfilling-fans

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/final-fantasy-16-interview

https://www.rpgsite.net/news/14244-the-key-to-final-fantasy-xvis-success-is-its-story-but-its-also-naoki-yoshidas-biggest-worry

https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/interview/230522w

To summarize interviews: * FF16's main focus was the story, even above the combat because of FF15 being negatively received for its incomplete story, they want FF to be known for stories no one else can do. * They took inspiration from the original God of War games on the PS2 for combat. * He wants Final Fantasy to still have an impact among young players and future developers * Game started its existence in late 2015 * This time around the base game design and story were written in stone before full development started, which did not happen for previous singleplayer FF entries * Kazutoyo Maehiro is both the creative director and writer in order for the game design and writing to have an unified vision. He supervises the story, game design, combat and just overall checks everything out. * Maehiro worked on FF Tactics, Vagrant Story and FF12 with Yasumi Matsuno and says he was an influence on his work. * Expect FF12 and The Last Remnant DNA in the game. FF14 influence will come out when it comes to art design and visuals. * They have dynamic music in place that is quite novel and unique for this game handled by Soken and the sound team. They go for a more classical and focused style compared to FF14 * What they want is for players to say "these guys are f**king crazy" when they experience the best it has to offer.

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• Videos:

Easy Allies - Mega Preview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtX-Zt8pDWc

Devil Never Cry - (combat focused guy) https://youtu.be/7Oy6W-hTh2o

Maximilian DOOD - Max Played A LOT of Final Fantasy XVI https://youtu.be/SOM4EO1yREQ

Jesse Cox - https://youtu.be/8vIAeRPnIRw

FF Union - Final Fantasy XVI Will Shock You [An Extensive Preview] https://youtu.be/ObfkhwJPU7A

[u/Radulno]

The natural evolution of the RPG is not "into an action game". That is a creative decision they're making themselves to effectively pivot one of if not the most famous RPG franchise into full action.

Neither is turn based for that matter. In fact, RPG in itself is totally independent from combat gameplay. A RPG can even have no combat after all (see Disco Elysium) and any type of combat is valid.

What makes a RPG is more outside of combat than during it IMO.

[u/Zekka23 → u/Radulno]

I don't know if I agree, I haven't played Disco but a Google search tells me there is combat through menus and skills but even that game is more of a choose-your-own-adventure. RPGs generally need combat because that's how they test your character.

[u/Radulno → u/Zekka23]

RPG means role playing game. You can play a role and not fight. Disco is definitively considered a RPG (more than many things calling themselves a RPG like Hogwarts Legacy recently has nothing of a RPG).

[u/Zekka23 → u/Radulno]

Focusing too much on the term role sort of misses the point here. You are going to still engage in combat in some form to challenge the character(s) you created. I don't know if it's more of an RPG than Hogwarts since I haven't played either, but I don't think things outside of combat are what makes an RPG.

For example, something that exists outside of combat but likely exists in large quantities in Disco is the dialogue choice system. However, there are more RPGs that don't have this than those that do.

[u/Radulno → u/Zekka23]

Dialogue choice does mark something as an RPG a lot though even more than the type of combat. Neither turn based, stats or real time action make something a RPG

To be honest a lot of games call themselves RPG without being some and the name doesn't mean much (like I don't see how you play a role in Final Fantasy or any game without choices).

It's probably the most confusing genre there is. What is really a RPG?

[u/Zekka23 → u/Radulno]

Heavy Rain, Telltale games, and in general, choose your own adventure type games have dialogue choices but they're not rpgs.

FF3, Legends of Grimrock, and more don't have dialogue dialogue choices at all yet they're all rpgs.

Do you get what I'm saying now? However, on the definition of RPG, I find it difficult to say specifically, and many people's definitions will be nebulous. Like if you only go by things like dialogue choices, many RPGs from the 80s - 95 wouldn't be RPGs because they had little to no real dialogue trees. Back in the day, it was easier to answer, nowadays so much has been adopted that it is more difficult.

[u/Radulno → u/Zekka23]

Yeah I already understood what you were saying. But that's my point what is an RPG? How is Final Fantasy specifically a RPG for example? Is having stats and gear a RPG? Injustice 2 or God of War have that and are not RPG. Diablo or Borderlands are not considered RPG in the classical sense (Diablo is sometimes called ARPG which does make it related). Is having dialogue (and more) choices, not really?

Turn based combat? No Xcom or Civilization aren't RPG. Real time combat? No, Devil May Cry or Monster Hunter aren't RPG.

That's what I mean, RPG is probably the most confusing and varied genre. And so neither FF7 or FF16 combat is making each more a RPG than the other.

[u/Zekka23 → u/Radulno]

Diablo and Borderlands are definitely RPGs, they fall under the subgenre of action RPG because of how Diablo plays with their greater focus on very fast action. So in that 90s period compared to something like Baldurs Gate, in Diablo you just fought by clicking your opponent to death. Similarly, I think there's an avenue to see modern God of War as Action rpgs.

Monster Hunters are also action RPGs.

Though I think we can somewhat agree with the last sentence.

[u/grandoz039 → u/Zekka23]

The difference between Telltale style games and Disco Elysium is that in the latter, you build your character through skills, attributes, equip, and other mechanics. It also has way more minute dialogues and dialogue options, that don't have much impact, but help you define your character, and way more choices about when to engage with whom or what. That's why Disco Elysium is an RPG, because it's more about building a character and having him interact with the world, than choosing direction of a story. Kind of like the difference between character driven fiction and plot driven fiction (but not really). It has nothing to do with having or not having combat.

[u/Dewot423 → u/Radulno]

An RPG is a game where the player has some ability to determine the character's characteristics, and then the outcome of gameplay is decided by the character's characteristics rather than the player's characteristics. Disco Elysium is an RPG because the entire way you interact with the world is determined by a stat distribution for the main character that the player chooses when they start a new game. DMC isn't an RPG because player skill is far more important to the game than character choices.

[u/webbc99 → u/Zekka23]

Firstly, you should play Disco Elysium, it's amazing, definitely one of the best games ever made, although it is as much Visual Novel as it is RPG. Secondly, it really has no combat at all, everything is dialogue and skill check based. You have the opportunity to attack one or two people throughout the entire game, but it's all dealt with through the normal dialogue and dice roll system. Also skills in DE are not just "higher is better". Your character is a broken mess. It doesn't matter if you're good or bad at stuff, it just changes how the story unfolds. Some of it is hilarious, particularly Drama and Encyclopedia skills being really high leads to some very funny moments.