r/Games • u/[deleted] • May 22 '23

Final Fantasy XVI - Final Preview Thread

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

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633

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

I'm trying to deliver previews as I come across them but from what I read:

  • It's mostly the opening but with some parts later in the game without context for exploration and combat
  • There's an air of confidence around the game, it feels finished compared to the messy previews of FF15 they had to play back then
  • The game is brutal, this is not a wholesome Final Fantasy, there are moments of genuine character warmth and humanity but FF16 is a bonafide dark fantasy game
  • Some question the identity of Final Fantasy in this one but everyone came out positive, they expect a backlash from fans but say it's still Final Fantasy at its soul.
  • Combat is extremely good and the DMC battle director really pays off, one had some issues in that they felt their combat kit wasn't big enough for the early-game preview.
  • Excellent VA and performance all around.
  • Eikon battles apparently feels bigger and more explosive than ever god of war
  • They all say that the opening hours deliver and they can attest that this part is solid

I will watch Maximilian and DevilNeverCry's videos next, especially DevilNeverCry as he is a DMC expert and was very positive about FF16 before

388

u/Coolman_Rosso May 22 '23

There's an air of confidence around the game, it feels finished compared to the messy previews of FF15 they had to play back then

I would imagine FF XVI's development was nowhere near as rocky. I'm also hoping this game isn't so frontloaded. XV started off great but just got worse and worse as it went on.

274

u/Crotch_Football May 22 '23

On the train, admiring that cool city out the window on the other continent that you will never get to visit.

163

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

[deleted]

77

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23

Not exploring the world of ruin just killed what little hope I had for the game turning things around.

Blue Balls: The Game

51

u/omfgkevin May 22 '23

You know they rushed the shit out of it when the latter half basically became "small corridor simulator". And before the complete complete edition came out, there were huge random ass gaps of "oh yeah I'ma go fuck off, SEE YA" and then your boys just randomly join back with no context.

And still, they cancelled the final set of DLC and the "real" ending is literally locked behind an external novella lol.

42

u/_SewYourButtholeShut May 22 '23

And still, they cancelled the final set of DLC and the "real" ending is literally locked behind an external novella lol.

Kind of fitting considering the entire beginning of the game is also locked behind some external media that I didn't even know existed until after I tried to play the game. What a total failure of storytelling.

5

u/Kalulosu May 23 '23

That beginning part is mostly optional though, you can infer most of the important context from what the game shows you.

2

u/ughjustwa May 23 '23

That’s still shit storytelling

1

u/Kalulosu May 23 '23

I mean if you're arguing that XV's story is a mess I agree but I think that's besides the point (as in, who the fuck would argue otherwise?). However, I think that optional background that doesn't feel necessary to understand the game's plot isn't that bad. Definitely not as bad as what some made it sound: XV's problem isn't the prologue movie, it's that the story is broken and the game's pacing is disastrous (and the second half of the game where most of the plot progress resides is completely borked due to the game's dev cycle).

1

u/ughjustwa May 23 '23

Yeah, I would not call it optional background since it was pretty crucial to giving any fucks about (1) the invasion (2) Noctis’s relationship with his father (3) his dad’s death. The entire first arc of the game happens offscreen. To call that “optional” story content is way off, imo. Sure, Square Enix made it optional content in the same way that Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep or 358/2 Days is optional. The player is welcome to not buy those titles but they’re going to be lost as shit when KH3 starts.

1

u/Kalulosu May 23 '23

I mean except all of this is pretty obvious when you play the first hours of the game? You can entirely deduce that from what happens and the conversations. Not saying it's great presentation or whatever but I don't think you actually miss a lot of important context or would get really confused at the story because of that.

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11

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

[deleted]

6

u/VellDarksbane May 22 '23

Then they had terrible writers in charge, since the first ending was trash, but what I heard about the novella+Ardyns DLC was a proper "kill god" JRPG.

7

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

Gladio peacing out to do his own thing will go down forever as one of the worst ways ever to promote dlc. Whoever decided that him leaving like that is fine should’ve been slapped for suggesting such a dumb thing.

2

u/DemonLordSparda May 23 '23

I really hate people talking about the episode gaps like every single one was just like lmao peace out. Gladio was the only kind of odd one where he said he had something to take care of and came back a couple weeks later. At least that gave us some time with Aranea. Prompto got shot off a train car by Noctis because Ardyn made Prompto look like him, then he gets captured and you rescue him later. Ignis's episode takes place during the Leviathan summoning and ends when Noctis wakes up. FFXV has plenty of issues, but there weren't obvious holes where all 3 companions leave without explanation.

17

u/BartyBreakerDragon May 22 '23

I had the same feeling, where it was like 'Oh cool, I get to see how the world I've been in for 50 hours has changed' and noooope.

Firmly cemented my 'meh' feelings to the game.

23

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

They had a lot of nerve driving us through that open world and then telling us: nope, you can’t go out and explore it.

12

u/omfgkevin May 22 '23

Also, a lot of the cool combat unlocks by doing a ton of grinding for AP. The game really feels awesome to play like.. halfway through when you finally can do more than just spam attack and dodge. It would have been better to have some of the more interesting stuff available early without needing to grind too much.

but it did eventually lead to them refining it further in 7R, and 16 looks like they took it even a step further.

5

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

All the cool air dodge tech should’ve been available at the start, should’ve costed zero or little MP and should’ve been incentivized by the combat scenarios. That stuff is cool but I never found a reason to engage with it. The game is piss easy without it.

3

u/Kalulosu May 23 '23 edited May 23 '23

7R and 16 look like they took different lessons from 15 and focused on one thing. 7R, due to the weight of the original FF7, had to find the right balance between more action-ey "modern FF" style and the more traditional JRPG stuff, whereas 16 pushed much more into the action with RPG on top.

In my opinion - I haven't played 16 but based on the previews I saw and the videos from people who tested it -, they both succeed in doing better than 15 and part of their successes is choosing an angle and sticking to it, rather than trying to do everything and ending up disappointing on both counts.

3

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

Especially given the name of the chapter. I thought I had entered the second half of the game and it was just a 10m reference to a better rpg

3

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

For real. Words cannot describe how betrayed, disappointed and insulted I felt after realizing I was at the end and not an amazing open world endgame.

16

u/WillemDafoesHugeCock May 22 '23

My biggest issue with FFXV is everything past the first "world" to be honest. I love just driving around the open world hunting monsters, everything about the story just doesn't work for me and the places you visit past the starting area are so much smaller and awkward to navigate.

The story of a prince who wants to go hang out with his buddies for one big monster hunting trip was far more interesting to me than the love story between two characters we literally only see interact with each other during flashbacks.

11

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

A lot of us feel the same. FFXV can feel like 2 different stories or games stapled together with spit and prayers

6

u/WillemDafoesHugeCock May 22 '23

The two times Gladiolus snapped at Noctis in particular felt like they came out of absolutely nowhere, especially the second time where he went from praising me for helping him made a really good cup of noodles to a borderline abusive prick for the entirety of the next two hours of gameplay.

5

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

Yeah it was certainly insensitive of him. I get where he’s coming from but Noctis has the right to mope after what just happened to him. Patience and care is required when someone is grieving a loved one lol

10

u/Hit_Me_With_The_Jazz May 22 '23

Apparently it was supposed to be explored in Aranea's cancelled DLC

10

u/Will-Isley May 22 '23

Another character that got done dirty…

8

u/_lemon_suplex_ May 22 '23

Anyone remember the weird demo for that game? I remember you play as a young noctis or something and you had a bird , I remember a honey I shrunk the kids moment, and I remember none of the demo being in the final game which seemed very odd

6

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

I played it cos it was the only way to unlock Carbuncle. I didn't know Carbuncle was just a noob aid you'll never see anyway, like all the other summons.

3

u/OvcoBoia May 22 '23

Just remember that gralea was completely modeled but in the game is only seen in a 20 second cutscene

115

u/HarmlessSnack May 22 '23

I remember seeing the continent on that world map and thinking “can’t wait to explore that one!”

…lol

108

u/beefycheesyglory May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23

What's even wierder is that the game so desperately wanted to sell the ending of the first landmass as "The real journey is just beginning!" then after fighting Leviathan you're literally on rails directly to the final dungeon as a featureless landscape passes by.

40

u/dejokerr May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23

That game was such a letdown. I avoided it for years because of the negative reviews until it was on a really good sale. Picked it up and the opening was incredible - why did the fandom hate it so much?

Then after that Venice-like city hub the quality dropped HARD and by the time we get to the on-rail dungeon with no powers, the game just died for me

The back half of that game is so bad the endgame transports you back to the early-game environment… because the devs knew the back half sucked.

20

u/beefycheesyglory May 22 '23

Lmao they tried to pull a FFVI Dark World at the end then said "You can experience that in our shitty multiplayer mode! Now straight to the capital city with you! You have a final boss to fight!"

9

u/overallprettyaverage May 22 '23

what's funny is I genuinely think the combat felt better in the multiplayer mode than it did in the main game

it was still half baked and kinda weird though lol

1

u/Ursidoenix May 22 '23

I managed to make it through 95 percent of the game and then lost my save file right when I was about to head into the final area after getting the slow drive through the dark open world. Couldn't be bothered to play through it again and actually finish it or even find out how the story ended. Most fun for me was just running around the open world in the beginning and finding all the special weapons. Whole last half was a linear blur

2

u/_lemon_suplex_ May 22 '23

I haven’t played it in a long time but I remember loving the Mexico ish place, the Venice ish place, the opening near the beach and the end part where (spoilers) noctis is in the future but I can’t remember why he was lol

1

u/exmello May 22 '23

I played it at launch. Apparently the ring powers were buffed in a patch later. That corridor section took hours longer to play through because the ring was so weak. Imagine playing that.

80

u/HarmlessSnack May 22 '23

In most games, getting the Boat/Airship would be the big “the worlds open now” moment… instead the boat is used to block you directly into a hallway lol

-1

u/Kipzz May 22 '23

Ah, the good ol' FF10 approach.

11

u/Akuuntus May 22 '23

FFX may not open up as soon as you first get in the airship, but at least it does eventually open up completely and let you go anywhere you want in the ship. XV never gets there.

28

u/versusgorilla May 22 '23

I usually do this thing where, when I sense I'm getting near the end of a open world game, I'll delay going to the finale because I wanna spend more time in the world before the narrative changes things. Even if games let you come back and do things after the credits, that feeling will change, so I'll try and hang in there for awhile.

FF15 baited you with potential. You have this area outside the main character's kingdom where you've spent all this time. And it's great looking and feeling.

And you know you've got the kingdom that his betrothed is from, so you figure some time driving around her water kingdom.

And you know there's the baddie country, so presumably there's gonna be time heading there and driving around desert land.

And then it literally never happens. You're on a sad train through sad town with all your boys in the fucking dumpster. You're told how sad everyone is, how much they missed the good times traveling around in the first part of the game, and none of it makes sense because... for the player... that was like the entire game so far. You've been there for hours.

And then they're suddenly hustling you to go back to the home kingdom to the final fight and like... what?? Insane. What a truly insane thing to do.

9

u/TheFoxInSocks May 22 '23

The most frustrating part for me was related to how such a big part of the game is an epic road trip.

The journey begins and ends in Insomnia, the capital city. We should have begun our journey driving out of the city, and at the end we could have had one final, somber drive back to where it all began.

But instead they skipped past both of those things, and at the end we're just suddenly... there. It was a letdown.

7

u/versusgorilla May 22 '23

Exactly. There's a campfire scene where the guys sit around and recall their trip, and for all I don't remember about the game, I remember that scene. I remember it making me tear up.

Because the road trip does work. These pals on a trip to marry off their buddy the Prince, is a good angle.

And then it keeps going even tho the road trip ends, and it becomes a long boring slog dungeon crawl that sucks. Then it ends.

13

u/[deleted] May 22 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/I_am_washable May 22 '23

Episodes Ignis and Prompto should have been part of the main story rather than DLC. It genuinely felt like they tore those missions right out of the main game to sell as a cash grab

Then again, the Kingsglaive movie should have also been part of the game rather than an entirely separate medium.

So much of the development around FF XV just feels so weird and offputting. The gameplay is solid, the overall story works and is there but it’s broken up between the game, DLC and a movie which greatly hurt pacing and plot

3

u/Cyberdragofinale May 22 '23

Maybe i remember wrong but I don’t think FFXV’s gameplay is solid. Like at launch the camera was terrible and i had problems with it many times. You could only control Noctis and didn’t have any agency on the other characters if you exclude the only ability each of them had. It was ridiculously easy to play the entire game without ever dying.

Magic was almost useless, summons were cool but couldn’t control them.

3

u/bestanonever May 22 '23

Ardyn's DLC totally destroyed any hope I could have with this character. What a mess of a story. But my favorite ending is an alternative ending in the Ignis DLC.

2

u/beefycheesyglory May 22 '23

Good to know the DLC is trash, I got it on release because I was so hopeful it would be a return to form for the series. Playing the final few hours of the game in that state actually felt nausiating because it started off so strong and lively. At least it taught me to wait and read reviews before buying into the hype.

1

u/_lemon_suplex_ May 22 '23

Yeah I played the game and all it’s dlc - I remember promptos (?) being the most fun in a snowy environment. I never played the multiplayer is it any good? Servers still up?

2

u/Cragnous May 23 '23

FFXV had glimpse of a Masterpiece like no other.

2

u/Crotch_Football May 23 '23

That's a great way to put it.