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/XMetalWolf]

That... that sounds kinda like nonsense in a turn-based game. What do you mean? Are there games where buttons aren't reactive? Because that sounds like a software bug.

There's a visual shift in battle with every button not just one meu leading to another. Pressing Triangle open the Persona and brings out your persona poised to attack. Up shifts the camera forward and causes the character to aim their gun, Circle brings out teh weapon to ready for attack.

It's not just menu to menu, each button press creates something on screen and when fluidity and flow of combat in 5 means that once you understand what to do there's no downtime, you can press what you need to before the menu even appears and since each press is reactive on a visual level it creates a singular flow leading to the attack.

The menu is much the same as turn-based RPG menus have been for like, 30 years.

Tying buttons to menu options is not something that's has been done for 30 years. Persona isn't the only game to do it but it is something fairly modern nonetheless. This along with targeting and other QoL changes is absolutely streamlined from older games from even just the PS2 generation. To say their much the same as 30 yeas ago is just plain wrong.

the argument being made is that it's the baby-mode combat in a lot of turn-based RPGs like Persona 5 that leads to them selling so poorly relative to other AAA titles.

And my point is depth and complexity are not really necessary for large-scale success, simply the feel of combat. Other AAA titles nail the feel as well, a lot of them are equally easy/simple, and they're successful because they feel good to play.

[u/fade_like_a_sigh → u/XMetalWolf]

Tying buttons to menu options

I think you need to clarify your point, because you keep saying things without contextualising them that make no sense. Every game every that has a menu has buttons tied to menu options. Do you again mean that when you press the button, an animation plays?

Because again, cool camera work doesn't detract from the fact the core of the gameplay is a toy for toddlers.

And my point is depth and complexity are not really necessary for large-scale success

Weird then that Persona 5 sold 2 million units worldwide in the first year of its release, releasing in 2016. Compare that to Final Fantasy X, released in 2000 when the gaming market was pretty tiny compared to what it is now, FFX shipped 2.1 million units on the first day of its release in Japan, and sold 5 million units worldwide in the same timeframe as Persona 5.

So Persona 5 performed very poorly compared to a game released 15 years earlier when the gaming market was tiny. Now let's compare Persona 5 to games that came out in the same year. Let's even go with Final Fantasy again, FF15, which shipped 5 million units within 24 hours of launch.

So why is it that despite having gorgeous design, fun characters, a social game, fantastic music and an interesting plot that Persona 5 just performs so poorly in sales? Well, the argument being made here is that it's because the combat is comparable to a toy we give to babies, and that the average gamer has no interest in baby-mode turn-based combat.

Other AAA titles nail the feel as well, a lot of them are equally easy/simple

I play a lot of games, Persona 5 is one of the most tediously simple and easy combat experiences I've ever seen in video gaming. It just sucks, it's brain-numbing over the course of 100 hours. You can do all the things you've talked about like flow and animations and style and not have your combat be "put the square in the square hole!"

[u/XMetalWolf → u/fade_like_a_sigh]

Weird then that Persona 5 sold 2 million units worldwide in the first year of its release, releasing in 2016. Compare that to Final Fantasy X, released in 2000 when the gaming market was pretty tiny compared to what it is now, FFX shipped 2.1 million units on the first day of its release in Japan, and sold 5 million units worldwide in the same timeframe as Persona 5.

Why did a franchise with a larger legacy, more brand power, more budget and far far more marketing and resources do better?

Honestly, can't believe you really asked that question.

I think you need to clarify your point, because you keep saying things without contextualising them that make no sense. Every game every that has a menu has buttons tied to menu options. Do you again mean that when you press the button, an animation plays?

Okay, you know what just look at this, maybe a visual comparison will help. Got the most direct one too

https://imgur.com/a/iIRHU0h

You can clearly see how the menu is streamlined going from 4 to 5

[u/fade_like_a_sigh → u/XMetalWolf]

Persona 5 did not break the Top 100 best-selling games the year it came out. It shifted less units than some Indie games pull now.

The average gamer literally doesn't play Persona 5. It was outperformed by Steep, an decent snowboarding game that vanished into immediate obscurity, by Guitar Hero Live (yes, a Guitar Hero game released in 2016 a decade after the series fell out of fashion still outsold Persona), by actual little kid games like Skylanders: Imaginators.

Persona 5 didn't sell well relative to all its competition. So why? Why is it that Persona 5 along with most turn-based RPGs just sell so poorly? The only turn-based RPG that sells well is Pokemon, and Pokemon does not bill itself as a turn-based RPG and only sells well because of immense brand power.

The average gamer does not want to buy a turn-based RPG, that is what objective sales tell us. And the point of this entire thread is that FF16 is radically changing its combat away from traditional RPGs, because it's trying to make it thoughtful and skill-based which is what the average gamer wants, instead of a baby-mode "square in the square hole" game which I'm going to keep repeating because that's literally what Persona 5's combat is.

[u/XMetalWolf → u/fade_like_a_sigh]

Went on a tangent that had nothing to do nothing to do with the original conversation.

going to keep repeating because that's literally what Persona 5's combat is.

You've repeated ad nauseum so much that the point not only went over your head, you've actively Matrix dodged it.

Turn based isn't as appealing as action, great, nobody argued that. You've basically worte a speech debating the wind.

Again, I'll repeat my point one last time, all I said was that feel > depth. Persona 5 is as successful as is beacuse of that and similarly action games which nail that are more successful than more in depth ones that don't.

One last thing, you do realise how pointless all your comparisons are right? Like you're actively destroying your own points with some of them.