After a one-year wait, Final Fantasy XVI is finally ready to take players on a fresh journey on PC next month. They won’t have to bide their time until then to get a taste of the action, however, as a free playable demo of the game is now out on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Ahead of its official launch on 17 September, the latest numbered entry in Square Enix’s long-running franchise has prepared the opening sequence and a “Eikonic Challenge” mode, which serves as to showcase game mechanics and combat through a dungeon quest and boss fight, for the demo. Save data will carry over the the full game, available in two versions — the standard release, and a Complete Edition that includes The Rising Tide and Echoes of the Fallen expansions.
Pre-orders for both editions are now live, and in usual fashion, include bonus goodies like The Cait Sith’s Charm accessory, the Sixteen Bells Orchestrion Roll, and the Brave Blade weapon. The base title retails for S$67.90, while the latter is priced at S$97.90.
As for system requirements, Steam lists the following:
MINIMUM
- OS: Windows® 10 / 11 64-bit
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 / Intel Core i5-8400
- Memory: 16GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700 / Intel Arc A580 / Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 170GB available space
- Additional Notes: 30FPS at 720p expected. SSD required. VRAM 8GB or above.
RECOMMENDED
- OS: Windows® 10 / 11 64-bit
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X / Intel Core i7-10700
- Memory: 16GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT / Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 170GB available space
- Additional Notes: 60FPS at 1080p expected. SSD required. VRAM 8GB or above.
To recap, Final Fantasy XVI features segmented open environments, an action-based combat system, the ability to turn into Summons, and more. It follows Clive Rosfield, guardian to his younger brother Joshua, who witnesses the destruction of his kingdom and becomes involved in the growing conflict between Valisthea’s nations and a secret power driving the war.
A PC port was confirmed to be in the works last year, reaching the final stages earlier in March. Final Fantasy XVI hits PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on 17 September.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
