Though it might take a while before we get our hands on Final Fantasy XVI, the folks at Square Enix have wasted no time in getting our excitement up for the latest installment in the iconic RPG franchise.
A recent update on the PlayStation blog gives us a glimpse of what to expect in the new game, including main characters, as well as the setting called Valisthea. The official site for the game is also up, and gives us an even closer look at the various locales in Valisthea, and the factions that preside in it.
From what we can glean from the blog update, the site as well as the trailer that was first shown in September, it looks as though the Eikons (more commonly known as Summons in other Final Fantasy games) will be front and centre in the plot of Final Fantasy XVI.
There is a war being waged between two armies, and these towering Eikons are essentially superweapons that are used by these armies to get the upper hand. And the most interesting part is that they require a human host to manifest. Yup, definitely M-rated material here.
Remember how the trailer showed two versions of that scarred character? His name is Clive Rosfield, and he is the playable main protagonist of FFXVI. Though the update isn’t upfront about this, the trailer did show Clive in his younger and older selves quite prominently, suggesting that he could be played in either version. It also doesn’t explain how he gets that scar and a seemingly more sinister demeanour after the time skip. However, it will be interesting to be able to switch between two versions of Clive throughout, if such a gameplay feature did indeed exist.
While being a skilled warrior, Clive also happens to be royalty, being the “firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria”, and serves as a Shield (think bodyguard) to his younger brother Joshua Rosfield, who also happens to be the young boy who transforms into the powerful Summon/Eikon, Phoenix, as seen in the trailer.
Rounding up the main trio is their childhood friend Jill Warrick, who is also allied to their royal house. It remains to be seen whether Joshua and Jill will be playable characters, or if FFXVI is even a party-based RPG at all, though we’re hoping Square Enix maintains that gameplay feature, as it is a mainstay in all mainline Final Fantasy titles so far.
Of course, this is just a small first look into the overview of Final Fantasy XVI. Producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida states in the PlayStation blog that we’d “have to wait for a future reveal” to find out more about how these elements all come into play when more information about the game is revealed in 2021.
Final Fantasy XVI will launch as a timed console exclusive for the PlayStation 5, though no official launch date has been announced yet.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
Si Jia
