A brand new PlayStation State of Play has arrived and it’s entirely focused on Final Fantasy 16. We already know it’s set to release on PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023, so this presentation was all about learning more about the game world, ICON’s amazing battles, combat, base camp, and more .
We’re here to break down all the big news from State of Play and hope to give you even more reasons to get excited about Final Fantasy 16.
Epic Battles of Equinox and Cliff Rosefield
State of Play gave us another big glimpse into Final Fantasy 16’s combat, including show-off battles between Eikons, which some might know as Summons from previous games such as Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh, Titan, Bahamut, Phoenix, Garuda, and more.
These epic Ikon fights change the fight dramatically, and can be anything from a “3D scrolling shooter” to a “heavyweight wrestling match”. The scale of these battles is also unlike anything we’ve seen in a Final Fantasy game, and some of the larger Eikons like Titan Lost make others like Ifrit, who look huge compared to Clive, look like tiny action figures.
The fights themselves will certainly be one of the big elements of Final Fantasy 16, but the Eikons play a huge role outside of these exhibition fights. For example, many of the skills that Clive unlocks will be gained through these Eikons when you encounter them. You’ll be able to unlock and upgrade these skills via ability points and they’ll help turn Clive into a magical powerhouse that uses the best parts of the Eikons.
Speaking of Clive, players will only play as Clive. There will be companions joining you along the way, but they will be controlled entirely by AI. However, for most of the game, he will have Clive Torgal by his side, who is the best dog a hero could ever ask for, and they will be able to issue Torgal commands and, perhaps most importantly, give him treats.
We’ve learned a lot from this before, but Final Fantasy 16 contains accessibility items that can be equipped to make the game more accessible for anyone who wants to try it out. These rings, including the Ring of Timely Focus and the Ring of Timely Strikes, will help in combat. The things mentioned here will slow down time when you’re attacked so you can focus on executing your combo attack with just one button press.
Clive’s Hideout is a base camp full of characters, side missions, shops, and more
Players will travel across the kingdom of Valisthea in Final Fantasy 16 and visit amazing and diverse places, but all roads will eventually lead to Clive’s lair. This is a base camp of sorts that will allow Clive to prepare for the challenges ahead in many different ways.
Besides the standard shops that allow you to buy weapons, armor and consumables, there will also be a blacksmith that allows you to upgrade your equipment. One of the most interesting places for high score chasers will undoubtedly be Arete Stone, which at first looks like a training mode.
This stone will take you to a virtual training stage “outside of time and space”. You can set a bunch of variables in this mode to test out new fighting abilities or abilities, including which enemies you want to fight, if you want to restore and more. However, there will also be an arcade mode that tracks the high scores of players around the world. This mod will allow players to show everyone else that their Clive will prevail.
Clive’s lair will also be a place to start side quests or complete other quests you’ve already acquired. With the very convenient map function, you can check out your existing side missions and travel directly to them. In addition to the standard side quests, players will be able to obtain a Witcher by taking Mob Hunts from a friendly Moogle and proceed to battle monsters with bounties on their heads.
If you find yourself tired from the fighting and need a change of pace, you can visit Loresman Harpocrates to learn more about the history and customs of Valisthea. Often a visit to Harpocrates is a great thing for players to do because the tales of your adventures will help him complete the Thousand Volumes, a book full of knowledge he has amassed in the world. For an added bonus, Thousand Tomes is leveled up with old-school sprites and classic-style music from the series.
Vivian the Military Scholar is another very much worth visiting as she will keep you updated on the state and history of the world. Learn more about the relationships between the characters and the events that took place in Valisthea. This seems like a great way to sum up your adventure, especially if you need to take some time away from the game.
Final Fantasy 16 will be released exclusively for the PlayStation 5. For more information, check out our hands-on impressions of Final Fantasy 16, how long it should take to complete the game, and our conversations with developers about Game of Thrones comparisons, side quests and acting.
Adam Pankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @employee and on twitch.
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