The PlayStation 5 showcase began with a huge announcement today, revealing Final Fantasy XVI to the world during a PC simulation of what the game will look like on Sony's next-gen console, and it's a PlayStation exclusive. Final Fantasy's last mainline instalment was Final Fantasy XV, a game that was notoriously in development for years while shifting teams and focus, resulting in a game that was divisive among many critics while steadily improving with content releases.
Rumors began circulating that there would be a huge Final Fantasy announcement at the PlayStation showcase thanks to an earlier tweet from Square executive Shinji Hashimoto, who is generally known to get active on social media when the franchise has something to reveal to fans. When that tweet was later taken down, fans immediately knew something was up, though it was unclear exactly what.
The PlayStation 5 showcase unveiled Final Fantasy XVI as a PlayStation console exclusive, though it appears the game will also release on PC. The trailer was very fleshed out when compared to the previous entry's early reveal, so it appears Square Enix waited until the game was further along in development before setting the bar too high on a release date in the near future. While Final Fantasy XVI doesn't have a release date just yet, it showcased action-based combat similar to The Witcher 3 while also borrowing heavily from Final Fantasy XV's teleportation mechanics. The story revolves around crystals once more, and it appears to be a darker narrative than many may have expected.
The game's story also seems to fly in the face of the usual narrative regarding crystals as saving properties in the franchise, and instead hints that the player and their accomplices may be attempting to break free from the influence of the mysterious items. Of course, there's very little known about the game at the moment, so there is plenty of room for interpretation on whether or not this pursuit is a good idea.
More importantly, though, the status of Final Fantasy XVI as a PlayStation console exclusive is a huge game-changer for Sony. The PlayStation 4 made its name - and, eventually, its incredible current-gen success - off the back of its great exclusive library. While it seems like the days of pure console exclusives are growing ever fainter, it appears a new standard may be set for console + PC exclusives - and if that's the case, Sony has one of the most important next-gen titles already in the PlayStation's back pocket.
Source: PS5 Showcase