Final Fantasy is one of the longest-running franchises out there, and the series has gone through massive changes in recent years. The reveal of Final Fantasy XVI was huge surprise, especially since it came just months after the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Final Fantasy XVI looks like another drastic departure from tradition, with an action combat system that resembles Devil May Cry more than anything. It also marks a return to high-fantasy for the series, unlike the more sci-fi integrated entries of Final Fantasy XIII, XIV, and XV.
Perhaps most interesting is that Final Fantasy XVI is being produced by Naoki Yoshida, the director that brought Final Fantasy XIV back from the dead. Unlike XIV, however, Final Fantasy XVI is an entirely single-player focused experience. Although Square Enix said the game is still a way out, here's everything we know about Final Fantasy XVI.
Final Fantasy XVI Release Date
In Final Fantasy XVI's announcement post on PS Blog Naoki Yoshida comments on release, saying "And though we’re pouring our hearts and souls into this project each and every day, it may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!"
It's clear that Final Fantasy XVI is still early on in development, and there wasn't any kind of release window that Square Enix detailed for the game. In April 2019 it was announced that Square Enix's Business Division 3 had started development on a new next-gen title. Business Division 3 is the team developing Final Fantasy XVI, so it most likely started development early in 2019. Although Yoshida will be working on XIV and XVI at the same time, the development teams are totally separate. Final Fantasy XVI will most likely be eyeing a release in 2022, especially considering Square Enix also has Final Fantasy VII Remake part 2 in development.
Final Fantasy XVI's Story
Final Fantasy XVI tells a brand new story set in a brand new world, although there are serious similarities with parts of Final Fantasy XIV. Story is currently the most mysterious part of the game, but it seems to take place in a world filled with war. The opening shot of the trailer shows soldiers around a campfire, talking about their orders to take down "Shiva's Dominant." The word dominant could refer to a person that controls the Eikon (summon), as later in the trailer a character named Joshua can be seen transforming into Phoenix. The trailer shows a black-haired main character with voiceover saying he's the protector of Joshua, who's the archduke's son.
In Final Fantasy tradition, it seems nations gain power from magic crystals, but the trailer seems to suggest the game will be about breaking free from the history of the crystals. Eikons seem to play a very important role in the story, and at one point a soldier asks how there can be two Eikons of fire when Phoenix and Ifrit face off. Interestingly, the game's logo also features Phoenix and Ifrit facing off. The last big detail is that the game seems to have a massive time skip, as the main character has both a young clean cut look and an older more disheveled look. The second version of the character has a prominent tattoo on his cheek that seems to be a sort of brand, as the other characters with him also have the tattoo.
Considering Yoshida is producer and members of the development team have worked on XIV, it's possible that Final Fantasy XVI will invert the typical tropes of Final Fantasy. Shadowbringers, for example, completely flips the dynamic of the Warrior of Light and the classic light versus dark theme of the series. It's hard to say exactly what Final Fantasy XVI is about but it will definitely feature elements the series is known for.
Final Fantasy XVI' s Gameplay
Final Fantasy XVI's gameplay looks like a combination of the systems from Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XV. In the short clips from the trailer the main character is pulling off fast-paced combos, air juggles, and ranged magic attacks using fire. Again, it easily draws the comparison to Devil May Cry with its speed and intensity of combos. All of the clips so far show the main character fighting only one or two enemies, and it's not clear if there will be any kind of party members in the game. There does, however, seem to be multiple weapons and equipment sets as the trailer shows the basic sword and some kind of claw weapons. Interestingly, it also looks like "Dominants" might also factor into gameplay, as the main character uses some kind of fire attack with a Phoenix wing.
Keep in mind combat and story is the only thing shown off in the debut trailer, so a ton of things are still unclear like if Final Fantasy XVI is an open-world game, what kind of leveling system it uses, how equipment works, and more. The second update on Final Fantasy XVI is set for sometime in 2021.