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During the previous main scenario quest of Final Fantasy 16, Clive and his allies make landfall on the continent of Ash. Because of Barnabas's tyrannical rule, few have set foot on Ash and there is little information about the continent. Nevertheless, the final Mothercrystal is there and Clive must venture into the unknown to find and destroy it.
But Barnabas will not allow the Mothercrystal to go down without a fight. The only way to remove the barrier is if Barnabas falls. So before players can continue their journey to stop Ultima, they must first put an end to Barnabas's reign. Here is what Final Fantasy 16 players can expect as they begin the next main scenario quest, "The Last King".
This walkthrough contains spoilers, so players should proceed with caution.
Ascend the Tower
As players begin this quest, they will have only one direction they can go. Begin the ascent up the tower by moving towards the ramp to the left. The journey to the top will not be an easy one, as players are immediately attacked by Fallen constructs. After the enemies are dead, interact with the door to open it and continue going further up the tower. Just like in "Buried Memories", players will go up and down by using elevators. Simply stand in the middle of the large platform, and it will begin to move.
At the top of the elevator, more enemies await players. Defeat them and keep moving. Up ahead, players will have to deal with a Fallen Guardian. While it does a lot of damage, it is not different from any other Fallen Guardian encountered up to this point. Defeat it and go into the next room to find another elevator. On the next floor, players will have to be prepared to deal with a Purple Bavarois. Unlike previous slime monsters, this one uses thunder magic.
After the Purple Bavarois is dead, continue onward to reach another elevator. Another group of Fallen constructs await players in the next room. Even more Fallen constructs will attack Final Fantasy 16 players in the room after that, so make sure to heal up if needed. Another elevator isn't far from this location. But make sure to be ready for a boss fight before going any further.
How to Beat Soultaker
Soultaker is similar in appearance to the Undertaker boss fought earlier on in the game. It uses similar attacks like the foot stomp and pounding the ground with its fist. The boss also casts Spirit Within, which players do not want to get hit by as it causes a lot of damage. Other than that, Soultaker doesn't do anything noteworthy. As long as players can avoid getting hit by most of its attacks, they will have no trouble defeating it.
Use the Stairs
After defeating the Soultaker, Final Fantasy 16 players are free to continue onward. Rather than using an elevator, players will instead have to climb up a ledge and go up a long winding staircase. Eventually, the stairs will lead players to another area. Go through the door to find another elevator to go further up the tower. Getting on this elevator triggers a cutscene followed by another boss fight.
How to Beat Control Node
While not as dangerous looking as the Soultaker, the Control Node is still a boss that will keep players on their toes. One of the pistons will periodically emerge and shoot out a concentrated beam of energy, so be ready to dodge that. The Control Node will also unleash an electric pulse attack as well.
When the boss reaches 75% health, it will cast Short Circuit and all the pistons will emerge. At this point, energy beams will be shooting out of the boss from almost every conceivable angle. Focus on dodging until this attack ends. Eventually the boss will begin to cast an ability with a purple energy bar. Deplete this bar as quickly as possible to prevent the attack from going off. At this point, the boss doesn't do anything else other than the one piston energy beam attack. If this seems too easy, there is a reason for that.
How to Beat Aurum Giant
Immediately after the Control Node is destroyed, a large construct jumps down and joins the fight. The Aurum Giant has a massive sword and shield. When it attacks, it occasionally leaves lines on the ground that damage players if they stand in them.
At 75% health, Aurum Giant casts Golden Section. During this attack, its sword grows even larger and the boss swings it. This leaves a whole series of circles on the ground that explode a few seconds later. Avoid being near these circles. When below 50% health, Aurum Giant casts Aetherial Assault Cannon. Attacks rain down from above and circles indicate where they will land. Move out of the circles to avoid taking damage while also dodging Aurum Giant's melee attacks. Upon reaching 25% health, Aurum Giant repeats Golden Section. Keep fighting the Aurum Giant and eventually it will fall.
At the end of the two boss fights, players will be nearing the top of the tower. To the left of the ramp is a Potion and a High Potion. When ready, go up the ramp and toward a door. Make sure to be fully healed up before entering the next room. Another boss fight awaits.
How to Beat Barnabas
Once again, players will cross blades with Barnabas. As experienced earlier in the game, Barnabas will teleport around a lot and attack. Watch his movements closely and dodge whenever possible. When Barnabas casts Gungir, a beam of light will come down and touch the arena, creating a pulse of energy that shoots outward. This attack stays on the field for several seconds before disappearing. Keep damaging Barnabas until he reaches 75% health.
At this point there will be a brief cutscene where Barnabas turns into Odin. Players temporarily become Ifrit for a Cinematic Strike sequence and then the fight against Barnabas resumes. Immediately get behind Barnabas to avoid getting hit by his Blinding Steel attack. When Barnbas casts the Lord's Measure, do not stand in one of the lines that appear. These attacks will repeat until Barnabas is brought near 50% health.
After a brief cutscene and a Cinematic Clash, the fight resumes again. Barnabas will begin to cast the same ability that allowed him to wipe the floor with players in the previous encounter. This time, however, Final Fantasy 16 players are able to interrupt and cancel the ability. Even then, it won't be easy as Barnabas will be doing everything in his power to stop players from interrupting the attack. While charging his ultimate, Barnabas will also cast the Lord's Measure and Blinding Steel repeatedly.
After the attack fails to go off, Barnabas becomes even more dangerous. He will unleash a new series of attacks that do a lot of damage, but fortunately they have a long wind-up time and are easier to dodge. To complicate matters further, Barnabas will also cast abilities like Gungir and the Lord's Measure back to back.
At roughly 35% health, Barnabas turns into Odin. Dodge his attacks until he turns back in Barnabas and then go on the offensive. Barnabas will keep cycling through the attacks mentioned above until he is defeated. The current main scenario quest ends after several lengthy cutscenes.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now on PlayStation 5.
