Final Fantasy 16 utilizes its summons, known in this particular entry as "Eikons," as key parts of the game's story and sources of tremendous visual spectacle. This, undoubtedly, results in many players wondering whether they'll be able to use summons themselves as has been possible in previous entries.
Are There Summons in FF16?
The answer to this question is somewhat complicated but, put simply, players of Final Fantasy 16 are not able to summon Eikons in the way they might be used to from previous games. Indeed, fully manifesting an Eikon is reserved for particularly significant moments in the game's story, and only Ifrit and Phoenix are able to be used by the player in playable sequences while fully manifested.
How to Use Eikons
The majority of Eikons found in the game are only utilized partially by Clive during gameplay. After acquiring the power of an Eikon, Clive is able to switch to it during combat to utilize its abilities and swap the element of his spells.
Each Eikon functions similarly to a stance, changing the Eikonic Feat, abilities, and elemental attack. These Eikonic abilities typically include a weaker version of that Eikon's signature attack which can be unlocked and used like any other Eikonic ability.
Talents like Phoenix Shift can enhance Clive's Mobility, while talents like Ramuh's Blind Justice open up new damage and combo opportunities. Some talents, like Garuda's Deadly Embrace and Titan's Titanic Block, offer entirely new combat options both offensively and defensively.
Generally speaking, each Eikon provides significant combat functionality despite Clive being unable to summon them properly. So, despite players being unable to fully summon most of the Eikons, they remain central to the gameplay and story.
Playing as Eikons
There are a pair of Eikons who are actually playable during certain parts of the game's main story, so spoilers ahead for players that don't wish to know about this.
During the game's opening and at certain other moments, Phoenix is made playable, allowing the player to aim fireballs and dodge incoming attacks. These sections are largely on-rails and players just need to deal enough damage to progress to the next phase of the fight.
The other playable Eikon, Ifrit, is used more commonly during major fights in the game. He has vastly stronger versions of Clive's normal moveset while also having access to unique Eikonic abilities and his Eikonic Talent, "Wildfire." Wildfire allows Ifrit to move with tremendous speed to evade attacks and close the distance on foes.
Final Fantasy 16 is available for PS5.
