Final Fantasy 16's release date is right around the corner, with the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive dropping on June 22. Square Enix has done a great job of marketing the game over the past several months, and while there is some slight concern over its pre-order numbers, chances are the game will be a huge success (if it sticks the landing). Hype is at an all-time high, but Final Fantasy 16's release is coming on the heels of Diablo 4, Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more. In other words, many fans would be forgiven if they've missed a major reveal or two, even if those could be major selling points.
Luckily, while Final Fantasy 16 is breaking away from past entries in a number of ways, it is clearly an FF game at heart. Fans can expect a deep narrative, iconic elements, and more, all while telling a more mature story. In fact, it stands to reason that Final Fantasy 16 is the darkest entry in the franchise to date, as the core of it revolves around Clive's pursuit of vengeance. What he seeks revenge for is largely unknown, but many speculate that his younger brother, Joshua, dies as potentially shown in an early Final Fantasy 16.
Not much has been confirmed about Final Fantasy 16's story overall, of course, except that it will explore three time periods within Clive's life. There will also be a roster of Dominants, those who are bound to Eikons, that serve as allies and rivals throughout the narrative. All of this is taken place in the war and Blight-stricken lands of Valisthea, which is divided among a few countries.
Namely, these are the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, Clive's home; the Crystalline Dominion, which is an effective No Man's Land of sorts among neighboring nations; the Holy Empire of Sanbreque is a theocratic nation, also home to the Dominant of Bahamut; the Kingdom of Waloed, whose king is the Eikon of Odin and relishes in war; the Dhalmekian Republic, home to the Dominant of Titan; and The Iron Kingdom, which sees Dominants as abominations.
Final Fantasy 16 Feature List
- Release Date: June 22 - PS5 Timed-Exclusive.
- Features a standard, deluxe, and Collector's Edition
- Game Length: Approximately 35 hours for the main story, 70-90 hours for 100% completion.
- Action-based combat system focused on melee and Magic. Protagonist Clive is able to use Eikon abilities in battle.
- Massive Eikon Battles, with each reportedly being different from the next.
- Final Fantasy 16 does not feature an open world but does have open sections.
- Final Fantasy 16 features dungeons (but not optional ones) and a "nontraditional party system."
- RPG basics like side quests, a home base (managed by Cid), blacksmiths, sidequests, etc.
- Final Fantasy basics like rideable chocobos, familiar monsters, and narrative elements.
- Difficulty options: Story Mode, Normal Mode, and "Final Fantasy" Mode.
- New Game Plus
- Arcade Mode with challenges
- Active Time Lore System that provides players additional context to characters, regions, etc.
- Eikons (classic Final Fantasy summons): Ifrit, Phoenix, Shiva, Titan, Odin, Ramuh, Garuda, Bahamut, Typhon.
- Accessibility Rings that modify gameplay:
- The Ring of Timely Focus provides a larger window to dodge, temporarily slowing time before enemy attacks make contact.
- The Ring of Timely Assistance automatically issues commands to Clive’s constant companion, Torgal.
- The Ring of Timely Strikes allows fans to battle using a single button for all attacks and combos.
- The Ring of Timely Evasion allows Clive to automatically dodge most attacks.
- The Ring of Timely Healing will maintain Clive’s health, by automatically using potions when necessary.
- No Current Plans for DLC
As seen above, there will be plenty of content to keep fans occupied by Clive and his story, especially given this is only a taste of what fans will encounter in the full game. Many are currently curious if it'll come to other platforms, but as of this writing, Final Fantasy 16 is not set to launch on PC or Xbox. There has been some suggestion of an eventual PC release for Final Fantasy 16, but that will likely be sometime after launch, if at all. Yoshi-P has asked fans to buy a PS5 to try the game in all its might, and that day is coming sooner than some may realize.
Final Fantasy 16 will launch on June 22, exclusively for PS5.
