The first mission in Final Fantasy 16 helps teach players the basic mechanics and controls of the game. In addition, it also begins to set the scene for the story. Players get to see Clive's past and his childhood. Before catching up to his father's forces, Clive is sent to investigate the swamps of Stillwind as there are goblins in that area.
This second mission could still be considered part of the tutorial, as it teaches players more about combat. This also includes mechanics like Cinematic Evasion and Cinematic Strike, which players will see a lot of during boss fights. This walkthrough will show Final Fantasy 16 players how to complete the main story quest "Lost in a Fog".
Exploring Stillwind
Before going further, it is recommended that players take this time to save their game if they haven't done so already. Proceed along the path to reach a clearing. To advance the story, go left. On the right, players can find two Gil on the ground.
If uncertain how to proceed while exploring, look for two glowing butterflies. This indicates the direction that players should go in.
Go under the tree to trigger a cutscene. After that, players will have to fight off several goblins. There are only three of them, but this is the perfect opportunity for players to make the most of what they learned in the previous quest. Upon defeating the goblins, players will get some Ability Points, Gil, and EXP (short for experience points).
After the battle, go under the broken barricade to proceed further into Stillwind. On the right is a destroyed building that players can enter that contains a Strength Tonic. Just beyond this area, players will encounter more goblins. It is a bigger group for this encounter, but it is the perfect opportunity for players to get comfortable with the action focused gameplay. Enemies occasionally drop Gil and other helpful items after being slain, so make sure to look around for any loot that might have dropped.
In this courtyard, there is a ruined house that players can enter. In the small side room of this house, there is a Potion. When ready, return to the courtyard. There is a barrier blocking the way forward. Approach the barrier and press 'X' and then 'R2' to destroy it. In the next area there is another Potion for players to pick up directly ahead of them.
Unlike other Final Fantasy games, players can only hold a handful of consumables at any given time. For example, players can only carry four Potions and three High Potions.
Approach the ladder and climb up it. Drop down and fight another group of goblins. This time players will have to worry about goblins with ranged attacks. Try to focus on dealing with them first. After the goblins are dead, approach the barricade and break it down to drop the bridge that leads to the other side. Before entering the village square, make sure to be fully healed up.
Survive the Ambush
After a brief cutscene, players will be completely surrounded by goblins. After dealing with them, players will encounter the first boss of Final Fantasy 16. This boss is a large goblin known as Gigas. During this time, players will get to practice reducing a foe's Will Gauge. When the Will Gauge on an enemy is completely empty, they will be staggered and will fall over.
When a foe is staggered, players are free to unload as much damage onto them as possible. Staggered enemies take significantly more damage, so players will want to deplete the Will Gauge as fast as possible to make fights easier. Upon defeating Gigas, players will gain an item, Gil, and Ability Points.
Pursue the Goblin
The leader of the goblins flees after players kill Gigas. Go through the building directly ahead to pursue it. Make sure to grab the High Potion on the shelf directly ahead. Head into the next room and down toward the water. Go across the rubble of the destroyed building to continue pursuing the goblin. Be ready for a fight though, as the second boss is just ahead.
How to Beat the Morbol
Previously known as a Malboro in earlier Final Fantasy games, a Morbol is a dangerous enemy to encounter due to its Bad Breath attack that can inflict several debuffs onto players at once. Early on into the fight, Clive's party members warn him to stay away about the breath. Listen to this advice. It takes several seconds for the Morbol to use its Bad Breath attack, so make sure to be out of the way when it unleashes the attack.
Either attack the Morbol from behind or wait for the attack animation to finish before approaching the boss again. The only other attack that players will need to watch out for is the cloud of gas that the Morbol unleashes periodically. The Morbol will look up and shake its head back and forth before unleashing the cloud. Move back to avoid getting hit by this attack.
Just like with Gigas, Morbol can be staggered by depleting its Will Gauge. Keep attacking it, and eventually it will stagger, allowing players to do more damage to it. Around 60% health, the Morbol will disappear. It will reappear a few seconds later and attempt to swallow players. This will trigger what is called a Cinematic Strike.
During a Cinematic Strike, players will be prompted to press 'Square'. Press it before the timer expires to inflict a massive amount of damage and stagger the boss. At 40% health, the Morbol will attempt to swallow players again. This time, players will be introduced to the Cinematic Evasion mechanic. This is similar to the Cinematic Strike, but instead of pressing 'Square', players will press 'R1' to dodge the incoming attack with some flair.
As the Morbol falls below 20% it will begin to use an attack called Wild Rage where it will charge toward the player. Fortunately this attack is fairly easy to dodge. Once it stops, move behind the Morbol and continue to attack it. Keep dodging its attacks while damaging it and the Morbol will eventually fall.
After the subsequent cutscene, select Phoenix Gate from the map to proceed with the story. At this point there is nowhere else for players to go, but eventually it is possible to fast travel to other areas. Upon selecting Phoenix Gate, a lengthy series of cutscenes will play and lead into the next main scenario quest.
Final Fantasy 16 releases on June 22nd for the PS5.
