Naoki Yoshida, the game’s director, and a few other writers have just returned from a media trip to address queries about Square Enix’s forthcoming behemoth, Final Fantasy XVI. The team behind Final Fantasy XIV is highly engaged in this next iteration, and it appears to be building up to be a title deserving of the franchise’s fame. Yoshida discusses the elimination of challenge options in favor of equippable accessibility accessories for use in large-scale Eikon battle, as well as Active Time Lore, an in-game folklore recall during cutscenes.
The official PlayStation website has a ton of fresh video of Final Fantasy XVI action. Combat, according to the developers, has a high ability ceiling while remaining approachable to those unfamiliar with action fighting. The game has actually eliminated challenge levels, instead enabling the player to choose between action-oriented and story-oriented experiences. The challenge stays unchanged, but the story-focused option allows the player to acquire specific accessories that provide distinct advantages such as slowing time or instantly dodging oncoming attacks.
With Final Fantasy XVI’s massive Eikon battles, real-time combat, and bottomless lore, our hands-on report is packed with new gameplay details.
Full info: https://t.co/wWUpwRSLDj pic.twitter.com/LflDGk50Bs— PlayStation (@PlayStation) February 28, 2023
Final Fantasy XVI’s story is influenced by medieval Europe and aims to return to the series’ high fantasy origins. Players will journey through Valisthea’s immense domain, which is constructed around Mothercrystals that provide aether to the world. The plot includes a large cast of people, each with their own backstory and objectives. Active Time Lore (ATL) is a new system introduced by Square Enix that allows players to stop the game and select prompts during sequences if they need a refresher on any of the characters, themes, or countries discussed.
Final Fantasy XVI will be released on the PlayStation 5 on June 22. Square Enix has made full use of the system to deliver a visually stunning experience with seamless combat, no obtrusive loading windows, and DualSense technology.