Square Enix and Sony shared over 20 minutes of new Final Fantasy XVI footage and information today during the State of Play presentation. During this dedicated showcase, we got a general overview of the game’s story and combat, saw Cid’s Hideaway, and learned about a story-focused mode that is recommended for players new to action games.
After an introduction from Producer Naoki Yoshida, the State of Play explained how Final Fantasy XVI takes place across different periods, when Clive is in his teens, 20s, and 30s. We then see a bit of gameplay with teenage Clive, a look at the world map, and an overview of many of the different locales players can visit during their adventure. The State of Play then moved on to combat, explaining the basics: how Clive gains abilities from the Eikons he encounters and how players can upgrade them with ability points.
Some accessories can be equipped to make the game easier. Players can choose to have a “Story-Focused” adventure when starting a new game if they want those helpful accessories automatically equipped from the start. We then meet some of Clive’s allies, like Cid and Jill and Clive’s pet Torgal, who can also help Clive in a fight. The State of Play then introduces Cid’s Hideaway, which contains vendors, a training mode, a Hunt Board, various sidequests, and more.
After a look at some bosses, we got to see some spectacle-filled Eikon fights, which change up the combat, like turning the game into a Panzer Dragoon-like aerial shooter. These are visual marvels to behold. To end the stream, Yoshida revealed that Final Fantasy XVI’s main theme was performed by Kenshi Yonezu.
Final Fantasy XVI will be released exclusively for PlayStation 5 on June 22.
