Naoki Yoshida recently gave a battery of interviews to both the official Square Enix website and other outlets sharing more information about the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. He answered questions about the battle system, the narrative, world settings, whether it will be an open world, and party members, among other subjects. As Jack the Ripper would say, let's go by parts.
One of the things that worried longtime fans the most was: will there be party members or not? A staple of the main franchise since the early days, it was a bit jarring to see Clive acting on his own in the latest trailer. According to Yoshida: yes, we will have party members for most of Clive's journey. Granted, they will be AI-driven party members, but still, better than nothing. The ultimate Final Fantasy experience consists of enduring banters and sharing moments with your companions.
The reason for AI-controlled members is that the game is action-driven, and having to shuffle between the party would decrease that frenzy momentum in the heat of battle. To that end, they decided to focus the gameplay on Clive. Also, it's been confirmed that Clive will utilize Eikon's powers. Yoshida says that the protagonist will not only be able to wield Eikons and feed a skill tree to unlock new abilities but will also transform into these colossal beings, participating in massive, epic summons battles. These, in turn, will be distinct from one another, sometimes being just a slugfest, sometimes "reminiscent of a 3D shooter."
He knows longtime fans might prefer something more nostalgic or command-based like the old Final Fantasy ones. At the time, Yoshida said:
"We get a lot of different suggestions from fans about what they want to see in future games, and unfortunately it isn't possible for us to satisfy every one of them." He then adds, "With FINAL FANTASY XVI, we wanted to appeal to as wide a range of gamers as possible by setting the story in a classic fantasy world that's reminiscent of the early FINAL FANTASY games, but combining that with fast-paced, real-time action."
On exploration, Yoshida confirmed that Final Fantasy XVI will not be an open world like its predecessor but will contain encapsulated vast areas. I imagine it will be something like The Witcher 3 and Pokémon Arceus. Furthermore, the game will be a complete experience, and there are no plans for tertiary products.
Final Fantasy XVI is shaping to be an M-rated narrative and wants to show a more raw and adult sphere of the franchise. It will follow three periods in Clive's life, his teens, 20s, and 30s. If your thing is story and world, Yoshida said he will reveal more information about that in a third trailer this autumn. Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for the best deals on Final Fantasy XVI, which has a release window for summer 2023.
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