The first mainline Final Fantasy entry since 2016 looks to have been worth the wait, with a refined combat system and a world begging to be explored.
The last time Final Fantasy returned to its roots by leaning into the latter half of its namesake, we got Final Fantasy 9 for the PlayStation One. Not the most iconic instalment, true, but one that in recent years has gained a beloved reputation amongst its fans for how well it hearkens back to the 1987 original; it was darn near swords and sorcery perfection. Fast forward 20 years later and Square Enix has been clear in the lead up to Final Fantasy 16’s launch that this PS5 exclusive has the exact same objective. Only now, in 2023, the high fantasy rulebook has very much been rewritten.
It's no longer enough to have a wizard, rogue and healer in your party and call it a day. Final Fantasy 16 – at least from what I played during my recent six-hour preview session – in both its story and presentation is far grittier in a way that feels appropriate. This is clearly a medieval-esque Final Fantasy game made for the Game of Thrones generation, doing away with lofty sci-fi concepts and boyband protagonists in favour of complex family dynamics, multiple warring factions and characters I actually care about. I found it hard not to be totally engaged throughout, and already I can’t wait to play more when the full game releases on June 22, 2023.
At the centre of it all is Clive Rosfield, who we’re immediately introduced to during a flashforward sequence in which he does battle with an epic-looking fire dragon. And I’ll say this… it’s an extremely effective way to open your game. The scale and tone of this story is instantly set, before we eventually get the chance to catch a breath and kick off the events of Final Fantasy 16 proper, during Clive’s early days as a young ward of the king and the little prince’s chief protector.
It's here where I was properly introduced to Final Fantasy 16’s location of Valisthea and got to grips with what is easily a vastly improved combat system compared to Final Fantasy 15. Throwing swords into enemies and plinths as Noctis and teleporting to them was great, don’t get me wrong, but even in just my short time battling foes during this preview, I can already tell that Clive’s abilities are much more diverse – offering a lot more creative attack opportunities, as a result. I know certain Final Fantasy veterans are still tetchy about seeing real-time combat take over from turn-based, but I promise that what’s here represents far more than simple slashing and dodging.
Final Fantasy 16’s combat is all tied around the revitalised Eikon system. Similar to, say, the different stances in Ghost of Tsushima, Devil May Cry 5 or most recently Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, this is an elemental-based power mechanic that lets Clive switch between three different types of magic at any one time depending on the situation. Eventually you’ll be able to transform into beast-like creatures representative of each Eikon. For now, however, just channelling them in Clive’s human form ensures the action doesn’t stay still.
The Phoenix Eikon (based around fire) is what I was able to wield for the majority of my preview. In addition to a handy dash-like, Phoenix Shift manoeuvre that made light work of dishing out pain to enemies up close, it allowed me to surround foes in flames using the Scarlet Cyclone attack. Not only do these attacks look insanely attractive to perform, but activating them using the right-side trigger is effortless and helps to truly shake up every battle. The Garuda Eikon proved equally as effective yet for different reasons, with its wind-based magic strikes working excellently for AOE attacks.
Though only three Eikons can ever be equipped at once, this is more than enough to keep the combat fresh and unique as Clive progresses through his story. My curiosity is certainly piqued about how the other power sets I didn’t get to try will function and effect the flow of combat. Overall, getting stuck in against foes feels incredibly fluid, even if dodge being mapped to R1 takes some getting used to before it becomes natural to pull off.
My time spent traversing Valisthea was mostly confined to what I would call linear levels, be it forests, desert canyons and castle courtyards that mostly guide you through. However, while it might not be pitched as a “true” open world game like Final Fantasy 15, Final Fantasy 16 only gave me full confidence that trimming this fat was a good idea. Because in addition to these story-driven, cinematic moments will be hub-like areas. The one I was placed into after being fastforwarded to later in the game was a green, field-like area, with a handful of side expeditions to take on and dangerous beasts to face – the latter of which I may or may not have been too underleveled to fight.
All of Final Fantasy 16’s components coalesce roughly two or three hours into the narrative at a place called Cid’s hideaway. It’s here where you’ll be able to buy gear items, craft new ones and get a better sense of this war-torn world after ward-turned-mercenary-turned-resistance fighter Clive is almost dragged kicking and screaming to join the correct side. It wasn’t clear to what extent Cid’s Hideaway will open up or undergo significant changes or even if players will get to visit at will in between adventures. That said, as a way to learn more about Clive’s friends and a place to swap in gear that better suits your preferred Eikon powers, there’s a lot to dig into.
As a lapsed Final Fantasy fan that didn’t fully jive with either Final Fantasy 15 or even the most recent Final Fantasy 7: Remake, this small preview slice of Final Fantasy 16 was enough for me to instantly put it on my list of 2023 must-plays. The combat feels unbelievably fluid compared to before, Clive and his nature to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders makes him incredibly easy to empathise with and Valisthea is undeniably beautiful and dripping with lore. As well as being an affectionate way to pay tribute to the franchise’s past, Final Fantasy 16 has the makings of an epic Action RPG worthy of its numbered entry.
