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Square Enix Has Announced Final Fantasy XVI And I Am Shaking

Screenshot From Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI, a game we all knew was coming but I’m still shaking and teary-eyed right now anyway, has officially been announced. Square Enix stole the front page for today’s PlayStation 5 Showcase, opening the event with the world’s first ever look at the next mainline installment in one of the most beloved franchises of role-playing games in the industry. Strong medieval aesthetics abound, with a narrative that seems to be centered on Eikons — a sometimes-used moniker in a long line of new names for Final Fantasy‘s summons, recently notably used in Final Fantasy XIV.

At a glance, it appears that the story of Final Fantasy XVI will feature a time skip, given that the character seen below — the protagonist? — is implied to have advanced in age between two beats in the trailer. Since this is FF, technically this could mean all sorts of things, but until further notice that’s going to be a lot of people’s guesses, including my own.

A young character in Final Fantasy XVI.
An older character in Final Fantasy XVI.

The battle system is action-based, following on recent titles like Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Developing the game is Square Enix’s Business Division 3, known for its work on the truly terrific Final Fantasy XIV. Needless to say, but I’m saying it anyway because saying it makes me happy, stay tuned to RPGFan for hot new information on FFXVI in the months (and years?) to come. But hey, what you’re really here for is the trailer, so here it is:

Square Enix confirmed several long-running rumors by revealing that Naoki Yoshida (Final Fantasy XIV, Dragon Quest X) will be producing Final Fantasy XVI. In addition, we now know Hiroshi Takai (Final Fantasy XIV, The Last Remnant) is the new game’s director. The company released statements from each of them, seen below:

Comment from Producer Naoki Yoshida
FINAL FANTASY XVI producer (that’s right, just producer) Naoki Yoshida here. How did you enjoy the trailer? The exclusive footage, comprised of both battles and cutscenes running in real-time, represents but a fraction of what our team has accomplished since the start of development on this, an all-new FINAL FANTASY game. In that span, the team’s size has grown from a handful of core members to a full-fledged unit that continues to polish and build upon what they have created so far, all to provide players an experience unmatched in terms of story and gameplay.

Our next big information reveal is scheduled for 2021, so in the meantime, I expect everyone to have fun speculating, as we have a lot in store—not only for FINAL FANTASY XVI, but for FINAL FANTASY XIV, too. Needless to say, I’ll be working hard on both!

Comment from Director Hiroshi Takai
When FINAL FANTASY I was released, I was just another player─a young student with big dreams. By the time FINAL FANTASY V was in the works, I had earned myself a seat at the developers’ table… albeit at the very end. From there, I moved “online” leaving my mark on both FINAL FANTASY XI and XIV.

And now…XVI.

From the establishment of an all new development environment, to learning the ins-and-outs of the PS5, the team and I have taken on countless challenges during our journey to bring you the sixteenth chapter in the storied FINAL FANTASY franchise. And though we’re pouring our hearts and souls into this project each and every day, it may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!

No release date was yet given for Final Fantasy XVI, just that it is a PlayStation 5 console exclusive, and will also be coming to PC. View more screenshots below and through our Final Fantasy XVI game hub.

Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 06
Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 04
Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 018
Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 012
Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 010
Final Fantasy XIV Screenshot 011
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4 Responses to Square Enix Has Announced Final Fantasy XVI And I Am Shaking

KNN005
KNN005

This looks like the crusades if they were in the magical world Middle Earth. Sadly I'm bored with European fantasy. I really think asian devs should take a chance, get over their racism, and embrace a story about South American, African, or Native American folklore and fairy tales. What would be the harm? Do they honestly think any game with those in them in spades would auto-fail?

Avatar
humbertuzuki

European fantasy covers a broad range of cultures and settings, and is the foundation of the Final Fantasy franchise. It's cute of you to assume racism on the part of the devs, just because they don't branch out in the ways that 'you' think they should. You've seen a 7 minute trailer, and also assume that you've seen the entirety of the world the game will contain. Color me impressed. As for what the harm would be with centering the world in question around the cultures you mentioned, it's a matter of familiarity. The British conquered and/or colonized most of the world and Western culture has been a driving force in the growth and industrialization of the world we live in today. A great deal of media has exposed us to and made recognizable elements of European military history(at least to a degree), from weapons to armor and even political machinations. That isn't to say that they can't incorporate elements from other cultures, but the likelihood of them framing an entire game around such a thing is unlikely.

Jbumi
Jbumi

I know it's hard to say from one little trailer, but I'm hoping XVI has just the single protagonist. Since they moved to the action-based gameplay, I've felt it would be a better fit with a single protagonist rather than party-based. Crisis Core is the only action-based FF I've truly enjoyed so I'd be psyched if XVI became the first "mainline" game to feature a sole hero.

KNN005
KNN005

Despite all the excuses people make for them, I'd still like someone to give me the reason why even after decades of playing their games they've still never made a game with African, Latino, or South American cultures. Sure there's lots of cultures in Europe, but there's plenty more in other parts of the world too. But they don't care about those. They like to do the same stuff over and over. Sci-fi this, euro-fantasy that, or asian stuff. That's it. When are we going to get a AAA RPG about something else? Am I gonna die from old age first? Maybe, I'm already 34 now.

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