Final Fantasy XVI State of Play shows off more of the world and its Eikons

A fairly comprehensive look at the next Final Fantasy

Today’s Final Fantasy XVI State of Play was centered completely on the upcoming RPG. It was easily the most extensive look we’ve had yet, showcasing everything from combat and bosses to RPG systems.

Final Fantasy XVI follows Clive, the protagonist, through three different parts of his life. Part of it shows him as a young teen, then again in his 20s, and later in his 30s. The warrior finds himself set on a quest for revenge across the world of Valisthea, dealing with the politics and powers of the supernatural Eikons and massive crystals along the way.

Across 25 minutes, we get a good look at a lot of Final Fantasy XVI‘s gameplay and systems. We’ve already seen some of the combat before, but today’s State of Play showed more powers available to Clive in Final Fantasy XVI, themed around the various Eikons. Shiva freezes, Odin slashes, and Ramuh brings down the thunder and lightning.

Those Eikons play a big part in the boss fights, with Clive fighting them on-foot as a human. The player can also engage in Eikon v. Eikon fights, which look absolutely massive and impressive. Many series standards are here—Bahamut, Phoenix, Ifrit, even Typhon.

Still, I’m just as interested in the sights and sounds of Valisthea. Some of the vistas and gorgeous graphics around the crystals impressed me. Final Fantasy XVI is a PS5 console exclusive, and I’m hoping that focus on the new generation hardware leads to some impressive sights.

Striking a balance

We also get a good look at the menus, systems, and RPG facets. As I mentioned in my write-up of a preview in February, Final Fantasy XVI is definitely an action RPG, striking a balance between those two aspects.

Though combat is fast and frenetic, we got a look at some of the ability and equipment upgrade sections today too. There’s also some lore to dive into, and a really cool-looking history section that seems like it would be fun to revisit throughout the story.

We also got a solid look at the party members who can accompany Clive; while you’ll only control the protagonist, and issue commands to his dog Torgal, you can still mosey with your party members, chat it up, and have their AI-driven help in fights.

Ultimately, today’s Final Fantasy XVI State of Play was largely just a big showcase of what’s to come, without anything too big on the news front. Still, it’s a reminder that we do have a new Final Fantasy hitting this June, and it certainly seems like the sort of large-scale adventure you’d expect.

Final Fantasy XVI hits PlayStation 5 on June 22.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter