Out of nowhere, Square Enix dropped a new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI!

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Rise ye Crownless Kings

This time we got a more in-depth look into the world of Final Fantasy XVI, a vast world with countries of different ideologies that slowly spials into a conflict with no regard for its victims. Not sure who prayed for Final Fantasy Tactics but turn up the Game of Thrones, sprinkle in Final Fantasy’s trademark visuals, and give the Last Remnant another chance. But it’s here, Final Fantasy XVI is set to release in the summer of 2023 for the PlayStation 5 and will be the first mainline entry for the series since Final Fantasy XV launched in 2016.

We here at ESTNN have been excited about Final Fantasy XVI since its first announcement back in 2020 and after a long wait, information on the title has been trickling out bit by bit. Everything around Final Fantasy XVI bespeaks confidence and excellence and how can it not be? Produced by the man who revived Final Fantasy XIV and turned it into Square Enix’s most profitable title yet and designed and written by a team of Square Enix alumni who have not only worked with him but also had their hands on some of the most beloved titles in the franchise yet. Final Fantasy XVI is in good hands.

The story of Final Fantasy XVI has been clouded in mystery, we caught only a few glimpses of a more grounded tale that seems to continue the trends of Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XIV. Written by Kazutoyo Maehiro, who wrote Final Fantasy XIVs award-winning Heavensward expansion, the tale of XVI seems to revel in similar themes. The things war does do to people In a world in which the concept of good and evil is a matter of perspective.

Final Fantasy XVIs fresh take on the subject is its focus on the eikons. People who can turn into beings of incredible power can change the outcome of a battle just with their presence on the field. And while it would’ve been easy just to turn them into summonable boss enemies, like the series tends to do. Final Fantasy XVI puts these powers in the hands of people who their leaders use, squeezed dry of their life force just to advance their own agendas.

So imagine nuclear weapons but they are a person with feelings and a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Put on top of the struggle of a world slowly dying to a mysterious force called the blight (Hello Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle) and the only means to protect yourself from it are magical crystals in a limited capacity. Director Naoki Yoshida previously mentioned that the story of Final Fantasy XVI draws inspiration from the real wars waged over fossil fuel and other natural resources.

The story of Final Fantasy XVI is told from the perspective of Clive Rosfield, the son of a noble who is met with a terrible fate. From interviews with the developers, we know that Final Fantasy XVI will take place over several years of Clive’s life as he navigates various conflicts. We don’t know much about Clive as a character yet, only that he is the first son of the archduke of one of Final Fantasy XVIs major kingdoms and was once charged to protect his younger brother Joshua.

His brother Joshua is one of those eikons we mentioned earlier, the immortal eikon of fire Pheonix. After a terrible turn of events, Clive is now set on a path of revenge to find the mysterious second eikon of fire, Ifrit. On his journey, Clive appears to learn how to use the powers of other eikons to his advantage and while we haven’t seen any other party members yet. It is safe to assume that during Clive’s journey, he’ll team up with some of the other eikons.

Gameplay-wise, Final Fantasy XVI wants to be a lot more action focussed than previous titles and a sort of natural evolution of the battle system seen in Final Fantasy VII Remake. What we’ve seen so far looks amazing, however, but that’s a given as it was designed by one of the brilliant minds behind Devil May Cry and Dragons Dogma. We have battles between gigantic creatures and fast-paced ground battles.

We’re looking forward to seeing more of Final Fantasy XVI before it arrives on PlayStation 5 and hopefully other platforms in the summer of 2023. For more video games and esports, visit us here at ESTNN.