General Gaming Final Fantasy XVI – Information Thread, update: PC version in "final stages of optimization', pre-release demo planned

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

14 minutes ago, elbobo said:

is there something wrong with my eyes or is the new footage excessively dark, like someone set the brightness to minimum 

 

Someome on ResetERA compared the gameplay footage to watching an episode of "House of the Dragon" because of how damned dark it was.

[Bacon]

I generally hate nights in video games. I get it, being dark is realistic, but I'd rather see the game, thanks. While nowhere nearly as dark, in Fallout/TES I rarely play during the game's night hours and tend to wait until early morning. In FFXIV, so many cutscenes are just not adapted well for night or even weather.

[Brian]

I’m cautiously optimistic about this game but I haven’t liked any single player FF since X. 

[Bacon]

12 was good enough. Could have been great if Balthier was the MC.

 

[eventide11]

5 minutes ago, Bacon said:

12 was good enough. Could have been great if Balthier was the MC.

 

That and if everyone didn't sound like they were talking into a can. But the combat was great once you got used to the gambit mechanics. 

[Bacon]

Just now, eventide11 said:

That and if everyone didn't sound like they were talking into a can.

You get used to it if you don't hear any real people speak, or play another game, or do anything else involving real people voices.

[Bacon]

I hope FF16 is so good that it kills the open world meme.

[Brian]

23 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Also, whatever you do - don't call it a "JRPG"!

 

Final Fantasy visionary Yoshi-P really doesn't like the term JRPG | GamesRadar+

WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM

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"It was like a discriminatory term"

 

 

Don’t call them JRPGs because it’s discriminatory. Oh why only white people? Fuck you. Dude can eat shit

 

Final Fantasy XVI has a medieval approach to diversity - The Verge

WWW.THEVERGE.COM

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Giant rideable chickens: yes. People of color: no.

 

[Keyser_Soze]

9 hours ago, Brian said:

Don’t call them JRPGs because it’s discriminatory. Oh why only white people? Fuck you. Dude can eat shit

 

Final Fantasy XVI has a medieval approach to diversity - The Verge

WWW.THEVERGE.COM

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Giant rideable chickens: yes. People of color: no.

 

 

 

Do not read the comments at the end of that article. Yikes

 

[Bacon]

Saw this yesterday and then again today

Final Fantasy 16's Story Takes 35 Hours to Complete, 70-80 to Do Everything - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

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Final Fantasy 16 will take 35 hours to complete if you only play through the story and 70-80 hours if you complete the side content, according to director Hiroshi Takai and producer Naoki Yoshida.

 

Which is fucking great. 66 hours is my sweet spot, but 70-80 for everything is still pretty great. Usually, that is slower than average so my sweet spot will probably be right around when I am finished.

[best3444]

Sounds 👍 

[thedarkstark]

On 3/1/2023 at 6:25 PM, Bacon said:

12 was good enough. Could have been great if Balthier was the MC.

 

XII didnt really have a "main character" Vaan was the first you were introduced to but it was protagonist by committee once they all came together. In fact I'd say Vaan takes a back seat to everyone else about 1/3rd of the way through.

[Bacon]

Vaan does take a back seat but the game is mostly through his lens in a way.  Still, even if XII didn't really have a main character, it would be better if Balthier was the MC the whole time and from the start. Even Vaan would come across as more likable since you, as Balthier, take Vaan under your wing. Baltheir is just so fuckin' cool.

 

I actually very much dislike when games don't have a main character. It's why I didn't like octopath. Hell, I don't even like reading stories with constant PoV swapping. I don't mind the occasional PoV saw. Like, in XII, there are cutscenes that only involve the buy guys so we know what is going on, and so plot points just don't come out of nowhere. That kind of stuff is totally fine. But, I won't want whole PoV chapters like how ASOIAF works.

[BloodyHell]

I am pretty much done reading/watching anything about this game. I'm really excited to see where Yoshi P brings this game. It's about time we got a story as dark as FF6 (which he said was a major inspiration). Hell of a stretch getting Zelda, D4, and this in basically 6 weeks. 

 

 

 

I might have reservations if Yoshi P hadn't proven his story telling abilities with FFXIV. I'm absolutely all in. 

[Greatoneshere]

17 hours ago, thedarkstark said:

XII didnt really have a "main character" Vaan was the first you were introduced to but it was protagonist by committee once they all came together. In fact I'd say Vaan takes a back seat to everyone else about 1/3rd of the way through.

 

17 hours ago, Bacon said:

Vaan does take a back seat but the game is mostly through his lens in a way.  Still, even if XII didn't really have a main character, it would be better if Balthier was the MC the whole time and from the start. Even Vaan would come across as more likable since you, as Balthier, take Vaan under your wing. Baltheir is just so fuckin' cool.

 

I actually very much dislike when games don't have a main character. It's why I didn't like octopath. Hell, I don't even like reading stories with constant PoV swapping. I don't mind the occasional PoV saw. Like, in XII, there are cutscenes that only involve the buy guys so we know what is going on, and so plot points just don't come out of nowhere. That kind of stuff is totally fine. But, I won't want whole PoV chapters like how ASOIAF works.

 

FF12 is probably the best written FF with the best dialogue because Vagrant Story and FF: Tactics creator Yasumi Matsuno was responsible for that mainline FF and he does the best dialogue and stories for Square Enix (or used to). He got booted off of the game 6 months before release, but it's still his game. He originally wanted Basch (not Balthier, who was always meant as the Han Solo-type) to be the main character, the adult disgraced warrior. The problem is, Japanese audiences like young, hot, adrogynous pretty boys as their protagonists, they don't want to play gruff, older men like the dad character in the original Nier or Basch in FF12. So to make it more mass appealing, Matsuno was forced to add Vaan and Penello as the main POV characters, not Basch, which is why the game always feels like it's meant to Basch's or the Princess's story but the game keeps forcing Vaan and Penello to be around. It's why they so frequently take a back seat in the story.

[Bacon]

I was never a fan of Basch. He is easily my least liked of the cast. I do prefer Vaan over him.

[Greatoneshere]

5 minutes ago, Bacon said:

I was never a fan of Basch. He is easily my least liked of the cast. I do prefer Vaan over him.

 

Basch is a much more dynamic and interesting character to me with a richer background and history to get involved with. He might be straight laced and stoic, but at least he feels like a lived in character. I didn't have any problem with Vaan though like many did.

[Fizzzzle]

Vaan was fine. He works well as something of a fish out of water that needs things explained to him. He doesn't drive any of the plot himself, but he doesn't really need to.

 

Penelo is the character that doesn't really make any sense. Her entire character arc is "I go where Vaan goes." That's it. At least Vaan has the sky pirate thing.

[Bacon]

3 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Basch is a much more dynamic and interesting character to me with a richer background and history to get involved with. He might be straight laced and stoic, but at least he feels like a lived in character.

I think you are 100% right, but I can't help but dislike him. I kinda feel like he is a loser even in the end. Bro was 1,000,000x cooler

[Greatoneshere]

1 minute ago, Bacon said:

I think you are 100% right, but I can't help but dislike him. I kinda feel like he is a loser even in the end. Bro was 1,000,000x cooler

 

Well, he is ostensibly the Luke to Balthier's Han Solo in many ways. The straight man. 

[crispy4000]

 

[Bacon]

The dog is probably the worst thing about XVI I have seen so far. There is nothing worse than an animal companion. If the dog isn't critical to combat I won't use it. If I can dismiss it then I'll do that asap.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

WHERE'S THE SNOWY ENVIRONMENT?!?!

 

I DEMAND A SNOWY ENVIRONMENT!

[best3444]

Looks really beautiful. Can't wait!

[Bacon]

6 hours ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

WHERE'S THE SNOWY ENVIRONMENT?!?!

 

I DEMAND A SNOWY ENVIRONMENT!

If it is like FFXIV ARR it will be the final area. That really gray town that's getting bombed might be in the snow area.

[Bacon]

Actually, based on the map in the hour-long video is there no snowy area. It will actually be shocking if there isn't a snowy area in a modern fantasy RPG.

[Bacon]

I'm bothered by all the ps5 shilling, but I really like how Koji Fox showed that it was a real game and not pre-recorded footage by rapidly moving the analog stick like a real gamer.

[Bacon]

The movement looked a bit floaty for a second. Clive kinda glides during the windup from standing to full speed. Hopefully, it's not like that in the final product.

[Bacon]

They made optional accessories that slow down time and prompt you so you can perfectly dodge all the time, and another so the complex combos are all done by mashing square, instead of having a basic easy mode.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

PS5 Creators: How Final Fantasy XVI harnesses PS5’s power

BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM

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From intense combat moments to subtle details, Square Enix details how console and controller combine to immerse you in its action RPG.  

 

Quote

 

Set to be released for PlayStation 5 on June 22, Final Fantasy XVI is the next mainline installment of the Final Fantasy series, which follows Clive Rosfield, the protagonist, as he harnesses the power of multiple summons to overcome his tragic destiny. The game is the first full-fledged action RPG in the Final Fantasy series and features high-speed battles in which players switch between the powers of various Eikons, as well as large-scale Eikon vs. Eikon battles.

 

We spoke with the main director, Hiroshi Takai, about how the game harnesses PS5’s power and how it was optimized and developed for PS5.

 

 

"Gold" status announced:

 

Final Fantasy 16 Has Gone Gold Ahead Of June 22 Launch

WWW.THEGAMER.COM

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Almost three months ahead of schedule, right on schedule.

 

Quote

 

Square Enix has confirmed Final Fantasy 16 has gone gold which means the game is ready to go almost three months ahead of its release date. Surprising for any triple-A title, let alone a Final Fantasy one, but also expected as the studio has claimed the game was almost done for a long time.

 

“Final Fantasy 16 has gone gold. From the entire team, including Torgal, we hope you're looking forward to #FF16's launch on June 22nd,” Square confirmed today on Twitter

 

 

[eventide11]

Still can't believe this thing is ahead of schedule and hasn't had 57 varieties of delays. Makes me think there will be a ton of reused assets 

[Bacon]

45 minutes ago, eventide11 said:

Makes me think there will be a ton of reused assets 

For sure there are going to be reused assets from FF14. I mean, the NPCs look right outta the character creator but in HD.

 

But, I don't think the game is skimping or whatever. I mean, the game has been conceptualized since 2015 and it was announced in 2020. My guess is that the game will suffer from a lack of diverse world design and will be mostly limited to woodlands, grasslands, and deserts.

 

And, I mean, Elden Ring is a beloved game that reuses a fuck ton of assets. Souls games in general do. I think FF16 will be fine in this regard.

[Bacon]

I actually don't think FF16 looks all that amazing graphically. At least in terms of art style. While they claim to not be using Unreal or Luminous, the visuals very much remind me of a quality fan-made UE game.

Something like this:

 

Does it look bad? No of course not. But it really doesn't stand out. High fidelity but a lack of style. This doesn't bother me as I am here for the story, but style > fidelity any day of the week.

[best3444]

1 hour ago, Bacon said:

I actually don't think FF16 looks all that amazing graphically. At least in terms of art style. While they claim to not be using Unreal or Luminous, the visuals very much remind me of a quality fan-made UE game.

Something like this:

 

Does it look bad? No of course not. But it really doesn't stand out. High fidelity but a lack of style. This doesn't bother me as I am here for the story, but style > fidelity any day of the week.

 

I don't know about all that. It's taking full advantage of the PS5 and from the footage I've seen, it looks incredible. But you are extremely difficult to please.

[Bacon]

I don't think I am difficult to please. While I point out flaws, I still enjoy things. RE4R is easily a 9/10. ELEX is dogshit but I played it like 3 or 4 times back to back and did every faction and quest because it is the best dogshit game I have ever played. DOOM Eternal is the best single-player FPS game I have ever played, and an easy 10/10. And then there are games like BOTW, RDR2, SMO, and Elden Ring which I only gave a 7/10 at best because they aren't that good. Those will not be timeless classics I believe.

 

And the only thing I'm complaining about with FF16 is that the graphics look generic. I still can't wait for the game to come out. I love the story FFXIV has told and I can't wait to see what CBU III does with a single-player flagship FF. I want this to be the FF6 or FF7 of a new generation. But, even if it is just that FF10 of a new generation then that's pretty darn good too.