Square Enix reveals Final Fantasy XVI—and it’s actually fantasy again
To help kick off today’s PlayStation 5 showcase, Square Enix revealed the next mainline title in its beloved RPG franchise: Final Fantasy XIV.
There’s a number of little hints to what await in the game, from its characters, to its storyline, to what seems to be another take on fast-action combat sequences.
What has to be the biggest surprise from the reveal, however, is the fact that Final Fantasy XVI is—well, fantasy. More and more, the series has gotten away from those fantasy roots, and become more a mix of swords and sorcery with modern-era technology.
Final Fantasy XVI seems to have none of that, and looks very reminiscent of Final Fantasy XIV. Speaking of that—this game really looks like FFXIV to me. Not just in the overall theme and setting, but in the character designs, armor styles, monsters, and so on. There were rumors that XIV director Naoki Yoshida was going to be heading up XVI, and while he’s denied those rumors, this trailer can only add fuel to that fire.
Then. at the end, we found out that Final Fantasy XVI would be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive—along with a PC release.
Mollie got her start in games media via the crazy world of gaming fanzines, and now works at EGM with the goal of covering all of the weird Japanese and niche releases that nobody else on staff cares about. She’s active in the gaming community on a personal level, and an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming, consumer rights, and good UI. Check her out on Twitter and Mastodon.
