14 DAY TRIAL // Set in the fictional world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI brings everything that we know and love from the series, such as Chocobos, spectacular summons, heartbreaking stories, along with a brand-new combat system that’s more action-oriented.
If you’re a newcomer to the franchise, you can very well start with Final Fantasy XVI because, just like many other entries in the series, it has a standalone story, fresh new characters, and it’s not related to any previous installments.
Despite the fact that the game kept some of the core mechanics from previous Final Fantasy games, like the summoned monsters, they function slightly differently. That being said, even if you haven’t played other Final Fantasy games, there’s absolutely no reason not to play Final Fantasy XVI.
In Final Fantasy XVI, you step into the shoes of Clive Rosfield, the Shield Guardian of his brother Joshua, the Dominant of one of the six nations who hold power through access to magical Crystals. A Dominant is a human who acts as host for a nation’s Eikon, a powerful monster who can be summoned when needed.
Although the prologue starts with a massive battle between two nations, it goes back in time to introduce the main characters, their motivations, and what drives them. As a young Clive, you get to train your Phoenix abilities and even go on a mission to vanquish a hoard of goblins that has taken over one of the smaller settlements from the Duchy.
For those who played Final Fantasy XV and stopped because of the combat, I’m happy to say that the upcoming entry in the series keeps the same action-oriented combat system but adds a lot of variety and completely removes the wait mode for a more streamlined experience.
Even though you only get to use Phoenix’s abilities to string combos, the demo features a challenge mode where you can test additional powers. Overall, the combat feels very similar to Devil May Cry 5: fast, brutal, and very flashy. It’s probably the best combat system in a Final Fantasy game if you prefer action-based battles rather than turn-based (or turn-based with pause).
As far as the story goes, Final Fantasy XVI does a great job at keeping players invested even from the very first few hours. The resemblance with Game of Thrones is uncanny, especially when it comes to how the story unfolds.
It’s not always that we get to experience heartbreaking moments in a demo that’s just 2-3 hours long, but I’ve learned a long time ago that Final Fantasy games love to take risks, and Final Fantasy XVI is no exception. When you think you figure out what’s going to happen, the game sends you in a totally different direction with a more brutal and darker outcome.
I usually don’t write definitive conclusions after playing just a few hours of a game, but I’m confident that Final Fantasy XVI will be one of the best games of the year. Every part of the game seems well-crafted and polished, at least that’s the sentiment I got from the demo.
Conclusion
In case you decided to avoid playing the demo because you don’t want to start over when the game releases on June 22, I strongly suggest you reconsider. All the progress you make in Final Fantasy XVI demo will carry over, so you won’t have to start all over again. And yes, I do recommend pre-ordering this, something that I very rarely do.
Preview based on the demo version.
