Final Fantasy XVI

[Lulcielid]

This is a dissapointment, hyper cinematic with little player control. FFXV got it right with their Bahamut, Ifrit and Garuda fight, they have spectacle but don't go so over board to the point of hyperlimiting what the player can do.

What a downgrade.

 

[Lulcielid]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630574727931600896

 

[Wol]

This is a dissapointment, hyper cinematic with little player control. FFXV got it right with their Bahamut, Ifrit and Garuda fight, they have spectacle but don't go so over board to the point of hyperlimiting what the player can do.

What a downgrade.

?

you still have human vs summon fights like the ones you mentioned with all the battle commands available to the player. Eikon fights are an extra phase where you can control summons, which XV didn't have.

Better yet, this is all without XVs signature clunckiness. It's actually an upgrade in every sense.

 

[Lulcielid]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630574444186877956

 

[Lulcielid]

Yoshi-P gives an update on FINAL FANTASY XVI's PC version

https://blog.ja.playstation.com/2023/02/28/20230228-ff16/ Taken from the JP PS Blog and run through DeepL. First of all, it is true that "FINAL FANTASY XVI" is a six-month timed exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, that and the PC version coming out six months later are two completely...

www.resetera.com

Yoshida reconfirms that PC version is happening but says that we shouldn't expect it to come 6 months after console release.

 

[ph14basicbitch]

The UI is... yikes. Hope you can turn flying text off, or disable the completely unnecessary "flash of cropped black text that shakes before going into position" animation.

 

[Wol]

the voice and cutscene direction is top-notch

quality-wise this is the best FF has looked before release in a long long time

now remains to be seen if the world the story and its themes will resonate with most people

 

[Theozilla]

Maybe I am too used to FFXIV's gameplay, but the damage numbers (and other text) flying across the screen didn't come across as particularly distracting or overwhelming to me.

 

[ForceStealer]

The numbers don't particularly bother me, I dunno how necessary that list of actions taken over the on right are, though.

 

[Wol]

Final Fantasy 16 is not open world, “but it’s not linear, either”, says dev

A focus on ‘highly detailed’ and ‘feature rich areas’ means Final Fantasy 16 wants to harness the best of both worlds.

www.vg247.com

Yoshida notes that the world is still huge – but also very detailed. In a video (and later, in our own hands-on with the game) we got to see just what this means. There is a lot of graphical fidelity – I personally think the visuals and effects on show in this game denote the proper beginning of the new generation, it’s that impressive – and though we were only taken on a whistlestop tour of the game in a quick video, what I saw put me in mind of Final Fantasies of old.

There were huge, populous towns, imposing caves and dungeons, huge areas that we were promised we could explore once the game was properly in our hands. I am not expecting Elden Ring levels of freedom here, the game isn’t open world after all, but the detail and fidelity in what we’ve seen so far matches – and possibly even exceeds – what FromSoft did in its 2022 blockbuster hit.

man, they're still hiding so much

 

[FFShinra]

I am EXTREMELY excited from this preview. But I was already sold. Come to meeee, sixteeeeeen!

 

[Lex]

I've watched a bunch of preview videos and this game looks incredible. I can't wait to play it. The combat looks RIDICULOUSLY fun.

 

[Lulcielid]

Final Fantasy XVI has a medieval approach to diversity

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

www.theverge.com

 

[ForceStealer]

It definitely looks like it will be a lot of fun to play. Though it remains true that very little of it feels very Final Fantasy to me. I feel like I point it out because I have to assume there are more FF trappings in the game but they feel like the "grrr" will market better, which is weird, lol. (the lack of playable party members is going to work against that to the end though, I know)

 

[Wol]

Hands-on with Final Fantasy XVI – new gameplay details

Firsthand info on massive Eikon battles, real-time combat, streamlined difficulty, and developer insights.

blog.playstation.com

There will be a feature called Active Time Lore, which is like a lore compendium that can be accessed even during cutscenes.

 

[Theozilla]

Final Fantasy XVI has a medieval approach to diversity

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

www.theverge.com

Yeah, Yoshida really dug himself into a deeper hole with that ridiculous (and likely) after-the-fact "justification" than if he had just admitted they didn't care enough and/or even consider having a diverse cast in the first place (at least I suspect that's the case).

The fact that his response to Ash Parrish (the author of the above article) asking a follow-up question to the original IGN interview was such a non-answer makes me wonder if SE told him not to discuss issue anymore, or if he still doesn’t get what was wrong with his answer in the November IGN interview (though I suppose it could be both).

 

[Makoeyes987]

“I believe that with Final Fantasy XVI, we weave together a variety of peoples and cultures set in this kind of sweeping fantasy narrative and world, and one that we strived to create with care and respect,” Yosida answered through translator Michael-Christopher Koji-Fox. “We hope that when players finally are able to take up the game in their own hands, that they will be able to see what we’ve aimed for and will hopefully ultimately be able to connect with that unique experience.”

Yeah, that's... a focus-tested PR response. If they had said that first, there probably would have been no problem and people would've assumed Titan's dominant was a PoC since his artwork certainly makes him look like one.

However, all this does is drop them further into the Interdimensional Rift. I don't know what other cultures or peoples are in the world building of the world. I think S-E certainly got what the issue was after the fact; the question caught them unaware at the time. So now they know they have to be delicate.

Such a shame in the design. Like I don't understand how they fucked up like this after coming from XIV.

 

[Theozilla]

Yeah, that's... a focus-tested PR response. If they had said that first, there probably would have been no problem and people would've assumed Titan's dominant was a PoC since his artwork certainly makes him look like one.

However, all this does is drop them further into the Interdimensional Rift. I don't know what other cultures or peoples are in the world building of the world. I think S-E certainly got what the issue was after the fact; the question caught them unaware at the time. So now they know they have to be delicate.

Such a shame in the design. Like I don't understand how they fucked up like this after coming from XIV.

Yeah, though that “over-inclusion” line, which was separate from the main quote, will likely garner Yoshida some more (albeit deserved) roasting for how inane it is.

 

[hui43210]

These previews and interviews make me feel so odd about the game for lack of a better term. I get that every FF is different, but they're hammering that point home to the point of absurdity.

"This game will be like GOW, not FF! The world is ending so no bright colors, no Blitzball, no fishing, no party members, life is depressing so this will be too! POC? That's far out! And don't you dare call this a JRPG!"

Ok, so as someone who's favorite game franchise is FF, why should I buy a PS5 for a game that wants to reject the rest of the series?

"uh"

In short, I feel like this info drop yesterday really has left me kind of sour on the game. Wasn't expecting that.

 

[Theozilla]

The “please don’t call it a JRPG” thing has been kinda taken out of context and actually kinda interesting in-context since it was Yoshida talking about the mixed-feeling Japanese devs in general originally had about the term and how “othering” it made some feel (while also acknowledging how the term used far more positively today).
Here’s some other comments on the topic that discuss the matter well

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630639953259446278

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630648282274996225

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630774802796666883

Overall I think excerpt from one the interviews puts the FFXVI’s devs mindset well.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630670268443111428

And the idea that Yoshida doesn’t care about or is trying to reject the legacy of the FF franchise is kinda ridiculous (especially if one takes a glance at FFXIV and sees how much of a tribute it is to the franchise as a whole)

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1630690991882600449

And yeah sure Yoshida may be laying on the “FFXVI is so much darker” a bit thick, but FFXVI also being the first Mature rated numbered FF game isn’t something to completely disregard either. (also I think Yoshida can be kinda jokey/snarky/facetious as an interviewie and that doesn’t always translate well to text transcripts)


And hey, I am also sad about FFXVI not having directly playable/controllable party members/characters, it’s an aspect of the single-player FFs that I really value. However, as a huge fan of FFXIV (and Crisis Core) I also wouldn’t try to claim there only being a single-player character in FFXVI makes it somehow unable to succeed as a valid FF entry.

 

[cold_spirit]

I really enjoyed DevilNeverCry's video on XVI. As their name suggests, they're a huge fan of the DMC series, so their background knowledge results in a great combat breakdown.

Really the only misfire here for me is the studio's comments and stance on XVI's representation issue. They aren't engaging with the criticism, which is sad to see. I understand that the game is all but finished, just working out bugs now, so going back to the drawing board is not an option. But I'd still like to see something like "That was a blind spot for us, sorry, we'll work to address that in the future." Displaying genuine self-reflection will go a lot further than sweeping it under the rug.

Regarding Yoshi-P's dislike of the term "JRPG", I've seen some low-key racist responses from fans on this. Things like "we'll stop calling them JRPGs when your games stop featuring boy bands" and "what should we call it then? A RPGMIJ? (role-playing game made in Japan)?" And these comments are getting hundreds of likes! Like, this isn't a joke, someone from the gaming industry in Japan is telling you that the term "JRPG" has negative connotations. Just sit down and listen. Think critically about their perspective. You have no right to tear them down.

We don't call them "western action adventures" because "western" is the norm. Developers in Japan want their games to be treated with that same level of dignity.

It's maddening I tell you.

 

[JBedford]

Yes, we do call them western role-playing games.

No it's not racist.

JRPGs are called that way because it refers to a style of RPG that originated in Japan.

 

[Theozilla]

While WRPG may see some usage, I think it’s kinda dishonest to pretend the term WRPG is anywhere nearly as ubiquitous as JRPG in usage. WRPGs are far more often referred to and treated as simply default “RPGs” than JRPGs are, and to claim there are zero elements of “otherizing” in the history of the latter term’s usage is factually incorrect.

 

[cold_spirit]

Those of us outside of Japan don't get to decide what terminology is problematic within Japan.

Just because westerns don't mind the term "WRPG" doesn't mean Japanese developers need to be okay with "JRPG". It's a western label that carries connotations they want to avoid. Again, someone from Japan who lived through the history is trying to share with you their perspective. Don't overwrite that.

 

[Lulcielid]

Combat looks solid but I don't see it getting anywhere near half as depth as DMC even with one dev from that series in the lead design.

Ability cooldown? Unncesary kneecap on action combat.

Stagger? If this mechanique is going to become a stapple moving forward then they should rethink and evolved it to be more than just "enemy gets downed and becomes vulnerable for free extra damage". It's wild that XIII still has the better Stagger system, at least in XIII enemies would still retaliate while staggered, VIIR and now XVI are a downgrade.