Final Fantasy XVI
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Misterbadguy
Phantom Lord
- AKA
- METEODRIVE
Prologue with save carry-over and a combat preview is very generous, here's hoping future SE games follow that example too.
Prism
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- pikpixelart
It’s funny because my initial reaction to FFXVI was very negative, but now I think it’s clearly going to be one of the best games in the series we’ve seen in a long time. I can’t tell you any specific moment where my mind was changed, it was all very gradual, but the game it’s shaped up to be an unparalleled fantasy adventure.
The shame is that I currently have nothing to play it on! The PS5 is back in the ‘States.
The shame is that I currently have nothing to play it on! The PS5 is back in the ‘States.
D
Deleted member 13557
Guest
Beaten the prologue and battle demos. Left a very strong impression on me which is uncommon for a modern FF title.
Square really are about to drop their next masterpiece on us huh?
Square really are about to drop their next masterpiece on us huh?
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Misterbadguy
Phantom Lord
- AKA
- METEODRIVE
Played on graphics mode, very impressive stuff overall. Despite some abilities being straight from DMC5, I think I understand where some previews saying it doesn't really play like a DMC game are coming from now; boss fights in particular feel more methodical which I'm all for. I don't know if it's GotY material, particularly given TotK exists, but it certainly feels a LOT more focused than XV ever did.
Jimmy XH
Pro Adventurer
Dear oh dear. This is quite something.
I have to admit I’ve not paid too much attention to XVI, I’ve been in the Remake/Rebirth bubble for too long. I have watched much of the trailers and sure yeah it looked alright but it hadn’t quite gripped me yet.
I saw some of the hype around the demo and thought “ah sure why not” and bloody hell it is engaging. The game looks superb. The game sounds superb, with captivating, well-written characters voice acted brilliantly. I don’t know, it feels like Final Fantasy without feeling like Final Fantasy. There’s a darkness…
All this from a two hour taster. Maybe I’m getting a bit carried away, but on that evidence this could be outstanding.
I have to admit I’ve not paid too much attention to XVI, I’ve been in the Remake/Rebirth bubble for too long. I have watched much of the trailers and sure yeah it looked alright but it hadn’t quite gripped me yet.
I saw some of the hype around the demo and thought “ah sure why not” and bloody hell it is engaging. The game looks superb. The game sounds superb, with captivating, well-written characters voice acted brilliantly. I don’t know, it feels like Final Fantasy without feeling like Final Fantasy. There’s a darkness…
All this from a two hour taster. Maybe I’m getting a bit carried away, but on that evidence this could be outstanding.
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Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
...This is probably the most intense FF opening I've ever experienced. Holy shit.
I went lost my shit in the discord while playing but suffice to say, this demo was incredible. Yoshi-P cooked this game to perfection. It's a feast. They made a masterpiece and combat system is so good.
I cannot wait for the rest of the game. And that opening was not what I expected at all. This plot is something else.
Never felt so good getting a collector's edition. I went for it on the trust this game was gonna be worth it and they didn't let me down.
I went lost my shit in the discord while playing but suffice to say, this demo was incredible. Yoshi-P cooked this game to perfection. It's a feast. They made a masterpiece and combat system is so good.
I cannot wait for the rest of the game. And that opening was not what I expected at all. This plot is something else.
Never felt so good getting a collector's edition. I went for it on the trust this game was gonna be worth it and they didn't let me down.
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
it's late here but the demo just downloaded and i am tempted to stay up a bit more 
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
Played for a while, haven't finished the demo though because it's getting late
Opening looks great, I'm engaged
Performance mode unfortunately not a locked 60 it seems
photo mode a bit barebones but the camera is not as ass as in VIIR
spent most of my time just looking at things, I stopped right where I'm supposed to kill goblins and finally get to properly play lmao
Opening looks great, I'm engaged
Performance mode unfortunately not a locked 60 it seems
photo mode a bit barebones but the camera is not as ass as in VIIR
spent most of my time just looking at things, I stopped right where I'm supposed to kill goblins and finally get to properly play lmao
MoLe_BlAdE
Lv. 25 Adventurer
I played it for roughly half an hour last night. That opening was absolutely jaw-dropping.
Think the combat is gonna be a bit of a learning curve for me - I'm still so used to dodging with circle...
I was hugely sceptical about this at first as it gave me proper XII vibes, but very much looking forward to getting stuck in properly.
Think the combat is gonna be a bit of a learning curve for me - I'm still so used to dodging with circle...
I was hugely sceptical about this at first as it gave me proper XII vibes, but very much looking forward to getting stuck in properly.
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
Alright, finished the demo. That's a really good opening, damn. Already feels like XVI is gonna be a winner.
Noticed you can charge your spell while attacking. Was wondering whether it'd work like charging Nero's revolver in DMC4 and it does because of course
It's a bit awkward with both attack and magic being on face buttons. I switched to control scheme C where magic is on L1. Needs a bit getting used to but allows to basically charge the spell while attacking to then use it at the end of a combo. Or vice versa, charge your blade while attacking from afar so you have a strong attack to be ready for when you close back in.
Messed up at the last Eikon battle with the countdown because for some reason I thought maybe I gotta attack the charging fireball. Did it for just a second but was long enough to not be able to take Ifrit down in time. Got a game over!
I was surprised, because I thought maybe I was supposed to lose regardless. Then I succeeded the second time and the same animation where you get hit by the attack plays anyway! Might as well have let me live the first time around lmao
I was surprised, because I thought maybe I was supposed to lose regardless. Then I succeeded the second time and the same animation where you get hit by the attack plays anyway! Might as well have let me live the first time around lmao
Noticed you can charge your spell while attacking. Was wondering whether it'd work like charging Nero's revolver in DMC4 and it does because of course
It's a bit awkward with both attack and magic being on face buttons. I switched to control scheme C where magic is on L1. Needs a bit getting used to but allows to basically charge the spell while attacking to then use it at the end of a combo. Or vice versa, charge your blade while attacking from afar so you have a strong attack to be ready for when you close back in.
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D
Deleted member 13557
Guest
Only complaint I have with the demo. Noticeable drops during the Ifrit/Phoenix fight especially when colliding with the environment
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
does the demo save your progress within the demo as well? i didn't start it last night because i thought it'd need to be played at once in a 2+ hour block. if there were saves during and i knew that, i would have started it last night lol
Misterbadguy
Phantom Lord
- AKA
- METEODRIVE
Yeah even on graphics mode with the 30fps cap it struggled during that part, but the presentation in every other aspect is so slick that I was relatively forgiving of it. My mind might change if it persistently affects gameplay later on, though.
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
Finished the Eikonic Challenge as well
Noticed right away it starts with some of the 'timely' amulets equipped to make combat easier. Immediately unequipped them
You can even unlock more abilities to experiment with the combat more. Good of them to include a slightly more advanced combat scenario in addition to the simpler beginning portion.
Actually did struggle a bit though juggling three different Eikon movesets. Will take some getting used to remembering who had what ability and when best to switch etc.
Using Titan's counter is fun, I love parry mechanics. Seems like other Eikon abilities can also be used to parry when timed right. Boss fight was good shit. The presentation is fantastic.
Thank fuck this demo is only a week in advance of the actual game and not like, three months because I wanna continue the story *now*
Noticed right away it starts with some of the 'timely' amulets equipped to make combat easier. Immediately unequipped them
You can even unlock more abilities to experiment with the combat more. Good of them to include a slightly more advanced combat scenario in addition to the simpler beginning portion.
Actually did struggle a bit though juggling three different Eikon movesets. Will take some getting used to remembering who had what ability and when best to switch etc.
Using Titan's counter is fun, I love parry mechanics. Seems like other Eikon abilities can also be used to parry when timed right. Boss fight was good shit. The presentation is fantastic.
Thank fuck this demo is only a week in advance of the actual game and not like, three months because I wanna continue the story *now*
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
i started the demo intending to stop at some point in the middle, but i just kept going until i got to the end. good stuff.
i am still not extremely fond of the way it's implementing support features via accessories. would rather those be abilities you learn/have at the start and can disable, options you can turn on or off from the menu or difficulty settings, or even if it must be an accessory just one with multiple toggles for auto dodge/attack/potion/etc. so you can't losing access to most of your accessory slots if you use more than one. i kept on auto-dodge and slowdown while going though it in story focused mode, might try it out in the other mode later.
i don't know if it's part of the 'western fantasy drama' feel they seem to be going for (idk if that's the intention, i've not kept up), but i was a little disappointed that playing with the japanese audio it doesn't seem to have lip sync on the characters. in the past this wasn't a massive concern, but the higher fidelity it gets the more noticeable it is. by the end i'd managed look past it but idk. it's a japanese game in a series not known for prioritising english voices (like dmc or resident evil), i expect japanese lip sync at least. even kingdom hearts did that.
other minor nitpicks:
- when testing if cutscenes would pause at the first part of the game, i was pleased to see the 'active time lore' thing. that's a nice touch, but i would like to see that available in the menu as well with all the previous versions of the cards. i kept pausing cutscenes to see if it brought up anything new, which messes with the flow of the story. i'd like be able to look at them afterwards
- would also like a bestiary included just for fun.
- i am not super fond of having a cursor in the menus controlled by the analog stick, i would rather it just stuck to selecting items normally rather than roaming around the screen
- i hope there's a bit more variety in locations than stone castles and medieval villages. everything looks nice but i would like some more fanciful locales as well
- also i found the camera spin/speed a bit disorientating when you're first walking around the castle grounds, and it was only set to 2 by default and lower than that is too slow. maybe that was playing it in graphics mode, will try performance mode from the start next time
despite all those little complaints, i do have hopes for the full game. the phoenix gate section was pretty great. got some latter series 'evangelion' vibes at times. i think a lot of it was in the earlier trailers but i had forgotten most of that by now so it was pretty shocking when i got to it lol. it did make me want to keep going when it ended. knew i couldn't trust anabella from the start, and i was right. also i like the noises the goblins make, and they managed to avoid the 'hook-nosed anti-semitic caricature' goblins by just not giving them any nose at all. well done, some cool goblins.
i haven't tried the action part of the demo yet, but i am planning on it.
edit; also, while i was expecting blood a la 'ff type 0' i was not expecting throats being slashed onscreen. but most of all, at the start with benedicta(?) and the kupo guy and they're making out in a corridor and he has her against a wall and has his face in her chest and she's making all these moans. i was scandalised. we've come a long way from ffx's 'the world's most pure kiss', folks.
i don't know if it's part of the 'western fantasy drama' feel they seem to be going for (idk if that's the intention, i've not kept up), but i was a little disappointed that playing with the japanese audio it doesn't seem to have lip sync on the characters. in the past this wasn't a massive concern, but the higher fidelity it gets the more noticeable it is. by the end i'd managed look past it but idk. it's a japanese game in a series not known for prioritising english voices (like dmc or resident evil), i expect japanese lip sync at least. even kingdom hearts did that.
other minor nitpicks:
- when testing if cutscenes would pause at the first part of the game, i was pleased to see the 'active time lore' thing. that's a nice touch, but i would like to see that available in the menu as well with all the previous versions of the cards. i kept pausing cutscenes to see if it brought up anything new, which messes with the flow of the story. i'd like be able to look at them afterwards
- would also like a bestiary included just for fun.
- i am not super fond of having a cursor in the menus controlled by the analog stick, i would rather it just stuck to selecting items normally rather than roaming around the screen
- i hope there's a bit more variety in locations than stone castles and medieval villages. everything looks nice but i would like some more fanciful locales as well
- also i found the camera spin/speed a bit disorientating when you're first walking around the castle grounds, and it was only set to 2 by default and lower than that is too slow. maybe that was playing it in graphics mode, will try performance mode from the start next time
despite all those little complaints, i do have hopes for the full game. the phoenix gate section was pretty great. got some latter series 'evangelion' vibes at times. i think a lot of it was in the earlier trailers but i had forgotten most of that by now so it was pretty shocking when i got to it lol. it did make me want to keep going when it ended. knew i couldn't trust anabella from the start, and i was right. also i like the noises the goblins make, and they managed to avoid the 'hook-nosed anti-semitic caricature' goblins by just not giving them any nose at all. well done, some cool goblins.
i haven't tried the action part of the demo yet, but i am planning on it.
edit; also, while i was expecting blood a la 'ff type 0' i was not expecting throats being slashed onscreen. but most of all, at the start with benedicta(?) and the kupo guy and they're making out in a corridor and he has her against a wall and has his face in her chest and she's making all these moans. i was scandalised. we've come a long way from ffx's 'the world's most pure kiss', folks.
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lithiumkatana17
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Lith
So, I never had any intentions of going into this game purposefully blind, but that's how it's been for the past few years. I've seen... maybe two of the earliest trailers, and just never made it a point to watch more. I'm all over spoilers as much as the next person, but for the longest time I've felt kinda 'meh' about XVI. That didn't mean I wasn't gonna play it on Day 1, but I didn't even bother shelling out for the collector's edition like I usually do with most FF titles.
That being said, with the demo coming out, I decided to download and play it, and hoooooly crap am I glad I did. I won't go into great detail about what enjoyed (which was pretty much everything), but now I am SUPER hyped. And while I don't want to project, I can easily see this becoming one of my top favorite FF titles.
EDIT:
Also I preordered the collector's edition.
That being said, with the demo coming out, I decided to download and play it, and hoooooly crap am I glad I did. I won't go into great detail about what enjoyed (which was pretty much everything), but now I am SUPER hyped. And while I don't want to project, I can easily see this becoming one of my top favorite FF titles.
EDIT:
Also I preordered the collector's edition.
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Wol
None Shall Remember Those Who Do Not Fight
- AKA
- Rosarian Shield
crazy how many ppl that were lukewarm about XVI completely changed opinion after playing it.
First time I realized how important playing is to get a feel of a game is in Dragon's Dogma, which I though looked generic in both plot and aesthetic. Then I tried it and today is on my top 10.
First time I realized how important playing is to get a feel of a game is in Dragon's Dogma, which I though looked generic in both plot and aesthetic. Then I tried it and today is on my top 10.
ForceStealer
Double Growth
I think you if use the d-pad it moves around like you'd expect. But I agree I'd rather they didn't bother with the mouse control option at all.
Leafonthebreeze
Any/All
- AKA
- Leaf
That's good to know, I also wasn't a fan of the cursor. I also had the same issues with the motion blur that Strangelove mentions, made me feel slightly dizzy.
EDIT: That said, it was pretty fun, the story has me very intrigued...
Strangelove
AI Researcher
- AKA
- hitoshura
i did discover the dpad control, but every single time i opened the menu (and i mean every time without fail) i would end up moving the cursor first because my thumb was already on the analogue stick before i remembered to use the other
given that it's not much faster to use the cursor than just pressing the dpad, i don't know what the point of it is. there's times playing ffxiv on a console where i've thought a mouse would be really useful, but everything in ffxvi seems perfectly accessible with the regular controls rather than the sluggish cursor. maybe one of the options i overlooked lets you speed it up, but i'd rather just turn it off tbh.
given that it's not much faster to use the cursor than just pressing the dpad, i don't know what the point of it is. there's times playing ffxiv on a console where i've thought a mouse would be really useful, but everything in ffxvi seems perfectly accessible with the regular controls rather than the sluggish cursor. maybe one of the options i overlooked lets you speed it up, but i'd rather just turn it off tbh.
MoLe_BlAdE
Lv. 25 Adventurer
I cannot believe I've got to wait another week to play the full thing.
Damn that shit is gooooooooood!
Damn that shit is gooooooooood!
Lex
Administrator
I had an incredible time with the demo and can't wait to spend a shitload of time playing this.
More and more games have been doing the "stick is a mouse in the menu" thing, IIRC Cyberpunk and a bunch of other recent action games have done this and I'm also not sure what the appeal is. But at least the D-Pad works so standard menu cycling is still there.
Regarding the voices Hito, they did specifically make the English VA a priority this time round. Koji Fox mentioned in an interview that they knew they wanted to nail the English VA and avoid the usual translation pitfalls. The script was written in Japanese, then translated to English, then some dialogue was adjusted to sound better in English and re-translated back to Japanese. It's the first time they've done something like this and going by the demo it seems to be successful (so far).
I am shocked to hear the mouth movement doesn't match the Japanese at all, it might be that it'll be better in the main game and they just bunged the English movements into the demo to save space. They've been on record saying a huge portion of the JP playerbase is using the English VA more and more which is one of the reasons they decided to prioritise it this time. This is the same team that consider the XIV English VA "canon" after all.
Watching this now, I'm enjoying seeing folks reactions to the demo:
More and more games have been doing the "stick is a mouse in the menu" thing, IIRC Cyberpunk and a bunch of other recent action games have done this and I'm also not sure what the appeal is. But at least the D-Pad works so standard menu cycling is still there.
Regarding the voices Hito, they did specifically make the English VA a priority this time round. Koji Fox mentioned in an interview that they knew they wanted to nail the English VA and avoid the usual translation pitfalls. The script was written in Japanese, then translated to English, then some dialogue was adjusted to sound better in English and re-translated back to Japanese. It's the first time they've done something like this and going by the demo it seems to be successful (so far).
I am shocked to hear the mouth movement doesn't match the Japanese at all, it might be that it'll be better in the main game and they just bunged the English movements into the demo to save space. They've been on record saying a huge portion of the JP playerbase is using the English VA more and more which is one of the reasons they decided to prioritise it this time. This is the same team that consider the XIV English VA "canon" after all.
Watching this now, I'm enjoying seeing folks reactions to the demo: