FFXVI announced - PS5 and PC

[stir fry]

My take is that the stagger system is Square's solution to give different moves unique enough properties that emphasis building out combos in a certain way (eg, this attack is great for pressure, this attack is fast and has hit stun, this attack is just good for raw damage, or AOE etc). It's an alternative to a combo system built on pure combo wankery like you get in DMC, where each move has different physical properties (rather than raw number damage to a grey or yellow bar) that cause enemies to react in certain ways and cause Dante or Nero to move differently when linked together. 

 

imo it's a pretty good solution to add depth to the action of these games. That said, I wouldn't mind seeing them come up with something new at this point.

[Mr. Gerbik]

10 hours ago, Keyboard Koala said:

Everyone knows that if you still want the true JRPG experience from the 16- and 32-bit heydays of Square, you have to play the Bravely Default or Octopath Traveler series these days. The whole idea of those two series was a revival of that particular type of JRPG experience that got abandoned after the PS2 era. They stopped making traditional JRPG Final Fantasy games over a decade ago now.

Dragon Quest XI for a high quality 16bit/32bit JRPG type feel in modern AAA visuals and scope. 

[Qazimod]

 

It's just a trailer showing off locations and environments, but to be honest this is kind of a relief after seeing a bunch of gameplay in gloomy dark wastelands.  

 

Also some gameplay with some talking:

 

 

[Keyboard Koala]

Seems like we might "finally" have our first true current gen must-have for the PS5. About three years after its launch.

[Sarlaccfood]

27 minutes ago, Keyboard Koala said:

Seems like we might "finally" have our first true current gen must-have for the PS5. About three years after its launch.

Returnal came out in 2021 

[Keyboard Koala]

 

(Not a big fan of roguelites tbh. Only stuck with Dead Cells for the glorious sprite art, and the Castlevania DLC)

[RubberJohnny]

Looks great, good to see some unedited gameplay.

[Qazimod]

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.

 

As a developer, what were your first impressions of the power and technology of the PS5?

Hiroshi Takai: The two main things that struck me were the size of the memory and the speed of the SSD. I’ve worked with a lot of different hardware over the years, and many have failed to strike the right balance between the capabilities of the hardware and the size of the memory. However, the PS5 is different—it comes with enough memory installed to take full advantage of the hardware. As for the SSD, as we were building the game, I was simply blown away by how fast it was.

 

The Final Fantasy franchise is known for the quality of its graphics. Final Fantasy XVI was developed as a PS5 game first and foremost, so how did you take advantage of the power of the hardware when it came to the graphics and the gameplay?

Naturally, we wanted the graphics to be the best that they could be, so we put a lot of focus on the fine details of the character and environmental models, as well as the quality of the lighting and the shadows, to really make them shine. It’s really resource-intensive just to render these models on screen, and the lighting and shadow effects are then layered on top of that. We’re only able to do this thanks to the size of the PS5’s memory. Clive, the protagonist of FFXVI, can unleash a wide range of attacks, and the animations and effects for them can all fit in the memory, too. And the way that the game seamlessly flows between resource-intensive gameplay to equally intensive cutscenes and back again wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the speed of the SSD.

 
Could you explain a little bit about how FFXVI makes use of the PS5 DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in battle and exploration?

There are certain sections where the player will have to open heavy doors or lift up portcullises, and we use the adaptive triggers there to put across that feeling of effort and resistance. They’re also used when riding chocobos. The haptic feedback can produce extremely subtle vibrations, which we use to create a heightened feeling of presence in cutscenes. We converted the sound effects used in each scene into haptic data, which let us portray details that we’ve never been able to before, like the movements of the air.

 

Final Fantasy XVI will be the first fully-fledged action RPG in the history of the series. It’s a bold move to abandon the command system entirely. What was your aim with this?

That’s right, when it came to designing FFXVI, we wanted to see what would happen if we took it in a new direction and made it a full action RPG. We fine-tuned the gameplay so that when you take the DualSense controller in your hand, your every input produces a reaction that you can really feel. One of the main features of the battle system is the wide range of Eikonic abilities that Clive can unleash, and this results in a great deal of freedom in how players can approach battle. There are also the Eikon-on-Eikon battles, where the player controls the series’ famous summons directly, to add to the action. It’s a non-stop, white-knuckle ride from start to finish.

While the details of every Final Fantasy game might differ, they are always centered around a captivating story. The story of Final Fantasy XVI has a sense of tragic heroism at its heart, but could you tell us more about its themes?

When we started thinking about making a game for the PS5, we wanted to create a world where there was no disconnect between the graphics and the story. While it might go to some pretty dark places, it’s a world where that darkness only exists because light exists too, and our heroes go through the trials that they do precisely because  they have hope that things can get better. A world where every man, woman, and child has their own sense of what a “just” world should look like.

What other PS5 games have impressed you? From a developer’s point of view, how did you feel that they took advantage of the PS5’s capabilities?

I think God of War Ragnarok is a fantastic game. It’s a seamless experience from beginning to end, and paints a perfect picture of the relationship between a father and his son.

 

https://blog.playstation.com/2023/03/30/ps5-creators-how-final-fantasy-xvi-harnesses-ps5s-power/

[Qazimod]

10pm here.

[NecroMorrius]

On 26/03/2023 at 17:38, Keyboard Koala said:

Seems like we might "finally" have our first true current gen must-have for the PS5. About three years after its launch.

 

Did you not play the PS4 version of Elden Ring on PS5? 

[Keyboard Koala]

I did not. It ran superbly on my PS4, and with an SSD I cut out most of the loading time too.

[Qazimod]

State of Play starting: 

 

 

[Strafe]

I mean, it looks pretty good but it’s hard to get too excited over this after watching the Zelda trailer earlier today.

[Strafe]

On the other hand, Finchy from the office is in it and he’s not in Zelda.

[Qazimod]

Okay the unique gameplay in the Eikon battles could be quite neat. It reminds me of Nier in a way; how those games aren't afraid to just change genre for a bit.

 

Also, hunts are back! Sorry, Elite Marks.  

[Flanders]

12 minutes ago, Strafe said:

I mean, it looks pretty good but it’s hard to get too excited over this after watching the Zelda trailer earlier today.

I think this looks like just as big a swing as Zelda in its own way. Man, the top Japanese studios are ruling the roost right now.

[Sarlaccfood]

Holy shit this looks insane.

 

The summons battles look like Bayonetta 3 but with some graphical grunt behind them and oh also I’m not cringing myself into a black hole. 

Got big Panzer Dragoon energy from one of them too.

 

[Capwn]

Any game that has a little window with video in the corner showing how to do various commands, that generally means it’s going to be a bloated tedious game with no creativity doesn’t it?
 

[layten]

'Clive'

 

 

[Keyboard Koala]

39 minutes ago, Strafe said:

On the other hand, Finchy from the office is in it and he’s not in Zelda.

 

Bloody hell, I'd completely forgotten he was in The Office as well. I mainly seem to remember him as that cunt from GoT these days.

"One in the bum etc." Good times.

[Calashnikov]

I think this looks FUCKING OUTSTANDING. Got tears steaming down my face and I don’t know if it’s the music or the pyrotechnics melting my eyes

 

Every battle theme was the GOAT, right up until the next one came on and dethroned it. I am fucking IN 👏

[Calashnikov]

44 minutes ago, Strafe said:

I mean, it looks pretty good but it’s hard to get too excited over this after watching the Zelda trailer earlier today.

I really liked that Zelda trailer, but this state of play FUCKED ME UP

[Qazimod]

5 minutes ago, Calashnikov said:

I think this looks FUCKING OUTSTANDING. Got tears steaming down my face and I don’t know if it’s the music or the pyrotechnics melting my eyes

 

Every battle theme was the GOAT, right up until the next one came on and dethroned it. I am fucking IN 👏

 

Yeah the music seemed great.  

 

Some (most) of those Eikon battles are probably going to be dumb spectacles but it'll at least break up the regular combat (which generally looks fine anyway!)

[Calashnikov]

I like how unapologetically fucking computer gamey those Eikon bits look. They’re a love letter to the medium as much as anything. The Panzer Dragoon bit man 🐉

[Kevvy Metal]

37 minutes ago, Capwn said:

Any game that has a little window with video in the corner showing how to do various commands, that generally means it’s going to be a bloated tedious game with no creativity doesn’t it?
 

Negs, bring them back. 

[Calashnikov]

June 22nd?! I thought it was out in August. No way I’ll be done with Tears of the Kingdom by then 😱

[Keyboard Koala]

Y'all have your deluxe edition pre-ordered right? The only way to get that sweet sweet Amano artwork on your game box.

[Calashnikov]

They already got two hundred and fifty of my pounds for the deluxe edition of the Pixel Remasters, they don’t need one hundred more of them. Although I do need that Amano art 🤦🏻‍♂️  🙈  

[Keyboard Koala]

The Amano box art was impossible to resist. And besides that one, I don't do many deluxe/limited editions anymore. Only this one, TotK and FE for me this year. And nothing else for the foreseeable future.

[Super Stop and Shop]

Japanese developers feel like they're from a different planet than their western counterparts these days -- which probably has something do with their crushing work culture, admittedly. But still, this game looks like what videogames looked like in your head as a child. Insane.