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Square Enix’s heaviest hitter Final Fantasy XIV is almost here
In case you’ve been under a rock and haven’t been witnessing the hottest demo to hit the PS5 recently, it’s all about Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) then you’re missing out on some seriously great gameplay. Square Enix has kept their word about releasing a demo two weeks before the popular game’s debut on June 22nd, and they didn’t disappoint. Several past presentations from either Square Enix or PlayStation have revolved around FF16 which showcases what we can expect from the game in both visual quality and gameplay. If you know anything about the Final Fantasy games, one thing that’s synonymous with those titles is powerful, monstrous beasts called Summons.
Some of these beasts take on some of the more popular elements such as fire, wind, earth, lightning, and many other properties that aren’t elemental in nature. In nearly all of their promotional marketing, we’ve seen the likes of Ifrit (fire-based Summon) become locked in a power struggle against another fiery-winged beast. What’s different in FF16 is their title and the roles they play. They’re called Eikons (sounds like the word icon) and they reside within people who are worthy of their power called Dominants. You’ll soon find out that while some dominants are of royal blood and praised for their power, others are feared and used as weapons – think of them as medieval WMDs.
Since there’s only a demo to go on, there really isn’t a lot to talk about with the story and its plot points – we tend to stay spoiler free anyway, but all we know is this game is most definitely not for kids due to the hard M-rating this game has gotten. Gamers will be very happy with the Game of Thrones-styled story elements that are thrown in a blender with Devil May Cry-styled combat which gives you some good ol’ hack-n-slash gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. You’ll be sinking your teeth into some treachery and betrayal, royal double-crossings, and some jaw-dropping set pieces, fantastic yet stylish gameplay and combat that the player can tailor to their style.
Square Enix didn’t slack on the visual fidelity either. As with most games this generation, players are given a choice as to whether they prefer a more graphical setting a.k.a. fidelity mode, or to have a smoother technical experience that prioritizes framerates a.k.a. performance mode. Both settings are great to play in, but the effort put into both really shows and I’m all for it. The demo takes you through two different points in the main character’s life and although the locations change, my eyeballs stayed wide open in bliss. I have to emphasize this point even more during combat scenes – the Eikon battle is truly a sight to behold!
As I said earlier, the game allows you to play through different points in the protagonist’s life but then really opens up toward the end of the demo when you have more eikons to switch to. Switching to different Eikons grants different play styles for each of them, and alters how you battle. Some provide more damage while some offer more flashy and rapid attacks. Final Fantasy XVI hits stores on June 22nd and I’m excited to see what else is in store for us when the day comes. Make sure to grab your copy here!
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