On May 24, Sony held their PlayStation Showcase, revealing several games coming out for the second half of this year, and much to get excited about! We got a peek at many upcoming games, as well as plenty of new announcements. In seemingly the most chaotic trailer, we were shown some glances of Final Fantasy XVI by Square Enix.
The trailer opens on a dark night. We see what looks like a large settlement, in the middle of a lake. However, our eyes are immediately drawn to an enormous crystal jutting out of the landscape. We next see guards, killing seemingly innocent townsfolk.
Much like many other Final Fantasy entries, our story seems to center around crystals. However, this time, they seem to be contributing to the destruction of our world. It is up to our main character Clive to try and stop this blight from taking over. In order to intervene and prevent mass destruction, he must call upon the power of the Eikon-Ifrit, to battle other Eikon-holders, alternatively called “Dominants”
Dominants are humans who have been bestowed with the ability to transform into Eikons, providing Dominants the ability to battle each other in spectacular displays. Some Eikons featured in the game are mainstays of the Final Fantasy franchise, such as Titan and Odin, who were featured as “Summons” in previous Final Fantasy entries. Each fight sequence features its own roulette of random actions and outcomes, depending on the abilities invoked. Battles get more frantic as they press on, consisting of multiple phases, which long-time Final Fantasy players will appreciate.
This trailer shown seemed to mainly focus on battles, bouncing between both Clive and Ifrit. In the background, we get several voiceovers from additional characters, still to be revealed. Most of the commentary from additional characters seems to foreshadow the fact that they approach battles with vastly different strategies from Clive, which may be a central driving conflict within the game.
Get ready for the next entry in the Final Fantasy universe, available June 22nd, exclusively on PlayStation 5!
Did you watch the PlayStation Showcase? Which announcement are you most excited about? Let us know over on our Twitter and Instagram. While you’re here check out our other amazing articles like the Tears of the Kingdom review.
