Final Fantasy XVI State Of Play Showcases Real-Time Combat And World Exploration

PlayStation and Square Enix have shown off 20 minutes of gameplay from Final Fantasy XVI, highlighting combat and world exploration. The State of Play focused on the combat of Final Fantasy XVI, some of the story and side content, and the massive Eikon fights.

This new video showcased the real-time action combat, which is relatively new for the franchise. Snippets of Clive, the main character, fighting enemies on the ground were shown, as well as the battles where you control the Eikon, the massive summons in the game. The action is all in real time and Clive will learn a ton of different abilities and attacks from the different Eikons in the world, allowing players to adapt the combat to their own playstyle. These abilities can be found in a massive skill tree, which allows you to reset those abilities at any time and even let the game pick your abilities for you.

The massive Eikon versus Eikon fights can play out in a number of different ways, with one shown featuring a third-person shooting sequence and others feeling similar to an all-out wrestling match. Square Enix said that each Ekion battle would feel unique and be based around the specific Eikons fighting.

To explore the world, players can travel to different locations via a world map, which will be updated with new and evolving areas as the game progresses. Square Enix said that players can use the map and travel at any time, allowing similar freedom to a fully open-world game.

Square Enix showed off Cid's Hideaway, a special area unlocked later in the game, where players can buy new weapons and armor, make improvements at the blacksmith, and train in a special area, where you can earn a high score on a global leaderboard. This area is also where you pick up a number of side quests and have access to a full list of available quests. A Hunt Board allows a Moogle to provide information about special monsters you can bounty hunt for rewards.

Square Enix shared some details about the game and its structure, including that the game is split largely into three periods in Clive's life: his teens, 20s, and 30s. There will be a flashback sequence, showing how Clive came to control an Eikon. As previously announced, any squad members that join Clive will fight independently in combat, so players will only need to focus on controlling one character, although the dog companion can be given general directions.

It was revealed that Japanese musical artist Kenshi Yonezu composed the main theme for Final Fantasy XVI. Square Enix said it would have even more information to share before launch. You can read more about the combat changes and the transition to an action RPG in GameSpot's preview of Final Fantasy XVI. Preordering the game from Target can also get you a $10 gift card. Final Fantasy XVI releases on June 22 on PlayStation 5.