This preview is based on playing a bespoke version of Final Fantasy 16 made for media to experience, and the contents may differ from the final version.

I can’t help but get nostalgic about new mainline Final Fantasy games, and I don’t mean pointing at the screen gleefully when you spot a familiar reference or series hallmark. As much as I appreciate a fresh take on the Eikons, a hot new iteration of Cid (we’ll get to that later), and seeing Suparna and Chirada back in action, I mean that I can’t help but look back at how far things have come.

Final Fantasy has evolved so much over the years. It used to be synonymous with turn-based battles, anime melodrama, and all the usual chocobo and moogle trimmings, but it’s grown beyond those staples now. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the impact of this change more than with Final Fantasy 16. Going hands-on was like reuniting with your lovable little scamp of a cousin after years of absence to find puberty hit them so hard it feels as though they’ve somehow grown into a fully-formed adult overnight.

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“We wanted to go back to the rich, high fantasy roots of the series,” Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida explains in the presentation, “Something that was complex and interwoven, that touched upon politics, justice, and values that would be appealing not only to younger fans stepping out into the world, but also older fans who've experienced a lot themselves.”

Cid against a firey background in Final Fantasy 16.
Screenshots are from a bespoke version of Final Fantasy 16 made for media to experience, and the contents may differ from the final version.

There’s a brooding maturity to FF16 in both style and substance. Characters feel hardier, as if they’re all world-weary, battle-scarred, and angry enough at everything to regularly drop the f-bomb. It’s like watching Final Fantasy grow in confidence and become comfortable in its own skin, without an overload of fluff of cutesy creatures, positivity, and characters keeping their emotions in check, and I’m here for it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the softer side of past titles, but there’s something endearing about the coarseness of FF16's world and characters that makes me want to learn more about them.

I only met a few characters during my preview, and each was interesting in different ways, undoubtedly enhanced by the amazing talents of the voice actors. Cidolfus, voiced by Ralph Ineson, was a firm favourite. Clive may be the protagonist of Final Fantasy 16, but the roguish charisma of Cid, with his rough and ready playful personality and deep baritone, is going to steal the show. Not to mention, him being Ramuh’s Dominant (meaning he can take on the full form of Ramuh, as well as a mid-transition white-haired version of himself) is going to cause the internet to erupt into thirsty Daddy memes.

I experienced a special demo that doesn’t reflect the finished product we’re all set to play come June, but it allowed me to test drive the combat with a side course of spoiler-heavy cutscenes and a little exploration. We didn’t get to peek too much into the world of Valisthea, as we were just scrambling around a dark and dingy castle for the most part, although what I did see looked gorgeous. I don’t just mean graphically, but as a whole package.

Benedikta half transformed into Garuda in Final Fantasy 16.

The natural movement of bodies and clothing, the way light reflects off burnished armour, and even the diseased rats scurrying around your feet — everything felt so detailed. Despite its drab and initially archetypal castle setting, I found myself looking around in appreciation at the set dressing, marveling at the way lighting is used to enhance the dark environment, the destructible furniture splintering to pieces in battle, and generally exploring every nook and cranny for items. Another nice touch was the DualSense’s haptic feedback. You could feel the triggers fighting back against you as you tried to lift heavy gates open.

The action-based combat is engaging, with a gratifying ferocity that feels grittier and bloodier than past titles, with QTE segments adding a cinematic quality that heightens the sense of blood-pumping excitement. You’ve got your standard attacks in the form of Clive’s sword and magic skills, but you can’t beat the thrill of battling with and against Eikons.

You can switch Clive’s currently equipped Eikon on the fly, resulting in a fast-paced, adaptable combat system that feels satisfyingly fluid, as each Eikon changes your available commands with special abilities. It looks like Clive will be able to attune and use Eikons he has encountered or defeated in the storyline so far, so I imagine we start off with a much more limited roster of Eikons.

Phoenix was my go-to because Phoenix Shift allows you to quickly dart toward your enemies, so I enjoyed being able to zip forward, pull off a couple of fire-based beatdowns, before switching to Titan and using his Titanic Block to avoid any return attacks. It’s easy to switch between Eikons and unleash one powerful attack after another, rinsing through every cooldown to deal a brutal amount of damage quickly, something incredibly useful for when enemies are staggered — a mechanic that returns from past games.

Clive during a cinematic event sequence in Final Fantasy 16.
Screenshots are from a bespoke version of Final Fantasy 16 made for media to experience, and the contents may differ from the final version.

Clive isn’t going it alone, either. Your party members aren’t controllable, but rest assured they’re handing out their own beatdowns alongside you in battle. The one ally you can semi-control is your giant floof of a wolf, Torgal. You can choose between Sic, Heal, or Ravage commands, but they’re more limited than you think. It didn’t matter how much I spammed Heal as my HP plummeted, Torgal would only heal when he wanted to, which wasn’t very often. Bad dog.

Combat isn’t just diverse in the way you change up your abilities, Eikons, and strategies, but also in the range of different battles you’ll experience. There was the usual rinsing out the trash guards in the castle, the mini-boss battle against Garuda’s sisters, and a climactic head to head with Benedikta in her half-transformed winged form. However, the real highlight was the Eikon versus Eikon showdown.

After tussling with the gigantic Garuda as Clive, we were able to level the playing field (and the surrounding trees) by unleashing Ifrit and taking on a more mammoth role for ourselves. You get a sense of scale not only from the distant tree tops that come up to your shoulders, but from the more sluggish, weightier movement of your towering Eikon form. It doesn’t feel painfully slow, and you can still lunge forward with speed, but there’s an emphasised difference in how it feels to move that conveys your impressive stature as you battle in a brutal clash of claws and jaws, kaiju-style.

Yoshida-san promised that each Eikon versus Eikon battle would be unique, so though the Ifrit versus Garuda is a “very heavy impactful battle akin to a pro wrestling match”, Titan’s will apparently be on a more massive scale and use a lot of speed, while Phoenix’s will be more akin to a 3D shooting battle.

Ifrit in Final Fantasy 16.
Screenshots are from a bespoke version of Final Fantasy 16 made for media to experience, and the contents may differ from the final version.

Final Fantasy 16’s combat certainly felt challenging, as you’re having to think on your feet and react to the situation quickly. It’s always hard to tell in previews how much of a handful it will be, as you’re thrown in at the deep end, rather than learning everything a step at a time. But FF16 offers a new mechanic to help players shore up their weak spots with Timely Accessories.

“These accessories, of which up to two can be equipped at a time, make certain aspects of the game easier or more accessible, such as dodging incoming attacks automatically or simplifying complex combos down to a single button press,” Yoshida-san says, explaining that players will be able to choose between two modes, Story-focused mode, which has the accessories equipped from the start, or Action-focused mode, which does not.

Yoshida-san emphasised that these were not difficulty modes, and I’m glad it wasn’t just a simple case of lowering the overall challenge. The only real sticking point for me was my reflexes (or lack thereof), as I often found myself in the danger zone with my HP because I wasn’t dodging or blocking well. Equipping an accessory that slows things down to give me more time to react to a button prompt made a world of difference, and the fact it does this without putting training wheels on everything else the game had to offer, the way a difficulty mode change would have, ensured I didn’t feel like an utter failure either.

Clive facing off against Garuda in Final Fantasy 16.
Screenshots are from a bespoke version of Final Fantasy 16 made for media to experience, and the contents may differ from the final version.

There’s a lot to get to grips with for Final Fantasy 16’s combat, but even while learning the ropes, you can’t shake the sense of joy that comes from the fast-paced, action-packed battles. Switching between Eikons mid-battle became an instinctive reaction, and it was fun to roll different abilities together to unleash incredible damage to those around you, while being able to pair together the right accessories to suit my gameplay style and weaknesses was a godsend.

Though we were only given a small slice of the story and characters, it was enough to whet my appetite, and I’m craving more of this darker, grittier world that Square Enix has to offer. I won’t spoil any details for you, but the preview teased an intricate narrative with misdirection, turmoil, and heartache. I think we’re set for an emotional rollercoaster in June.

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