As a teenager, I remember being in awe of how Shadow of the Colossus dwarfed my main characters with gigantic creatures. The man-to-mountain feeling generated by the PS2 Classic is something I’ve rarely experienced since. But at the recent hands-on event of Final Fantasy 16, it happened again. But this time it wasn’t a poetically beautiful battle, but an explosive homage to anime warfare.
The two-hour demo, according to developer Square Enix, is “a special version for media to experience and content may differ from the final version.” The segment featured three boss battles that showcased Final Fantasy 16’s approach to ambitious scale. The first of these – a showdown with a spy named Benedikta – was a traditional human-on-human clash that incorporated the dexterity of this entry’s new real-time her action combat. But it was the other two much more epic battles that really caught my attention.
In Final Fantasy 16, many kingdoms are at war over magical crystals. Key to this war is Akon, a giant monster that Final Fantasy fans may know better as “Summon”. In most of the previous games in the series, these god-like creatures were effectively elaborate magical attacks, but in Final Fantasy 16 they are a key element of the plot and a major part of protagonist Clive’s entire journey. One such Akon he is Garuda. A 20-meter-tall bird-like creature summoned by Benedicta that wields the power of the wind.
Dodging and dodging around Garuda’s legs and wings, deflecting blows that would kill a normal human, the fight recalled scenes from anime like Kaiju movies and Attack on Titan. After dealing damage, I can fire a magical grappling hook into her jaw, pull her head down to the ground, and turn her face up for a series of highly damaging attacks. I was. There’s something inherently exciting about this massive battle, and Final Fantasy 16 seems to be all about making it as big as possible.
“
That’s not to say the game’s strength lies solely in these giant boss fights, though. Most of the demo saw him storming a castle while cutting down an entire garrison of swordsmen in the toughest battle in his 36-year history of Final Fantasy. Clive enrages, impales, and even stomps foes that fall to the ground. That’s not to say all fantasy is drawn from Final Fantasy, though. Magical abilities often cover the screen with brilliant particle effects. A bit overwhelming at first, his arcade-like UI constantly spewing damage numbers is a stark contrast to the beautiful art of the world. However, once I got used to the system, I found the blend of action and tactical prowess to be rewarding. rice field.
Clive is an agile fighter, and every time he swings his sword, it’s a reminder that Final Fantasy 16’s combat director is Ryoto Suzuki, best known for his work on Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma. He fights feel fast, layered, and incredibly flashy. The core basic elements are drawn from classic Japanese actions such as dodges, parries, uppercuts, and combo attacks, but the magic system built on this uses various Akon powers. to unleash a powerful special attack.
I had access to three Akon powers. Fiery phoenixes, Garuda’s winds, and Titan’s earth-shattering magic. He can only channel one Eikon ability at a time, but a quick press of the left trigger cycles through each summon in place. For example, launch a blast of Phoenix flames, then quickly switch to Garuda, launch the target into the air with a hurricane-like spin, and finally switch to Titan to attack downwards with a stone in a charged power attack. You can finish them off. Fist. Each of Eikon’s abilities has its own cooldown, so hot-swapping between them during combat and managing wait times gives each clash a light tactical advantage. We’re curious to see what tactics will be unlocked as Clive gains more of his Eikons power.
If you’re used to the more relaxed days of Final Fantasy, where you choose your attacks from menus, and all this feels a little intimidating, you’ll find solace in Square’s novel approach to accessibility. Instead of options, there is a collection of 5 rings that give combat mitigation effects. For example, Ring of Timely Evasion allows Clive to dodge most attacks automatically, while Ring of Timely Strikes allows him to perform elaborate combos with just one tap of the attack button. can. There are also utility-focused rings, such as Clive’s dog, which can provide attack and healing assistance, and a ring that issues commands to Torgal. Combat is already layered enough that you can imagine that even seasoned players might choose to skip pet micromanagement.
These rings mean fans of all skill levels can all enjoy the clash of Final Fantasy 16. Attacks are made even more dramatic by the way they can be seamlessly blended into cinematics, especially showing cool attacks and dodges. ‘s QTE, Square Enix seems to have made it work. The feeling is that in Final Fantasy 16, you’ll be able to directly engage in outrageous anime-like battles usually reserved for cutscenes.
Eikon vs. Eikon is likely to be Final Fantasy 16’s flagship battle mode. When Clive summons Eikon, you gain direct control over him, and each of these explosive clashes between these gods promises to be a unique experience with bespoke mechanics. The demo’s third boss fight (a beatdown between Garuda and the fire demon Ifrit) was similar to an atomic wrestling match. Compared to Clive, Ifrit is a very simple fighter with little brawling ability. and strength. Each blow to Garuda triggered a new animation, my favorite of which was the one that drags the enemy face-first into the rocky landscape. was shallow combat experience, but if the spectacle proves to be this wild every time, it’s forgivable.
Playing through three very different boss fights and making your way through dozens of regular soldiers left Final Fantasy 16 with a lot of hope. But this demo was purely combat-focused. Its RPG credentials. The generic medieval castle setting of this demo had very little opportunity for exploration and mostly felt like a thwarted route to the next boss. It may differ from the final version, so we hope that when more details are revealed, you’ll discover that there’s a much more compelling environment to explore. Final Fantasy 16 will be a JRPG worth getting excited about if it’s worth the combat it’s been through.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.
