Bringing back Game of Thrones as a reference point, the show was famously tough for many viewers to follow, especially if they watched season to season, without a constant primer to differentiate Bran from Bronn from Brienne. Not quite a babygirl (see: Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall) and far from a jokey trickster ( Final Fantasy IX’s Zidane Final Fantasy X’s Tidus), he occupies a space of being just mature enough to fit the game’s dark tone without being a total downer.īut while its lead is relatively well-defined, much of the greater world is difficult to follow. If the story continues to walk the tightrope - and to stick the landing - throughout what’s sure to be its lengthy campaign, Clive could fare better than most Final Fantasy protagonists. There’s some brooding, but overall Clive behaves like a human being and is capable of making friends along the way without succumbing to (too many) obvious tropes around tortured heroes with snarky attitudes - at least in the introductory hours.
FINAL FANTASY XVI 2021 SERIES
Both of these companions make the transition from the early days to Clive’s adulthood and, despite a series of tragic circumstances, so does his sense of personality. He’s got friends - well, a friend - in the form of a plucky young girl named Jill, and his adorable pup Torgal. What could make for a rote sob story is elevated by Clive’s inherent likability. FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. Good boy Torgal actually impacts combat, which means it could be Game of the Year by default. Although he can harness the power of the Eikons in smaller ways, he was passed over as the Dominant, making him the lesser sibling despite being worshipped by his younger brother. As the “Shield of Rosaria,” he’s tasked at a young age with safeguarding his brother Joshua, one of the “Dominants” of the realm, who are chosen by fate to be the living avatar for the Eikons - kaiju-sized elemental creatures of divinity. With the 4-plus hours I got to spend with these characters and world, I can safely say that this is the most I enjoyed a Final Fantasy since the 1990s.Īnd to be completely fair, there are plenty of ways in which Clive is different from “Shmon Shmow,” and frankly, a better character. Now it might sound like this is a criticism - it isn’t.
His true nature is a secret to him that could change the realm as it’s known. Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: a shaggy-haired, brooding loner from a privileged family of regional royalty, loved by his father, despised by his mother, must toe the line between sworn duty and the thirst for vengeance against the people who betrayed his family.
To respect both the embargo and gameplay experience, I’ll remain vague on the details, but within the opening hours, there are a myriad direct narrative parallels to both Game of Thrones’ first season and the entire narrative writ large.
Massive like, “the title screen doesn’t appear until two hours in” massive. Ultimately, it was the first four hours or so of the game straight through, providing a taste of the world and story to come which, based on this sampling, are going to be massive. But more on that in a bit.Īt the event, members of the press were allowed to play three main sections including the game’s introduction surrounding protagonist’s Clive Rosfield’s youth, a jump forward to his twenties, as well a totally separate quasi-free roam portion of the game from down the line. Mandatory disclaimer on the version previewed: “This is a special version made for media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.”ĭeveloped by Square Enix’s dryly named Creative Business Unit III, under the eye of producer Naoki Yoshida and, perhaps more importantly, combat director Ryota Suzuki, Final Fantasy XVI is a major departure from the series in that it’s essentially an action game first and RPG second. Just inject it directly into my veins! FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
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