Square Enix has revealed the first concrete details about the characters, world, and story of Final Fantasy XVI at the game’s new official website today.
Clive Rosfield, who took a starring role in the battle sequences of the Awakening trailer earlier this year, will be the lead protagonist, and he is the oldest child of the Archduke of Rosaria. He is on a revenge mission, spurred in some way by an attack by recurring series summon Ifrit.
In this iteration of the series, summons are called Eikons and their power can be drawn upon by one chosen person. The differing nations of the world treat these individuals, called Dominants, in varying ways, from regarding them as royalty to executing them at birth. Clive’s younger brother, Joshua, is one such Dominant, harboring the Eikon Phoenix, and he will be a part of Clive’s quest. They will also be joined by Jill Warrick, the ward of Clive and Joshua’s father.
Final Fantasy XVI takes place in a world called Valisthea, which is protected by mountains of crystal called Mothercrystals that, in keeping with series tradition, provides access to magic. Six nations make up Valisthea, ruled by an uneasy peace that is being threatened by the ascendant Kingdom of Waloed in the east.
The new official website still offers no firm details about the mechanics of the game, for example whether it will be action-based or use some variant of the traditional ATB, though Square Enix’s debut trailer was indicative of fast-paced gameplay akin to that of Final Fantasy XV. Those details and more will not arrive until at least next year. The game is currently only slated to arrive on PlayStation 5.
