Fan anticipation for the long-awaited Final Fantasy XVI has turned into a frenzy! And Square Enix only plans to build on this excitement with its carefully orchestrated reveals. Recently, the world-renowned game publisher and developer unveiled the Final Fantasy XVI ‘Ambition’ trailer, and unsurprisingly — it had the intended effect!
And in typical Square Enix fashion, this major reveal was accompanied by messages from the key development staff. Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy XVI had this to say:
“Greetings everyone!
I’m happy to announce that our newest trailer — Ambition — is now live. Rather than focusing on action as we did in our last reveal, this time we wanted to give the world a more in-depth look at FINAL FANTASY XVI‘s lore and its rich cast of characters — with the Dominants front and center.
The flames of war spread as Valisthea enters an age of twilight. Where will fate lead the Dominants and what future awaits the realm at the end of this bitter conflict? There are still many more questions to be answered, many more truths to be uncovered.
With regards to development, the team has turned the corner and entered the home stretch, and is currently concentrating its efforts on debugging, tweaking, polishing, and optimization. As for promotion, over the next few weeks, myself, Main Director Hiroshi Takai, Creative Director Kazutoyo Maehiro, and Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox will be taking part in interviews with multiple media outlets from across the globe to bring you even more information, so make sure you keep your eyes out for those out as well!”
And Hiroshi Takai, the director, had the following to say:
“Hello!
Our third trailer is finally here and jam-packed with exciting new information that provides a better picture of how the game’s setting, lore, and characters tie in with our compelling narrative. Hopefully it was worth the wait!
As the game edges closer to completion, the team has turned its full attention to debugging and final adjustments. Now that things are starting to come together, the game is sizing up to be something truly special.
“We know you are all hungry to see more, but for now we hope that this little peek into the world of FINAL FANTASY XVI is enough to keep you both satisfied and (of course) speculating until our next big reveal.”
And here is the Japanese language trailer that Square Enix released recently:
One thing immediately apparent when viewing the trailer is that Creative Business Unit III handles development. And that’s positive, as this team has also worked on the Dragon Quest Builders series and Final Fantasy MMOs. Here’s a quick rundown of the titles they’ve worked on to date:
- Final Fantasy XI
- Final Fantasy XI Reboot
- Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
- Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
- Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Final Fantasy XVI
And fans of the Final Fantasy series have much to look forward to after watching the impressive trailer. In many ways, it seems like the series is back to form after previous uninspiring releases, such as Final Fantasy XV. And while that isn’t necessarily a bad game — it even won several awards. The Japanese broadcaster, NHK, reportedly conducted a poll in 2019, and it was only voted 10th best game in the series.
Therefore, it’s hardly a top-tier Final Fantasy, but simply good enough. Let’s hope the next entry will be one of the all-time greats. Final Fantasy XVI will hit the PlayStation 5 in time for summer 2023 if there are no unforeseen delays.
Which new characters have been revealed?
Dion Lesage and Barnabas Tharmr are the two new badasses. They will not only enhance the story but will make battles that bit more exciting!
Who are the key development staff members of Final Fantasy XVI?
We have confirmation that the following staff members are involved in the development of this JRPG:
- Naoki Yoshida as the Producer
- Hiroshi Takai as the Main Director
- Kazutoyo Maehiro as the Creative Director & Original Screenplay
- Michael-Christopher Koji Fox as the Localization Director
- Hiroshi Minagawa as the Art Director
- Ryota Suzuki as the Combat Director
- Kazuya Takahashi as the Character Designer
- Masayoshi Soken as the Music Composer
Few JRPGs have the reputation, production values, and mainstream appeal of the Final Fantasy series. Let’s hope the upcoming entry continues to impress current and new JRPG fans. Stay tuned!