Purists may cry as the RPG series embraces action

Sixteen instalments in, developers of any series would struggle to retain the element of surprise – bearing in mind that deviations from established formulae risk upsetting fans. On the surface, Final Fantasy XVI appears to be a rather conservative return to the series’ high-fantasy roots, in the same vein as the revered ninth entry. After the turbulent development of its predecessor, it’s also in the safest possible pair of hands. Producer Naoki Yoshida, still hailed as the man who turned FFXIV from catastrophe into the publisher’s most profitable title to date, heads up a core team of veterans including director Hiroshi Takai, whose history with the series stretches back to 1992’s Final Fantasy V. So it’s only once we’ve finished a demo created especially for media that it hits home: this is surely the most radical departure for this storied series since FFXII’s transformative battle system. It’s certainly the first to leave us breathless and sweaty palmed.

Although the realm of Valisthea is based on medieval Europe (expect knights, swords and castle keeps, albeit with chocobos rather than horses), FFXVI can still be viewed through a contemporary lens. Especially since the land’s glittering Mothercrystals are framed as a valuable but finite energy resource, over which wars are fought. Another series staple, summons – referred to here as Eikons – are powerful creatures that reside within select individuals called Dominants. These are treated like royalty in some nations, but considered terrifying abominations in others, analogous to weapons of mass destruction. The immediate contemporary comparison, however, is with fantasy titles from western studios, such as The Witcher 3 and God Of War: narratively rich and beautiful blockbusters that appeal to a mature audience and are driven by action-packed combat.