Japanese video game maker Square Enix announced the latest instalment in its decades-old series Final Fantasy at the PlayStation 5 event a little over a month ago. At the time, a teaser trailer for the game was also showcased. However, not much information about the ARPG was disclosed apart from snippets of gameplay and tidbits of the plot here and there.
Today saw the launch of the official teaser website for Final Fantasy XVI along with further information about the game"s key characters, artwork and setting. Square Enix chose to make the announcement through the PlayStation blog. The upcoming title in the Final Fantasy franchise will have a completely new world and set of characters.
The game is set in a land called Valisthea and comprises of six factions, The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, The Kingdom of Waloed, The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom and The Crystalline Dominion. A lot of the lore has been detailed in-depth on the game"s teaser website. A small description of the world reads:
"The land of Valisthea is studded with Mothercrystals—glittering mountains of crystal that tower over the realms around them, blessing them with aether. For generations, people have flocked to these beacons to take advantage of their blessing, using the aether to conjure magicks that let them live lives of comfort and plenty. Great powers have grown up around each Mothercrystal, and an uneasy peace has long reigned between them. Yet now the peace falters as the spread of the Blight threatens to destroy their dominions."
Final Fantasy XVI will focus on the lead protagonist Clive Rosfield and his younger brother Joshua Rosfield, the first and second sons of a prominent family in the game"s universe. Clive is a "Shield" who has sworn fealty to protect his younger brother Joshua who is the "Dominant of the Phoenix". This means the younger Rosfield has the ability to transform into a powerful creature called the Pheonix and can wield the powers of an Eikon. As a protector of his brother, Clive has the capability to use some of his brother"s Eikon powers as well.
The third main character in the upcoming PS5 title is Jill Warrick, a young girl who was brought up as a member of the Rosfield family and raised alongside the two brothers. The 12-year old character was adopted as a ward of the affluent family as part of a peace deal between her homeland, the Northern Territories, and Rosaria. She is described to be an innocent, kind and trustworthy confidant to the duo.
Apart from the three main characters of the next-gen Final Fantasy title, the announcement on the PlayStation blog also named a couple of other Eikons that have already been showcased in the reveal trailer. The names of these Eikons are Titan, Shiva, and Ifrit.
Final Fantasy XVI is scheduled to arrive on the PlayStation 5 as a timed exclusive. It will launch for the PC platform after an unspecified amount of time has passed. According to the game"s producer Naoki Yoshida, the next big announcement about the game will be made in 2021, hinting that the Final Fantasy title will launch sometime next year.