At the beginning of Sony’s PlayStation 5 conference today, Sony and Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy XVI as a PlayStation console exclusive.
Creative Business Unit III is the specific developer behind FFXVI, and they’re best known for their work on the well-regarded MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV expansion Heavensward. Indeed, that team began hiring for a mystery project shortly after the expansion came out. Final Fantasy XVI is fairly significant as it marks the first time a fully original Final Fantasy is being made that wasn’t announced or worked on since 2006. When the trailer mentioned that “The legacy of the crystals has shaped our history for long enough,” it was likely talking about the Fabula Nova Crystallis, which includes all of FFXIII and FFXV. Boy, it has been a while.
Naoki Yoshida, the iconic “Yoshi-P” who has been directing FFXIV since A Realm Reborn, is the producer of the game. In a message to fans, Yoshida said: “How did you enjoy the trailer? The exclusive footage, comprised of both battles and cutscenes running in real-time, represents but a fraction of what our team has accomplished since the start of development on this, an all-new Final Fantasy game. In that span, the team’s size has grown from a handful of core members to a full-fledged unit that continues to polish and build upon what they have created so far, all to provide players an experience unmatched in terms of story and gameplay.”
The director of Final Fantasy XVI is Hiroshi Takai, who worked on the Romancing SaGa games, The Last Remnant, and was part of the task force that salvaged Final Fantasy XIV. Glimpses of the real-time battle system were shown in the trailer, and the battle director is Ryota Suzuki, who worked on Devil May Cry 5, Dragon’s Dogma, and Marvel vs Capcom 2. That revelation hit me like a load of bricks. It’s still early, but I have a good feeling about this game.
“From the establishment of an all new development environment, to learning the ins-and-outs of the PlayStation 5, the team and I have taken on countless challenges during our journey to bring you the sixteenth chapter in the storied Final Fantasy franchise,” director Takai stated. “And though we’re pouring our hearts and souls into this project each and every day, it may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!”
The next big information reveal for Final Fantasy XVI is scheduled for 2021. The game is confirmed for PlayStation 5, and a note shown in the PS5 showcase has indicated that it will be coming to PC. Square Enix was reached out to by several sites for comment, and stated, “We have no further information on if Final Fantasy XVI will be released on platforms other than the PS5.” At any rate, this is going to be a big system seller when it comes out (I’m guessing 2022), and I’m very excited by what I saw. We’ll keep you up to date with all the news that comes out for FFXVI, and any other news from Square Enix.