Final Fantasy 16 Is Shaping Up to Be a PS5 Game of the Year Contender | Push Square

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Whisper it, but Square Enix may have an absolute zinger on its hands. There will be some long-time fans who will likely take issue with Final Fantasy XVI’s broadly action-oriented approach, but after approximately an hour of play during a recent preview event, we walked away with our jaw on the floor. If this extraordinarily high budget adventure can stick its landing, then it’ll be a Game of the Year contender for sure.

We got the impression that the Japanese publisher is confident in what it’s put together, and during a meaty presentation prior to our gameplay session, director Naoki Yoshida was in side-splittingly good spirits. In a swanky Shoreditch hotel, he – along with lead localiser Koji Fox, who was on translation duties for the day – joked through an extensive presentation, which offered a crash-course on the world of Valisthea, and the political intrigue that engulfs it.

It’s a Final Fantasy game, so we’re afraid crystals once again play a key role in the plot, but it’s clear that the development team is aiming for a more “adult” story this time around. While influences weren’t mentioned explicitly, it’s obvious the studio has been taking notes from huge Western hits like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and God of War – tonally, it’s got a strong European fantasy flavour to it, but the anime is still very much there, bubbling beneath the surface.

The story, then? It’s dense, so pull up a pew while we try to consolidate it all. As alluded to above, there are multiple crystals located around Valisthea, each one powering a different realm. Clive, the game’s unfortunately named protagonist, hails from the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, but there are several other kingdoms in the game: the Holy Empire of Sanbreque is