Final Fantasy 16 Preview – Hands on with this bold new JRPG

thesixthaxis.com:

On the face of it, Final Fantasy 16 seems to be taking the franchise in a bold and refreshing new direction, jumping wholeheartedly into the realms of an action RPG. However, so much of what makes a Final Fantasy game remains. There are Moogles and Chocobos, a friend named ‘Cid’, and the protagonist, Clive, is a gruff, moody git with a tragic backstory. With its blend of the old and the new, it’s shaping up to be one of the best Final Fantasy games yet.

We recently got to go hands on with Final Fantasy 16, starting off with the game’s opening few hours with a teenage Clive, before jumping ahead to later in the game to roam the open world and a combat demo. Through this we got to experience a wide range of what Final Fantasy 16 will offer.

You’ll play as Lord Clive Rosfield, son of the Archduke, big brother to Joshua, brother-figure to Rosaria’s ward Jill, and son to a Disney-level disapproving mother. Joshua is the Dominant of Fire, the sole person who can channel Phoenix and use Fire magic without a Crystal. In a world positively dripping in practical applications of magic, this is clearly a huge deal.

Joshua bestows upon you the Blessing of the Phoenix, letting you wield some Fire magic in the same way, albeit to a much lesser extent. In return, you are his Shield, sworn protector to who is also the future king of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria — a settlement on the western reaches of the continent of Storm.

There are seven other dominants that the world’s doctrine speak of, who together are supposed to form a sort of protectorate. Each dominant is blessed by franchise favourites, from Ramuh and Shiva to Titan. However, unlike the previous games where you can happily release Ifrit to blow the hell out of a lowly soldier or