Watch the Final Fantasy XVI State of Play gameplay reveal

thesixthaxis.com:

After years of build up, Square Enix has given us a grand Final Fantasy 16 gameplay reveal with the latest State of Play stream showcasing 20 minutes of the game running on PlayStation 5. Final Fantasy XVI is a PS5 exclusive coming out on 22nd June 2023.

Set in the fantasy world of Valisthea, the landscape is dominated by the gigantic Mothercrystals that feed the people with aether and the ability to use magicks. The Mothercrystals have given rise to different nations and factions, and while they have co-existed in the past, a Blight is now shattering the peace.

There are six realms in Valisthea and they are The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, The Kingdom of Waloed, The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom, and The Crystalline Dominion. Each one drawns upon a particular Eikon, which take on the role of summons in FF16 and have some recognisable forms from previous games already shown in the trailers.

Clive Rosfield is our main protagonist, witnessing his kingdom destroyed and goes on a revenge quest in pursuit of those that wrought this destruction upon them. The game takes place across three distinct periods in Clive’s life – his teens, twenties and thirties – the tale jumping back in a flashback to reveal his earlier life.

The team behind FF16 – many of whom have come across from the excellent MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 – have opted for a real-time action-based approach and even describe it as the “first true action RPG” in the series filled with plenty of bombastic set piece battles. In all fairness, this has been the way that the series has been heading, but some will still decry the loss of a turn-based system and more thoughtful approach.

Clive will learn a wide array of abilities taken from the