Final Fantasy XVI State of Play Reveals 25 Minutes of Combat, Mechanics, & Eikon Battles

Today’s April 2023 State of Play gave players another chance to get lost in the world of Final Fantasy XVI with much more gameplay ahead of its June release date. The 25-minute presentation came with commentary from producer Naoki Yoshida as he detailed FF16’s story, mechanics, and settings.

Square Enix says that Final Fantasy XVI is the first true action RPG entry in the series. It’s something that fans really already knew going into today’s showcase, but the gameplay on display still drives this home, nonetheless. The game will tell the story of Clive Rosefield, following the hero throughout three distinct points in his life: his teens, 20s, and 30s. Some of these periods were shown in the Final Fantasy XVI State of Play, depicting Clive not only at different ages but in very visually distinct areas of the game.

The Final Fantasy XVI State of Play was ultimately an excuse to show off more of its glitzy gameplay. It’s flashy and very busy, with most of the combat footage showing Clive darting around arenas as he uses various abilities. None of the hero’s challenges will be too much for players to bear, however, as Square Enix promises a story-focused difficulty option and plenty of other in-game accessories that can make the experience more manageable for players who aren’t familiar with action RPGs. Another highlight from the showcase was the Eikon vs. Eikon battles, giant fights that take up entire arenas with epic scale and show-stopping attacks.

The FF16 State of Play also took the time to show players what they’ll be up to when they’re not mashing buttons during combat. One of these distractions includes a Hideaway, which will serve as a form of hub world once a certain point of the game is reached. It includes activities like a training room, forge, NPCs to talk to, and more.

Final Fantasy XVI launches for PlayStation 5 on June 22. It will be exclusive on PS5 for at least six months, though Square Enix says not to expect a PC version immediately after the exclusivity period is over. You can watch today’s Final Fantasy XVI State of Play while we wait for that release date to finally arrive, or you can hear the new theme song from Kenshi Yonezu below.