The 16th entry in the renowned Final Fantasy series comes to PS5 with the dark world of fantastical Valisthea
If you're a self-proclaimed gamer there's not a chance you've not heard of Final Fantasy. As this point we've had almost 100 Final Fantasy games in total across different spin-offs but it tends to be the mainline series that is most anticipated and after 7 long years since Final Fantasy XV we're getting the release of Final Fantasy XVI June 22nd 2023 as a timed exclusive on PS5. The game has been slated to release for PC as well but there is no time frame for that so on release this is going to be an exclusive for PS5 so if you're a huge Final Fantasy fan still on the PS4 platform I'm afraid you won't be able to play this new mainline entry without investing in a PS5 console.
This time around Final Fantasy is taking a darker turn with the developers stating they've taken influence from the world of Game of Thrones so we'll be expecting some rather brutal narrative based around the more ghastly side of politics and war which if done right could lead to another exceptional story in the Final Fantasy series. At the heart of Final Fantasy XVI's plot are the Eikons (also known as primals) which are the summons we've seen across many Final Fantasy games including the entities Ifrit, Garuda, Ramuh and many more. In Final Fantasy XVI these Eikons are hosted by men and women known as dominants who can draw on the power of these godly creatures.
With all this in mind our setting of Valisthea is home to 6 powerful realms with nations that have been thriving thanks to the power of Mothercrystals and the aether they provide. However the peace among these nations is an uneasy one, as a mysterious Blight is looming and looks to test the mettle of these nations. Our protagonist Clive Rosfield, First Shield of Rosaria is tasked with the job of protecting his younger brother Joshua who is a dominant for the Eikon Phoenix and will embark on a quest for revenge due to tragic events brought on by the dark Eikon Ifrit.
This new entry in the Final Fantasy series is also being directed by Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida, a game that has been hailed for its brilliant story telling so we're definitely excited to see how this plot plays out.