Final Fantasy 16: First Four Hours Preview
Final Fantasy 16 opens with a bang. Two swirling Eikons – colossal beasts that series fans will know better as Summons – pepper each other with fireballs and lash out with their hefty tails as they descend deep under the earth in a scene reminiscent of Gandalf’s plunging tussle with the Balrog. It’s a level of spectacle rarely witnessed in a video game and an early indicator of the huge-scale story awaiting those venturing into Square Enix’s latest.
Having played the following four or so hours, it’s a promise largely lived up to, with razor-sharp combat and thrilling boss battles consistently exciting. But beyond the blade it also engages through its thoroughly fantasy-rooted tale, establishing the world of Valisthea, its factions, and individual personalities to good effect. It makes for an electrifying opening which, despite being a little cutscene heavy at times, made me wish I didn’t have to stop playing.
The opening section that I played is described by Square Enix as “a special version made for media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.” But regardless of if the events presented are identical to the final game or not, don’t worry; I won’t be spoiling any story details for Final Fantasy 16, just discussing some of the themes at play and the stage they set.
