Final Fantasy XVI is finally out! I really enjoyed it, giving it an 8.5 out of 10 in the official Game Informer review (which you can read here). And one of the main reasons I enjoyed my 65+ hours with it was the combat. It’s fast-paced and bombastic and continues to grow more and more robust as you play through the game’s story.
However, it can be difficult. As someone with dozens of hours in the game (and still playing more as I stretch into its endgame content) and a pretty good handle on FFXVI’s combat, I’m here to help with that! Here are 10 tips and tricks to help you dominate the battlefield in FFXVI.
1
Don’t Be Afraid To Use The Timely Accessories
Right off the rip, I want to say this: the Timely Accessories are great and you shouldn’t feel bad using them! Creative Business Unit III put them in the game for a reason, after all. There are five and you can equip up to three at a time. All five can be used right from the game’s start, regardless of if you select to play the easier Story-Focused Mode or more challenging Action-Focused Mode (these accessories are equipped automatically in Story-Focused Mode).
Here’s what each does:
- Ring of Timely Evasion: With this on, Clive automatically evades most enemy attacks.
- Ring of Timely Strikes: With this on, Clive can perform advanced combos and all you need to do is press Square – he automatically handles the rest.
- Ring of Timely Assistance: With this on, Clive’s companion dog, Torgal, automatically attacks and heals in battle without your otherwise-required input.
- Ring of Timely Focus: With this on, time automatically slows down when Clive is attacked, allowing you to press R1 to dodge more easily.
- Ring of Timely Healing: With this on, Clive automatically heals whenever your health reaches a certain point.
2
Use The Hall Of Virtue To Practice
If you’re struggling against a specific type of enemy, head to the Arete Stone in your Hideaway hub and enter the Hall of Virtue. Here, you can select any enemy you’ve fought against to practice in combat with. There are various options to choose from here, too, to adjust your experience: you can turn on specific data points, such as ones to show you when to use a Magic Burst in your combo and more. You can also adjust how the enemy behaves, from fighting them as you normally would to completely turning off all moves and movement, making them a standing target for you to wail on.
3
Experiment With Different Eikon Builds
As you progress through FFXVI, Clive will obtain new Eikons to tap into. And with each new Eikon comes a new special ability (attached to Circle) and two slots for additional Eikonic abilities from that Eikon. For example, the Phoenix Eikon, unlocked from the jump, has a special fiery teleport ability that, upon pressing Circle, quickly phase shifts Clive forward in a direction. But you can use two Phoenix-specific moves on a cooldown timer by pressing R2 + Square or R2 + Triangle.
With each Eikon comes a new Circle ability and two more R2 abilities (and you can unlock more using Ability Points). Because of how each varies and interacts, it’s essential to experiment with these. Try different combos, see how certain moves benefit from coming before or after other abilities, and ultimately, find what works best for you. My favorite trio is Phoenix-Garuda-Bahamut.
4
Master Your Favorite Eikonic Abilities
After unlocking an Eikonic ability, you can upgrade it by spending even more Ability Points, and after upgrading it, you can spend more to “Master” it. This is important because mastering an ability allows you to use it differently. Not only is it more powerful when mastered, but you can also use it with different Eikons. For example, if you master one of Garuda’s abilities, you can equip the Bahamut Eikon and attach a Garuda ability, meaning you don’t have to equip Garuda in one of your three Eikonic slots to tap into her abilities. Mastering abilities opens up the Eikonic abilities to even more mixing and matching, giving you even more customization for combat.
5
Use Limit Break Both Offensively And Defensively
In some of FFXVI’s most difficult fights, you’ll find yourself using all of your potions and elixirs to heal. But sometimes, even that won’t be enough. Fortunately, you have Clive’s Limit Break ability (unlockable during a specific story mission in the game). By pressing L3 + R3, Clive uses Limit Break and while this increases his attack power and speed, it also heals him. The more damage you do, the more Clive heals. So when you need a quick heal, don’t forget about Limit Break.