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Final Fantasy XVI gets a new trailer and a summer 2023 launch

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This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

During Sony’s State of Play presentation, Square Enix showed a brand new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI. It will launch sometime in the summer of 2023.

Producer Naoki Yoshida debuted the new trailer and it provided some narrative background, saying, “In a world ruled by tyranny and turmoil, there are those who could fight to take back control of their fate.”

Final Fantasy XVI - State of Play June 2022 Dominance Trailer | PS5 Games

The gameplay is in real-time combat with a user interface that looks like a mix of different elements from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin with its skill icons in the corner and Final Fantasy XIII where it shows abilities being activated on the side of the screen.

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Some other gameplay elements were shown as well, including a “stagger” status where enemies double over and become vulnerable to incoming attacks. It’s unclear whether there are other party members available during combat, or if it’s a just solo journey with protagonist Clive Rosefield.

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The trailer also shows a ton of summons and gods commonly seen in the Final Fantasy franchise. These include Phoenix, Ramuh, Shiva, Titan, Garuda, Odin, Bahamut, and Ifrit. It also looks like these gods can fight each other, as the trailer shows a battle between Ifrit and Titan.

While story details are still light, the end of the trailer has an emperor giving a speech, saying, “There will be losses, it is true. Yet for every citizen that falls, another can be bred. For every home that burns, another can be built. the empire will live on.” Given the harsh nature of these words, it seems like the emperor is some sort of antagonistic force.

Final Fantasy XVI is a console exclusive for PlayStation. It’ll launch in summer 2023.

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George Yang
George Yang
George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…
Final Fantasy XVI’s most impressive innovations are the ones you can hear
Clive walks through a field in Final Fantasy XVI.

Final Fantasy XVI is a leap forward for the long-running RPG series in some very obvious ways, The most immediately apparent way it accomplishes that is through its fantastic real-time combat, which makes the adventure into Final Fantasy’s best pure action game to date. Then there are its cinematic Eikon fights, which offer spectacle on a level we’ve long dreamed of seeing in a video game. However, some of its most impressive innovations are ones you can’t actually see. Rather, you’ll need to listen closely.

Ahead of Final Fantasy XVI’s launch, I spoke to series composer Masayoshi Soken about his work on the project. While we talked a bit about his excellent score, Soken was most eager to share details on the new sound tech that was built for the action RPG. You may not notice it while playing, but Final Fantasy XVI raises the bar for video game audio in ways that might soon carry over into other Square Enix titles.
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Final Fantasy 16's cover showcasing its protagonist infront of two demon summons.

Clive is a more sentimental guy than you might expect from looking at him. Even though he puts on a tough face, it's clear he still cares deeply for those around him in Final Fantasy 16. This is most obvious once you unlock the Wall of Memories where he will store all the trinkets and items he finds to display. These curiosities are the main collectibles you will be picking up throughout Final Fantasy 16, but only the first is handed to you. The remaining ones will be off the main path and take a little more work. If you want to fully stock Clive's Wall of Memories with every collectible, here's where you can find them in Final Fantasy 16.
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There are a total of 22 curiosities to find to fill up your Wall of Memories in Final Fantasy 16, but you could really say 21 since the first is given to you as part of the story. Here's where to get them all so you can unlock the For the Hoard trophy.
The Oath
Automatically obtained once you reach the "Cid the Outlaw" main quest.
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Rewarded to you after completing "The White-Winged Wonder" sidequest.
Martelle Apples
Rewarded to you after completing "The Fruits of Her Labors" sidequest.
Cid's Goblet
Rewarded to you after completing the "Payback" sidequest.
Guardians Scarf
Rewarded to you after completing "The Flames of War" sidequest.
Continental Censer
Rewarded to you after completing the "An Eye for an Eye" sidequest.
Hanged Man Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "For Great Justice II" sidequest.
Martha's Rest Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Rekindling the Flame II" sidequest.
Crimson Caravans Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Trading Places II" sidequest.
Charred Sparring Sword
Rewarded to you after completing the "More than Words" sidequest.
Scholar's Bonnet
Rewarded to you after completing the"An Inconvenient Truth" sidequest.
Stolas Quill
Rewarded to you after completing the "A Tail to Tell" sidequest.
Model Airship
Rewarded to you after completing the "Aiming High" sidequest.
Winter Mead
Rewarded to you after completing the "Silver Linings" sidequest.
Rusted Battlehelm
Rewarded to you after completing the "Where There's a Will" sidequest.
Snow Daisy Garland
Rewarded to you after completing the "Priceless" sidequest.
The Triunity Accord
Rewarded to you after completing the "Three's Company" sidequest.
Briar's Kiss Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Lines in the Sand II" sidequest.
Clayhearth Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Duty Undying II" sidequest.
Veil Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Under New Management II" sidequest.
Medicine Chest
Rewarded to you after completing the "Back to Their Origin" sidequest.
The Circle of Malius
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A chronolith trial pillar glowing in the sunlight.

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Phoenix
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