Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide releases April 18, 2024

[Rutger]

Since it's been just shy of a month, and XVI is now basically complete with only the port to PC really remaining for those who've finished what do you want out of CS3's next title? Like what do you hope they learned and what do you most want to see (or not see ig) in their next single player work?

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Expand on the battle system they created in FFXVI, the DLC fights are fantastic and shows they know what they're doing there.

I'd like multiple characters with a job system in place of the Eikons. I like how we have to build Clive's moveset, but now that they have a solid foundation they need to expand that to the whole party. I can go either way of character switching mid combat, but if it does exist don't make it so required like in the FFVIIR games.

I kind of don't want them to go open world. I don't think FFXVI's world is that bad of an idea, it just needs optional paths/dungeon and better rewards to find. Basically push it further in FFXII's direction.
But I'm not really too picky on things like that and the setting, I mostly want to see them continue with the combat because I think they have had a very good start.

 

[Kuro]

Since it's been just shy of a month, and XVI is now basically complete with only the port to PC really remaining for those who've finished what do you want out of CS3's next title? Like what do you hope they learned and what do you most want to see (or not see ig) in their next single player work?

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I want them to make more use of what they've accomplished with XIV in regards to world building, party members, main plot, and side content in the next one. XVI was missing a lot of what I love about XIV although I still very much enjoyed the game.

I also want to see them go all in on a proper job system. I'd be fine if they iterated on this current action combat system but with playable party members or if they decided to go full tactical or turn-based. I really don't have a preference and won't whine like a baby about it (unless its XII's automated boring system).

 

[DarthKamen]

Since it's been just shy of a month, and XVI is now basically complete with only the port to PC really remaining for those who've finished what do you want out of CS3's next title? Like what do you hope they learned and what do you most want to see (or not see ig) in their next single player work?

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-Evolve the combat with more characters, preferably with a job system. I'd also prefer a resource management, like MP in Kingdom Hearts for abilities over cooldowns, but I could accept cooldowns as long as each character/job is deep enough.

-The world structure is fine, but NEEDS more things to do in it like actual optional dungeons and cool secret areas with good rewards. Also being able to actually walk between zones. Basically make it like XII.

-3-5 minigames to break up the combat, not overboard like Rebirth but a few things to add variety. Ideally a card game, fishing, and something else I'd need to give more thought on.

-Preferably a tone closer to XIV than XVI.

-I really hope we can get a woman protagonist again.

-Setting wise I'd probably want like XII or XIV, obviously fantasy but with a healthy dose of tech.

 

[idiotmode]

I guess for me as I asked, I would go for something like DarthKamen mentioned with a MP system and Job system, multiple characters playable mid combat if possible if not I'd go for a XV like compromise mid combat where each non playable members has an attack on one of the d pad buttons. I think I agree with most on being fine with current world design but wanting a lot more to do in each zone. Be it secret dungeons or optional super bosses etc. Hunts are fine and can stay I think they just need to refine it better.

For me a big thing is the gearing system. I'd want the berseker ring to be like the skeleton of all gear not just things like the accessories. Weapons with unique gameplay effects, armor that has secondary effects. Stat sticks aren't gonna cut it imo. I don't need +5% ice damage stuff lol I don't think that's great but more big defining changes tied to gear. Also I think I would go with a more traditional skill window with like minor buffs and attributes mixed with active skills for each job the party unlocks throughout the game. I'd prefer a female lead as well personally, but it's not a be all end all for me ig.

 

[Rutger]

I'd rather they keep the cooldown system.
Because honestly I haven't played an ARPG with a traditional MP system that felt like it added something fun. It's always either a complete non-issue or a complete stop having fun system.

I think they were going in the right direction with the DLC accessories, like precision dodge reducing cooldowns, they can go further with something like a small reduction for landing normal attacks and other unique things that better complement what we want to do in an action game.

On the subject of gear, I think Monster Hunter is they game to look at, tieing skills into the pieces of gear. A lot of the single ability buffing accessories could be worked into gear, and let us stack gear with matching skills to increase their effectiveness. That alone would have made FFXVI's gear a lot more dynamic, rather than keeping it all to accessories that can't be buffed until NG+.

 

[Toth]

Oh no, the topic is imploding into the older one. Let's just say that the team that made Rising Tide and Echoes should defintely handle any FFXVI spinoff or sequel. I am very impressed by their work, and their contributions to the XVI formula. Levitathan is a game changer in so many ways and Mysidia is one of the best graphical areas SE has ever made.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

Cleared the Kairos Gate.
Made use of the Timely abilities since I only cared about the trophy.
It's really easy if you trust it.
Just never dodge yourself and lave it completely to the auto-dodge.
Also take your time and don't attack while attacks are incoming.
I only got hit twice the entire time, and one of them was my fault for reloading Levi at a bad time.

 

[crimmy88]

Oh no, the topic is imploding into the older one. Let's just say that the team that made Rising Tide and Echoes should defintely handle any FFXVI spinoff or sequel. I am very impressed by their work, and their contributions to the XVI formula. Levitathan is a game changer in so many ways and Mysidia is one of the best graphical areas SE has ever made.

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I have the same sentiment. XVI was a good game, especially if we consider its the team's first single-player game. With the DLCs, im more confident in them now because it shows theyre willing to address criticisms. They really should build more on this character-action game combat system they have, even if it doesnt end up being a main line FF title. Cant wait what CBU3 works on next.

 

[duckroll]

Since it's been just shy of a month, and XVI is now basically complete with only the port to PC really remaining for those who've finished what do you want out of CS3's next title? Like what do you hope they learned and what do you most want to see (or not see ig) in their next single player work?

Click to shrink...

Why just single player work? I would not mind seeing a sequel to FFXVI feature 2-4 player co-op as well. What is important is for them to build on their strengths and focus on the action part of the game. Would love to see sequels of FFXVI go full action with or without multiplayer. It could be a good foundation for a FF sub-series that can rival both MonHun clones and Musou clones.

 

[Vareon]

Why just single player work? I would not mind seeing a sequel to FFXVI feature 2-4 player co-op as well. What is important is for them to build on their strengths and focus on the action part of the game. Would love to see sequels of FFXVI go full action with or without multiplayer. It could be a good foundation for a FF sub-series that can rival both MonHun clones and Musou clones.

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My "tales from the ass" prediction is I think we'll see future FF having two brands, one is an evolution to turn based gameplay like Rebirth and one is a pure action game with multiplayer elements and even a character creator. Both "sub brands" will still feature heavy storytelling, as this will still be FF's pride.

CS3 will want to leverage what they learned from XVI to the next game, and even though they don't necessarly want to make another FF main series game, Kiryu might want their next game to be part of FF series anyway, to further strengthen the brand. CS1 will do their VII part 3 thing and maybe immediately to XVII next. If CS3 managed to establish a successful sub brand, the wait for XVII won't be too painful. Spinoff like Stranger of Paradise is just gone now, unless it's a super anniversary thing like Dissidia or WoFF.

CS3 has multiplayer experience, and now they have AAA action game experience on their hand. I think their next game will be positioned as a successor to XIV and XVI both.

 

[Rutger]

Yeah, I've talked about it before, but I think they have a good foundation to create a singleplayer FF with a compelling multiplayer side out of what they made in FFXVI on top of existing multiplayer experience among the team.

 

[Toth]

FFXVI is essentially a single player FFXIV though right down to quest and reward structure.

 

[duckroll]

FFXVI is essentially a single player FFXIV though right down to quest and reward structure.

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It's... nothing like FFXIV other than taking bad interface lessons though? That seems like a silly comment to make when the games don't play anything alike at all.

 

[Toth]

No? Quest and NPC Structure and dungeon wise, it's very similar. Even the map system is a carbon copy of XIV.

 

[Neutron]

No? Quest and NPC Structure and dungeon wise, it's very similar. Even the map system is a carbon copy of XIV.

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I agree, except for the map aspect.

FFXIV is a carbon copy of FFXII (just with less zone divides) and definitely something that would have improved XVI.

 

[duckroll]

Just because something looks similar in terms of interface and cues does not mean it plays anything alike. FFXVI is in no way a single player FFXIV in any meaningful way for someone actually playing the game.

 

[Strings]

I wish it was more like FFXIV...

 

[Chri5t]

Just because something looks similar in terms of interface and cues does not mean it plays anything alike. FFXVI is in no way a single player FFXIV in any meaningful way for someone actually playing the game.

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Actually, I thought the dungeon design was VERY similar to FFXIV. Walk down a linear corridor, fight trash mobs, rinse until you hit a mini-boss, then you fight the big bad at the end.

That doesn't mean it's bad design, but you can clearly see how FFXIV influenced FFXVI.

 

[crimmy88]

Just because something looks similar in terms of interface and cues does not mean it plays anything alike. FFXVI is in no way a single player FFXIV in any meaningful way for someone actually playing the game.

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Part of the quest structure was kinda similar, imo. I recall doing quests for the main NPCs of each zones to earn their trust/badge was akin to the first half (Ala Migo) of Storm Blood.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Actually, I thought the dungeon design was VERY similar to FFXIV. Walk down a linear corridor, fight trash mobs, rinse until you hit a mini-boss, then you fight the big bad at the end.

That doesn't mean it's bad design, but you can clearly see how FFXIV influenced FFXVI.

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I agree with this. XVI's "story missions" are straight-up FFXIV dungeons, in every way. The whole game just feels very structurally similar to FFXIV, just with Dollar General DMC combat subbed in for XIV's WoW-style hotkey spam.

 

[Rutger]

Actually, I thought the dungeon design was VERY similar to FFXIV. Walk down a linear corridor, fight trash mobs, rinse until you hit a mini-boss, then you fight the big bad at the end.

That doesn't mean it's bad design, but you can clearly see how FFXIV influenced FFXVI.

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That's also just pretty standard character action stage design. Kind of a case of different design philosophies coming to the same conclusion for what much of the audience wants.

 

[Atom]

• Make it like the good parts of XIV and not the bad parts.
• Allocate the budget more evenly over the game, so that you're not going from 15m absurdly expensive sequences to shot reverse short mannequins with barely any emoting for hours.
• Don't let Maehiro write anything. Keep him has a cutscene director though. More women who actually do stuff, less women who are handled in some of the most offensive ways in the history of the franchise. Don't try and do something grim and mature again because a lot of it just comes off as tryhard and like the writers are ill equipped to handle the gravitas of the themes they're flailing at.
• Fuck cooldowns, do resource management with MP. Stranger of Paradise had it right, 6 MP max that you build quickly by playing well, and you're penalized for playing badly, and there are all manner of passives, perks and build shit you can do to generate MP in creative ways versus just waiting for the timer to expire, bar that one accessory. If you want to tie the limit gauge to ability usage or something fine, same idea.
• Don't try a single character action game again, or if you have to, eikons or loadouts or whatever need to be like, Stranger of Paradise or Lightning Returns loadouts. Weapon with moveset + abilities + gear + accessories so there's a few layers of equipment level synergies you can think about.
• Have actual stats, buffs, debuffs, statuses, resistances, affinities.
• More than one string per weapon.
• Do level design this time. No corridors. Have some backtracking and shortcuts and verticality. Get whoever did those FFXV dungeons and get them to just make a dozen or so optional dungeons and put a unique boss in each of them.
• Have a final dungeon this time.
• Don't make people pay extra for unique superbosses. Things like Omega and Kairos gate should have been a postgame reward from the getgo.
• Include black people.
• Include a few minigames. Don't need to be like out of left field or wacky or anything but a few different modes of gameplay that make sense. If you're gonna do big continent spanning battles do something like Type-0's RTS missions but better.
• Keep the general gamefeel, target 60 fps and make the necessary visual cutbacks if you're doing an action game.
• Or make Granblue Relink: FF edition with playable protagonists from across the franchise + Jack Garland. Market it under the Dissidia brand alongside a separate remaster of 012 with online multiplayer. Leverage your multiplayer experience to actually provide something novel instead of something tired and unambitious.

It's... nothing like FFXIV other than taking bad interface lessons though? That seems like a silly comment to make when the games don't play anything alike at all.

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They're structurally super similar games, right down to dungeons that are just straight shot lines with mid bosses and an end boss, general structure of walking through a zone, unlocking fast travel points until you get to a part of the map where you unlock a new duty that you access through a separate interface, the game has filler sidequests and priority sidequests and all sidequests are staged like XIV sidequests of go here and kill/collect X, your base functions similar to one of the towns that's added per expansion. Combat is rotation based where you select your cooldowns, the game has dps checks, aoe markers and many fights do the same shit that XIV trials do where you have to deal with a rigid mechanic that breaks the flow of the encounter, which is atypical for many action games, all the self-referential shit as well, I could go on.

Playing it I felt like I was playing a bad XIV expansion that didn't leverage any of the good shit XIV had done since like 2013.

 

[duckroll]

I'm surprised how many of you actually think that FFXVI plays like FFXIV. I don't feel it at all beyond a totally superficial level. Like I said, the interface and some design quirks are similar, sure, but the game itself is nothing at all like what I actually enjoy in FFXIV. If I consider FFXVI to be similar to FFXIV, it would be the worst game ever because it captures zero percent of the appeal. The writing and characters are mostly trash. The world building is trash. There is zero large community zone exploration. The game has no customization options or meaningful flexibility in playstyle. Large combat zones are boring and unrewarding to explore. Crafting is absolute garbage. Itemization and equipment are meaningless. Nothing at all like the gameplay which I adore in FFXIV at all.

But the things I love about FFXVI that make it its own game has nothing at all to do with FFXIV - it's a really fun pure action game, combat is fierce and visceral, enemy waves can come in huge numbers that feel great to tear apart with combos, bosses require a lot of reaction and evasion beyond just normal tells for special attacks, Eikon battles are cinematic showcases beyond anything a MMO can afford to do, lots of great optional challenges that test combat mechanics and limit player options for higher level play.

If FFXVI is compared to FFXIV, it's a 3 or 4 out of 10. If FFXVI is compared to DMC5, it's at least a 6 or 7 out of 10. If FFXVI is seen as it's own thing without comparing, it is easily a 8 or 9 out of 10 for me.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I'm surprised how many of you actually think that FFXVI plays like FFXIV. I don't feel it at all beyond a totally superficial level. Like I said, the interface and some design quirks are similar, sure, but the game itself is nothing at all like what I actually enjoy in FFXIV. If I consider FFXVI to be similar to FFXIV, it would be the worst game ever because it captures zero percent of the appeal. The writing and characters are mostly trash. The world building is trash. There is zero large community zone exploration. The game has no customization options or meaningful flexibility in playstyle. Large combat zones are boring and unrewarding to explore. Crafting is absolute garbage. Itemization and equipment are meaningless. Nothing at all like the gameplay which I adore in FFXIV at all.

But the things I love about FFXVI that make it its own game has nothing at all to do with FFXIV - it's a really fun pure action game, combat is fierce and visceral, enemy waves can come in huge numbers that feel great to tear apart with combos, bosses require a lot of reaction and evasion beyond just normal tells for special attacks, Eikon battles are cinematic showcases beyond anything a MMO can afford to do, lots of great optional challenges that test combat mechanics and limit player options for higher level play.

If FFXVI is compared to FFXIV, it's a 3 or 4 out of 10. If FFXVI is compared to DMC5, it's at least a 6 or 7 out of 10. If FFXVI is seen as it's own thing without comparing, it is easily a 8 or 9 out of 10 for me.

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As someone who mostly plays XIV solo, it feels almost identical to how it feels to play FFXIV solo, just with a worse-executed story and characters. The problem is that the writing and worldbuilding in XVI is so mediocre that it drags everything down around it.

It's a sign that you can't just take XIV's structure and port it into other genres, because the strengths of the MMO format cover for the weaknesses in the core structural design in a way that are VERY visible in a single-player offline RPG.

 

[duckroll]

As someone who mostly plays XIV solo, it feels almost identical to how it feels to play FFXIV solo, just with a worse-executed story and characters. The problem is that the writing and worldbuilding in XVI is so mediocre that it drags everything down around it.

It's a sign that you can't just take XIV's structure and port it into other genres, because the strengths of the MMO format cover for the weaknesses in the core structural design in a way that are VERY visible in a single-player offline RPG.

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I just don't see how this is the case. The game and all the design and mechanics are just fundamentally different. How can you play FFXVI like you play FFXIV solo? When I play FFXIV solo there are a billion things I can do that are all fun. I can level non-combat jobs doing all sorts of fun crafting stuff supported by crafting quests and there are large zones to explore to find materials. I can level gatherer jobs to support my crafter jobs, and there are entire questlines and zones to cater to that. I have huge cities to explore and talk to NPCs and just take in the world building. When I do dungeons or trials, I can play as a tank or healer, offering very varied playstyles that don't rely on any sort of reactive action, rather take on a strategic approach on the frontline or backline of my Trust NPC party members.

When I play FFXVI, I hit buttons to do massive damage everywhere and everyday. I can't do anything else. There's nothing else to do than to KILL KILL KILL and dodge and KILL KILL KILL and dodge and KILL KILL KILL and dodge.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I just don't see how this is the case. The game and all the design and mechanics are just fundamentally different. How can you play FFXVI like you play FFXIV solo? When I play FFXIV solo there are a billion things I can do that are all fun. I can level non-combat jobs doing all sorts of fun crafting stuff supported by crafting quests and there are large zones to explore to find materials. I can level gatherer jobs to support my crafter jobs, and there are entire questlines and zones to cater to that. I have huge cities to explore and talk to NPCs and just take in the world building. When I do dungeons or trials, I can play as a tank or healer, offering very varied playstyles that don't rely on any sort of reactive action, rather take on a strategic approach on the frontline or backline of my Trust NPC party members.

When I play FFXVI, I hit buttons to do massive damage everywhere and everyday. I can't do anything else. There's nothing else to do than to KILL KILL KILL and dodge and KILL KILL KILL and dodge and KILL KILL KILL and dodge.

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Honestly as someone who's played XIV for a decade my entire playstyle is pretty much "ride my mount to quest objective, halfassedly mash through sidequest dialogue because I don't care about incidental worldbuilding anymore, fight monsters, ride back to questgiver, then repeat while yammering at people on Discord'. I've been playing the game for such a long time I basically only pay full attention during main story cutscenes and I completely skip any quest icon that doesn't have a + mark on it nowadays. I don't craft, I don't gather, I don't raid. I just do the story and my Gold Saucer shit and then I'm out.

And in that regard, that's why it feels like offline XIV to me - because all I kinda do in XIV at this point is fight things and talk to NPCs in an endless loop.

 

[duckroll]

Honestly as someone who's played XIV for a decade my entire playstyle is pretty much "ride my mount to quest objective, halfassedly mash through sidequest dialogue because I don't care about incidental worldbuilding anymore, fight monsters, ride back to questgiver, then repeat while yammering at people on Discord'. I've been playing the game for such a long time I basically only pay full attention during main story cutscenes and I completely skip any quest icon that doesn't have a + mark on it nowadays. I don't craft, I don't gather, I don't raid. I just do the story and my Gold Saucer shit and then I'm out.

And in that regard, that's why it feels like offline XIV to me - because all I kinda do in XIV at this point is fight things and talk to NPCs in an endless loop.

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That sounds like a you problem. If you choose not to engage with anything the game has to offer, and then compare it with a game that has none of that to offer and say they are the same thing, I'll say that's not a very good comparison.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

That sounds like a you problem. If you choose not to engage with anything the game has to offer, and then compare it with a game that has none of that to offer and say they are the same thing, I'll say that's not a very good comparison.

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I don't have the inventory space to craft or gather, and I am not paying Square Enix for additional retainers beyond the two maxed-out ones I already have, so that's on them for not allowing me to engage with the systems they put in their game. I would do it if inventory wasn't a roadblock, alas this seems to be something they will never budge on because they monetized it.

 

[Toth]

Please don't derail the topic with XIV, let's focus on how amazing it was for FFXVI to get excellent DLC in less than 10 months.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Please don't derail the topic with XIV, let's focus on how amazing it was for FFXVI to get excellent DLC in less than 10 months.

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I thought the DLC was just okay, honestly. It has all the same structural and design weaknesses as the base game and didn't really stick in my memory after I finished it. It just felt like an XIV content patch, just like Echoes of the Fallen did. "More XVI", for better or for worse depending on how you felt about the base game.

The Leviathan moveset was pretty funny for a couple minutes but when I finished the DLC I felt absolutely no impetus to go back in and replay the whole game with Leviathan as part of the rotation. It just kinda...floated away.

 

[duckroll]

Please don't derail the topic with XIV, let's focus on how amazing it was for FFXVI to get excellent DLC in less than 10 months.

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I mean you were the one who said FFXVI is a single player FFXIV and I completely disagree with it. How else can one make that argument without talking about XIV? Can't bring up something and then not want to engage in it...

 

[Toth]

Oh no, what i mean is that the thread was quickly devolving into FFXIV greviences.

 

[duckroll]

With regards to the DLC, I'm still going through Echoes of the Fallen, and I really enjoy it. The Sagespire is a really cool design and shows off the high-end lighting FFXVI is known for really well. I think it's nice that there are story events and character comments on things you discover as you progress in the tower too, which is something I would have liked more from the dungeon stages in the main game. The bosses so far have very cool patterns too, and feels like a great way to reuse existing assets without feeling like completely recycled content.

I hope that the Season Pass has been economical for S-E, because if it is, using it as a template for more substantial follow ups to FFXVI could be a good way not to break the bank while monetising a good thing they have.

 

[ChocoBuddy]

Making my way through FF mode of the base game to get to the dlc. Echoes was great!

 

[crimmy88]

With regards to the DLC, I'm still going through Echoes of the Fallen, and I really enjoy it. The Sagespire is a really cool design and shows off the high-end lighting FFXVI is known for really well. I think it's nice that there are story events and character comments on things you discover as you progress in the tower too, which is something I would have liked more from the dungeon stages in the main game. The bosses so far have very cool patterns too, and feels like a great way to reuse existing assets without feeling like completely recycled content.

I hope that the Season Pass has been economical for S-E, because if it is, using it as a template for more substantial follow ups to FFXVI could be a good way not to break the bank while monetising a good thing they have.

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I'm bitter CBU3 hasnt implemented a toggle for primogenesis skies yet. The DLCs amplified that bitterness. The lighting in the spire and Mysidia are so beautiful. It makes me wonder what Waloed would look like with blue skies. Ugh. PC mods will probably add this, but kinda bummed that PS5 enjoyers probably wont get this QOL anymore.

 

[Vareon]

I'm bitter CBU3 hasnt implemented a toggle for primogenesis skies yet. The DLCs amplified that bitterness. The lighting in the spire and Mysidia are so beautiful. It makes me wonder what Waloed would look like with blue skies. Ugh. PC mods will probably add this, but kinda bummed that PS5 enjoyers probably wont get this QOL anymore.

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Blue sky isn't "QoL". Primogenesis sky is a storytelling choice I disagree with, but it didn't intervere with the playability of the game.

 

[Risev]

I don't even like how primogenesis is implemented story-wise. It honestly looks like a regular cloudy sunset, and while I guess it's bad to have that be there 24/7, they should have went harder on how creepy it looked

 

[duckroll]

Primogenesis is poor art direction. I'm pretty disappointed that Minagawa and the art team dropped the ball on that so hard. It's not scary, gloomy, or anything. It's just ugly. Whatever they were going for, it didn't work. Unfortunately because otherwise this is the strongest art direction in a mainline FF in a very very long time.

 

[Toth]

Primogenesis is poor art direction. I'm pretty disappointed that Minagawa and the art team dropped the ball on that so hard. It's not scary, gloomy, or anything. It's just ugly. Whatever they were going for, it didn't work. Unfortunately because otherwise this is the strongest art direction in a mainline FF in a very very long time.

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Somehow its going to be resolved in the pc version but i hope its on SE's side so it can be patched into the PS5 version.

 

[Kuro]

My issue with it is the blue aether mist fucks with visibility on top of homegenizing the look of all those beautiful locations they crafted into a regular dreary day in London.

DLC was a sight for sore eyes. I really hope they don't trap themselves narratively like that for the next game or at least make it happen at the very end and not 2/3rds the way.

I'm curious how Remake part 3 is going to handle meteor. Rebirth's open world lighting is abysmal half the time, I can't imagine how bad it would be if the whole world looked like the Nibelheim flashback.

 

[Risev]

It also doesn't help that the cloud textures in 16 look genuinely awful

 

[duckroll]

I think both DLC areas are a very clear indication that the art team still knows what beautiful looks like. They haven't lost the plot or gone blind. Primogenesis was a misstep they unfortunately shipped the game with, but the XVI engine shines so hard in the DLC content. I'm constantly in awe and hope they announce a second artbook soon!

 

[Kuro]

Hiroshi Minagawa is a funny guy. I remember he's done some fun interviews in the past like Noclips XIV doc.

He's had a very impressive run of art direction for the FF series.

Tactics, Vagrant Story, XII, XIV Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and now XVI

He's also the fucking genius that came up with the cross bar solution for XIV and how customizable the UI in that is in general.

 

[Rutger]

I'm bitter CBU3 hasnt implemented a toggle for primogenesis skies yet. The DLCs amplified that bitterness. The lighting in the spire and Mysidia are so beautiful. It makes me wonder what Waloed would look like with blue skies. Ugh. PC mods will probably add this, but kinda bummed that PS5 enjoyers probably wont get this QOL anymore.

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I imagine the biggest problems are that the skies are likely separate instances so they'd have to make new ones with the endgame enemies and npcs, and probably new dialogue too. That and Waloed doesn't have any other version.

I'm curious how Remake part 3 is going to handle meteor. Rebirth's open world lighting is abysmal half the time, I can't imagine how bad it would be if the whole world looked like the Nibelheim flashback.

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Yeah, that has the potential to be worse.
Hopefully they just don't do anything, and just have the Meteor in the sky.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

My issue with it is the blue aether mist fucks with visibility on top of homegenizing the look of all those beautiful locations they crafted into a regular dreary day in London.

DLC was a sight for sore eyes. I really hope they don't trap themselves narratively like that for the next game or at least make it happen at the very end and not 2/3rds the way.

I'm curious how Remake part 3 is going to handle meteor. Rebirth's open world lighting is abysmal half the time, I can't imagine how bad it would be if the whole world looked like the Nibelheim flashback.

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Also all of the overworld music gets replaced with this sad piano drone and it's just...really not fun to spend time in the overworld when every area is that dreary and miserable. But all of the game's optional content is on the overworld so you have no choice. It's rough.

 

[Rutger]

I was actually surprised at how short the primogenesis section was on my second playthrough, so I kind of get the oversight. When you speedrun through the story, skipping cutscenes and sidequests, it's only like 3 or 4 hours out of 20.

But when you stop to do all of the massive amount of endgame sidequests, it's too much.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I was actually surprised at how short the primogenesis section was on my second playthrough, so I kind of get the oversight. When you speedrun through the story, skipping cutscenes and sidequests, it's only like 3 or 4 hours out of 20.

But when you stop to do all of the massive amount of endgame sidequests, it's too much.

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I think if the game had optional dungeons to explore like FFXV did it could've cut back on this massively. If some of the optional side content at the endgame wasn't just running around the same empty field maps you already ran around for the MSQ, it would just FEEL better.

 

[Izanagi89]

With regards to the DLC, I'm still going through Echoes of the Fallen, and I really enjoy it. The Sagespire is a really cool design and shows off the high-end lighting FFXVI is known for really well. I think it's nice that there are story events and character comments on things you discover as you progress in the tower too, which is something I would have liked more from the dungeon stages in the main game. The bosses so far have very cool patterns too, and feels like a great way to reuse existing assets without feeling like completely recycled content.

I hope that the Season Pass has been economical for S-E, because if it is, using it as a template for more substantial follow ups to FFXVI could be a good way not to break the bank while monetising a good thing they have.

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From a lore perspective it's the best environmental storytelling in the game by far. I think it's a pivotal piece of lore missing from understanding The Fallen's place in the story which was always a bit of a disappointment for me. It was a genuinely fun time going through it. I really would kill for this team to build on this game, everytime I think about it I just feel like there's so much untapped potential

 

[duckroll]

From a lore perspective it's the best environmental storytelling in the game by far. I think it's a pivotal piece of lore missing from understanding The Fallen's place in the story which was always a bit of a disappointment for me. It was a genuinely fun time going through it. I really would kill for this team to build on this game, everytime I think about it I just feel like there's so much untapped potential

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Gonna push away all the negativity from today's announcements and finish the DLC!

Must...punch....Omega... 🤣

 

[Red]

Gonna push away all the negativity from today's announcements and finish the DLC!

Must...punch....Omega... 🤣

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The news about 16 was not negative was it? "The game is on track to meet 18-month targets" seems fine? Is that what you're talking about?