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Final Fantasy XVI Endgame

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During our Final Fantasy XVI cover story trip, I played a few hours of the game much of the press experienced. But I was also given an exclusive tour of FFXVI's endgame and other supplementary content by creative director Hiroshi Takai and combat director Ryota Suzuki.

It's safe to say there's plenty to play, especially if you enjoy chasing numbers in combat.


FFXVI features an Arcade Mode, allowing players to run through stages they've already completed, this time with an on-screen score calculator and combat grader. But a New Game+ playthrough opens up two additional versions, and both are more difficult than the game's base Story Mode and Action Mode difficulties. It's important to note you can play through New Game+ on one of these base difficulties if you'd like, but you're missing a lot of features intended for New Game+. If you're after treasures you missed or PlayStation Trophies you didn't collect, Stage Replay might suit your needs better. And if you're after some combat training or a speedy, destructive action fix, there's a special training mode, accessible through a statuesque Arete Stone within Clive's main hub.



New Game+ lets you play through FFXVI with all of your previously unlocked abilities and gear from the jump, but the highlight is Final Fantasy Mode. This increases the game's difficulty, changes monster placement, and remixes which enemies might appear in combat.

"The main design philosophy is that the first playthrough is about learning Clive, learning the controls, and then enjoying the story," Suzuki says. "The second playthrough, we want to shift that focus – because the story hasn't changed – to the action. For example, in Story Mode, while players may encounter waves of enemies, a lot of times, enemies don't attack at once to allow players to be able to handle everything. In the harder modes of the game, we have removed these limitations so that you have multiple enemies all attacking Clive at the same time.


In a Final Fantasy Mode New Game+ playthrough, by interacting with the Arete Stone in your hideaways, you can complete Final Fantasy Mode difficulty stages in Arcade Mode or an even more difficult variant called Ultimaniac Mode. Arcade Mode's global leaderboards will only be active in these two modes.

"[These modes were] pretty much created solely for the hardcore players, those players that pride themselves on their skills in action games," Suzuki says, noting that the only exclusive reward players can earn from these modes is pride. "[It's] a challenge that, even for them, is going to be very difficult to complete."




And Final Fantasy and Ultimaniac Mode are just two things awaiting you in a more challenging run of New Game+. A New Game+ run also allows you to upgrade your weapons further beyond what you can in your initial playthrough. You can also upgrade accessories, which is only possible in the game in a Final Fantasy Mode playthrough in New Game+. You'll also gain access to the Final Chronolith Trials, or if you're not in Final Fantasy Mode, just Chronolith Trials.

These trials are the most difficult challenge in FFXVI, Takai says. They consist of multiple stages, each with four rounds of enemies. The first three rounds will be standard waves of monsters, each increasing in difficulty as you progress. The fourth round, however, will feature a boss.
Chronolith Trials are also time trials, and every stage contains a list of moves, combos, and objectives you can execute to gain more time. However, pulling these off won't be easy because there's no healing in these trials, save for recovery that immediately begins after activating any Limit Break move.

 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
New Game+ lets you play through FFXVI with all of your previously unlocked abilities and gear from the jump, but the highlight is Final Fantasy Mode. This increases the game's difficulty, changes monster placement, and remixes which enemies might appear in combat.
fxUK.gif
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?



Thanks.

On another note, I hope they'd added traditional difficulties instead of those godly-accessories. Their use is understandable but they take accessory space for players who might want to mix/match.
 
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Danjin44

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Thanks.

On another note, I hope they'd added traditional difficulties instead of those godly-accessories. Their use is understandable but they take accessory space for players who might want to mix/match.
they is Story mode which those accessory already equipped and action mode which they are not automatically equipped.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
So is that 30 main/20 side? 50 seems too high for an action based FF. I like enemy placement changes. Would it offend a crowd if they added new enemies to NG+? I always liked that idea and I only witnessed it in Dark Souls 2.
 
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Danjin44

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So is that 30 main/20 side? 50 seems too high for an action based FF.
Why exactly? I mean Tales of Arise action combat RPG that also had 40-50 hours length.

I dont think this need to be said but we had action combat in JRPGs before....FFXVI still RPG.
 
Sounds absolutely awesome.
Not sure if I will get it day 1 as I prefer to be outside during the summer months but I’m already looking forward to play it.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Why exactly? I mean Tales of Arise action combat RPG that also had 40-50 hours length.

I dont think this need to be said but we had action combat in JRPGs before....FFXVI still RPG.
Cause I don’t want FF to become Tales. :)

Actually, I just don’t want to get burned out before the credits roll. Especially if I’m doing NG+.
 
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Danjin44

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Cause I don’t want FF to become Tales. :)
We had many action RPGs beside Tales of series even back in Square Soft era.
Heck we had Parasite Eve a JRPG that plays like survival horror game. I love turn based combat but JRPG is not just turn based combat.
Actually, I just don’t want to get burned out before the credits roll. Especially if I’m doing NG+.
I mean easy solution is take break after beating the game and then comeback later on for NG+ and you can even play the game but don’t do all the side quests and instead do them on your NG+ run.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
We had many action RPGs beside Tales of series even back in Square Soft era.
Heck we had Parasite Eve a JRPG that plays like survival horror game. I love turn based combat but JRPG is not just turn based combat.

I mean easy solution is take break after beating the game and then comeback later on for NG+!and even you play the game but don’t do all the side quests and instead do on you NG+ run.
I don’t remember Parasite Eve being that long and I played both 1 and 2. I’m also a long time fan of JRPGs, like you. Right. I just don’t think it’ll take 50 to complete it. I had finished the main campaign of XV in 26 hours? Granted, XVI has fixed the combat problems of XV. I feel like on a big scale, like Square is putting FF with this installment. That 30 is a reasonable length with a lot of side stuff to do. You could tackle the 100 floor tower in Parasite Eve for the true final boss or just finish the game at a reasonable time. Does everyone want to throw 50 hours to do all that? I think the answer is a mix bag. They’re attracting more than just JRPG enthusiasts with this. TotK is a good but bad example. Put 30 hours in, finish the game. 36-40 ok, but I think the sweet spot is between 30-40 for the main. I don’t even take that long when I replay PS1 Square games. I did grind for the OP gear in Xenogears. It would be great if this 50 hours was fun, right? Extra bosses, ultimate weapons, etc. What’s not fun? Collecting medals or getting some sorta badge. There’s a point where even I feel like the extra stuff is a bit boring. This is a AAA 2023 A-RPG. They want this to sell.
 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
I don’t remember Parasite Eve being that long and I played both 1 and 2. I’m also a long time fan of JRPGs, like you. Right. I just don’t think it’ll take 50 to complete it. I had finished the main campaign of XV in 26 hours? Granted, XVI has fixed the combat problems of XV. I feel like on a big scale, like Square is putting FF with this installment. That 30 is a reasonable length with a lot of side stuff to do. You could tackle the 100 floor tower in Parasite Eve for the true final boss or just finish the game at a reasonable time. Does everyone want to throw 50 hours to do all that? I think the answer is a mix bag. They’re attracting more than just JRPG enthusiasts with this. TotK is a good but bad example. Put 30 hours in, finish the game. 36-40 ok, but I think the sweet spot is between 30-40 for the main. I don’t even take that long when I replay PS1 Square games. I did grind for the OP gear in Xenogears. It would be great if this 50 hours was fun, right? Extra bosses, ultimate weapons, etc. What’s not fun? Collecting medals or getting some sorta badge. There’s a point where even I feel like the extra stuff is a bit boring. This is a AAA 2023 A-RPG. They want this to sell.
The way I see it if the journey is not satisfying and fun then it doesn't matter its 20 hours long or 100 hours long, you are still going to get burnout, to me if the game is fun then it really doesn't matter how long the game is.

I mean I'm fan of Shin Megami Tensei and Xenoblade games and those games are 80 - 100 hours long but they are fun so I dont mind.
 
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Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
Source


During our Final Fantasy XVI cover story trip, I played a few hours of the game much of the press experienced. But I was also given an exclusive tour of FFXVI's endgame and other supplementary content by creative director Hiroshi Takai and combat director Ryota Suzuki.

It's safe to say there's plenty to play, especially if you enjoy chasing numbers in combat.


FFXVI features an Arcade Mode, allowing players to run through stages they've already completed, this time with an on-screen score calculator and combat grader. But a New Game+ playthrough opens up two additional versions, and both are more difficult than the game's base Story Mode and Action Mode difficulties. It's important to note you can play through New Game+ on one of these base difficulties if you'd like, but you're missing a lot of features intended for New Game+. If you're after treasures you missed or PlayStation Trophies you didn't collect, Stage Replay might suit your needs better. And if you're after some combat training or a speedy, destructive action fix, there's a special training mode, accessible through a statuesque Arete Stone within Clive's main hub.



New Game+ lets you play through FFXVI with all of your previously unlocked abilities and gear from the jump, but the highlight is Final Fantasy Mode. This increases the game's difficulty, changes monster placement, and remixes which enemies might appear in combat.

"The main design philosophy is that the first playthrough is about learning Clive, learning the controls, and then enjoying the story," Suzuki says. "The second playthrough, we want to shift that focus – because the story hasn't changed – to the action. For example, in Story Mode, while players may encounter waves of enemies, a lot of times, enemies don't attack at once to allow players to be able to handle everything. In the harder modes of the game, we have removed these limitations so that you have multiple enemies all attacking Clive at the same time.


In a Final Fantasy Mode New Game+ playthrough, by interacting with the Arete Stone in your hideaways, you can complete Final Fantasy Mode difficulty stages in Arcade Mode or an even more difficult variant called Ultimaniac Mode. Arcade Mode's global leaderboards will only be active in these two modes.

"[These modes were] pretty much created solely for the hardcore players, those players that pride themselves on their skills in action games," Suzuki says, noting that the only exclusive reward players can earn from these modes is pride. "[It's] a challenge that, even for them, is going to be very difficult to complete."




And Final Fantasy and Ultimaniac Mode are just two things awaiting you in a more challenging run of New Game+. A New Game+ run also allows you to upgrade your weapons further beyond what you can in your initial playthrough. You can also upgrade accessories, which is only possible in the game in a Final Fantasy Mode playthrough in New Game+. You'll also gain access to the Final Chronolith Trials, or if you're not in Final Fantasy Mode, just Chronolith Trials.

These trials are the most difficult challenge in FFXVI, Takai says. They consist of multiple stages, each with four rounds of enemies. The first three rounds will be standard waves of monsters, each increasing in difficulty as you progress. The fourth round, however, will feature a boss.
Chronolith Trials are also time trials, and every stage contains a list of moves, combos, and objectives you can execute to gain more time. However, pulling these off won't be easy because there's no healing in these trials, save for recovery that immediately begins after activating any Limit Break move.

Sounds tedious
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
The way I see it the journey is not satisfying and fun then it doesn't matter its 20 hours long or 100 hours long, you are still going to get burnout, to me if the game is fun then it really doesn't matter how long the game is.

I mean I'm fan of Shin Megami Tensei and Xenoblade games and those games are 80 - 100 hours long but they are fun so I dont mind.
You are absolutely right. If you like the demon hunting then you get hours upon hours of game time. It’s probably a side effect of playing AAA games and having this anxiety of finishing the game in a set period of time.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
You are absolutely right. If you like the demon hunting then you get hours upon hours of game time. It’s probably a side effect of playing AAA games and having this anxiety of finishing the game in a set period of time.
Ooooooh yeah! Demon hunting and fusion is crazy addictive to me.

I can finish crazy long dungeons in Strange Journey for that reason alone. And that just one of the dungeon map.
6993
 
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