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FINAL FANTASY XVI | Prologue DEMO

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
This game just doesn't feel good on anything. Performance had awful frame dropping and the quality mode feels like you're watching a slide show. Here's hoping they clean up the performance a bit before the full release, but that being said......

I really, really liked it. I was even impressed with the English voice acting, which is absolutely a first for me with FF. The gameplay is the best FF has ever been, and it really rewards skill while not necessitating it. Visuals are fine, nothing game changing but the game is pleasant to look at, minus the choppy performance. This is a true Final Fantasy has grown up moment, and the writing is genuinely good. It's a bit more brutal than I was expecting, not one for the kids, but that's totally fine and I enjoy the mature fantasy tales more than the family friendly ones.

Good writing, decent visuals, great gameplay, interesting characters, I mean I'm just very in. I won't be buying on release, but I look forward to trying it in the future. Great direction for Final Fantasy in my opinion.
Wait What GIF by MasterChef Italia
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
I don’t think so but it is open to interpretation I guess.

When Clive is on the ground, the Lord Commander looks across and draws Clive’s attention to something, and at that moment the player view switches to First Person - we appear to be seeing through Clive’s eyes and look upon humanoid form of the Ifrit.

So that’s why I don’t think it is Clive, but it’s vague - deliberately so.

There’s the hood guy - who and what he is remains unclear.
I am almost certain it is... well kinda..

He starts getting those headaches... and the first time he does, he sees the hooded guy, and the second time, he sees the Ifrit spirit. I feel that also has to do with them being at their ancestral place, and while the Phoenix Eikon is usually what comes to their family, the second fire Eikon, Ifrit, probably can too. I feel he unknowingly summoned the Ifrit spirit and had no control over it, but in its primal form..it did do what he wanted it to do. Which was to stop his brother. Thing just went a little too far.

But I fee the real giveaway that it was Clive, was that throughout the timeIfrit was around, whenever we looked at what was happening from Clive's perspective, the image had the exact same hue Joshua has when looking at anything from within an Eikon.
 
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Teslerum

Member
So what do you all think? If the real game is as good, will it be able to beat zelda this year?
Real game is hopefully better.

For as good as it is, its still very much a jrpg prologue. Very directed, very linear, , story hasn’t really started mechanical introduction and so on.

I don’t like game comparisons. Apples and oranges, different games with different focus who will appeal to different people.
 
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So what do you all think? If the real game is as good, will it be able to beat zelda this year?
I thought that the 45 minute demo had more story in it than the 50+ hours of TotK I've played. More interesting, too.

But they're wildly different games, so I find it hard to compare them directly because they will both excel in different areas, it just comes down to personal taste.
 

Madflavor

Member
So what do you all think? If the real game is as good, will it be able to beat zelda this year?

No, even if FFXVI ends up being truly extraordinary. Zelda will win at TGA 2023.

That said with how loaded this year is, I don't see another Elden Ring situation where Elden Ring swept the GotY Awards on an unprecedented level. TotK won't be everyone's GotY. There will be outlets that give it to FFXVI or Starfield, assuming both those games are great too. I also don't see TotK sweeping the awards at TGA 2023. I think it has GotY on lock, but it's not a frontrunner for the other categories like Narrative, Action/Adventure, RPG, Performance, Music, Art Design, etc.
 

ToadMan

Member
Technically this could just be similiar to an out of body experience considering the situation. That said it does seem to be very deliberate.

Well I just did a bit of wiki reading and the claim there is that Clive does indeed summon Ifrit … so what do I know! 😝

But I did see some articles where the lore of FF16 was complex to the point the dev team needed the Active Time Lore feature to keep track of everything.

So I have a feeling I’ll have to keep the wiki nearby and probably rewatch cinematics to keep track of things.
 

Teslerum

Member
Well I just did a bit of wiki reading and the claim there is that Clive does indeed summon Ifrit … so what do I know! 😝

But I did see some articles where the lore of FF16 was complex to the point the dev team needed the Active Time Lore feature to keep track of everything.

So I have a feeling I’ll have to keep the wiki nearby and probably rewatch cinematics to keep track of things.
There’s 2 NPC’s later in the hub that will do that for you and keep track of both lore and political as well as in game events.

One at least you even get to level up accompanied by some cute animations.😊
 
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saintjules

Member
I'm in the middle of playing the second demo, but I'm pretty pleased with what I've played overall and already had plans to play this day 1.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went into that Malboro fight with not a real hiccup under performance mode. It felt really good. In the later segments though, I did start to see more of the frame drops people have been experiencing. I think if we've learned anything from demos by now that they seem to represent the final product. However, I do hope the performance mode is a bit more stable at retail because it did feel good when there weren't issues.

I think it's just me getting older (I turn 40 this year), but doing all of the switches between Eikons to use certain elementals will need to keep me constantly thinking on when to switch in and out of those set of skills and how fast I do them. I like the DMC aspect of the combo/switch up systems, but maybe I'm a bit slower on acknowledging when to use them.

Really want to see how the game plays when you're not in those dark areas that the demo provided.

So what do you all think? If the real game is as good, will it be able to beat zelda this year?

They are their own game with their own features that entices their respective fanbases. The good thing for them is that they are mainly exclusive titles to the hardware they're released on.

I think Zelda has the bigger reach due to the sales we saw, which makes it easily a GOTY contender. On the flipside, I think FFXVI will reel in new players and may even be a potential PS5 Console seller. So it's a win/win in some aspects here.
 

ToadMan

Member
I am almost certain it is... well kinda..

He starts getting those headaches... and the first time he does, he sees the hooded guy, and the second time, he sees the Ifrit spirit. I feel that also has to do with them being at their ancestral place, and while the Phoenix Eikon is usually what comes to their family, the second fire Eikon, Ifrit, probably can too. I feel he unknowingly summoned the Ifrit spirit and had no control over it, but in its primal form..it did do what he wanted it to do. Which was to stop his brother. Thing just went a little too far.

But I fee the real giveaway that it was Clive, was that throughout the timeIfrit was around, whenever we looked at what was happening from Clive's perspective, the image had the exact same hue Joshua has when looking at anything from within an Eikon.

Yeah I can see that angle too.

I checked a wiki and that also said it’s Clive inadvertently summoning Ifrit, so I guess the vague way it is presented is to surprise the player with the idea the Clive has indirectly killed his own brother. That raises some interesting possibilities for the story.

Anyway looking forward to getting more of the story next week 👍
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
I'm in the middle of playing the second demo, but I'm pretty pleased with what I've played overall and already had plans to play this day 1.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I went into that Malboro fight with not a real hiccup under performance mode. It felt really good. In the later segments though, I did start to see more of the frame drops people have been experiencing. I think if we've learned anything from demos by now that they seem to represent the final product. However, I do hope the performance mode is a bit more stable at retail because it did feel good when there weren't issues.

I think it's just me getting older (I turn 40 this year), but doing all of the switches between Eikons to use certain elementals will need to keep me constantly thinking on when to switch in and out of those set of skills and how fast I do them. I like the DMC aspect of the combo/switch up systems, but maybe I'm a bit slower on acknowledging when to use them.

It’s a big game, so we old fucks will have plenty of time to grow into the combat mechanics.

Usually I love new game + because I’m deep into the mechanics, and with all the upgrades and customization and play style locked in, it becomes a different experience. I’m glad the devs have talked about new game + and increased difficulty, because that’s when everything comes together.

Games like Witcher 3 and God of War for example, were incredible experiences on new game + because of that.
 
This is a game where I’m not bothered by cutscenes because they are so damn good and that’s kinda what an RPG is known for, only instead of scrolling through text boxes we get amazing cutscenes instead

I hate slow walk and talk sections, but this is totally different. The pacing isn’t a slow slog. It’s fantastic, fast paced, epic, with great writing
yeah I mean it’s not a huge deal to me. The story has sucked me in - which is VERY rare for me with video games. And the cutscenes are beautiful I didn’t realize that big battle was real time
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
No, even if FFXVI ends up being truly extraordinary. Zelda will win at TGA 2023.

That said with how loaded this year is, I don't see another Elden Ring situation where Elden Ring swept the GotY Awards on an unprecedented level. TotK won't be everyone's GotY. There will be outlets that give it to FFXVI or Starfield, assuming both those games are great too. I also don't see TotK sweeping the awards at TGA 2023. I think it has GotY on lock, but it's not a frontrunner for the other categories like Narrative, Action/Adventure, RPG, Performance, Music, Art Design, etc.
Even if Zelda deserved it (not saying it does), I don't think it wins it this year. If FF16 or Starfield is good. They would give it to one of them instead.

feel this year it would come down to which game leaves that lasting impression. And I feel FF16 has that Tlou thing about it. Will be a culture shock of a game.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Even if Zelda deserved it (not saying it does), I don't think it wins it this year. If FF16 or Starfield is good. They would give it to one of them instead.

feel this year it would come down to which game leaves that lasting impression. And I feel FF16 has that Tlou thing about it. Will be a culture shock of a game.

It will be Starfield's award to lose this year. For one reason only.......because it's a new IP. Zelda is a better version of BoTW and FF16 will be viewed as just another great FF game. Starfield and that "new" car smell going on.
 
I can’t stop looking at those free shots I posted. I wonder if df will recognise what is going on here. We never seen graphics like this. I am not saying it’s higher fidelity than tlou2 or hfw… but it looks like cgi. Around the eyes, soft shadows. It’s crazy.
Fires I could switch around modes and maybe compare if frame rate changes in those moments. If not, maybe it is pre-rendered
I think it’s RTGI in some way? Like when ur playing as the kid going thru the castle with the fireball floating above you - it looks like whatever lighting they’re using is next level
 

saintjules

Member
This game just doesn't feel good on anything.

Performance had awful frame dropping and the quality mode feels like you're watching a slide show. Here's hoping they clean up the performance a bit before the full release, but that being said......

I really, really liked it. I was even impressed with the English voice acting, which is absolutely a first for me with FF. The gameplay is the best FF has ever been, and it really rewards skill while not necessitating it. Visuals are fine, nothing game changing but the game is pleasant to look at, minus the choppy performance. This is a true Final Fantasy has grown up moment, and the writing is genuinely good. It's a bit more brutal than I was expecting, not one for the kids, but that's totally fine and I enjoy the mature fantasy tales more than the family friendly ones.

Good writing, decent visuals, great gameplay, interesting characters, I mean I'm just very in.

I won't be buying on release, but I look forward to trying it in the future. Great direction for Final Fantasy in my opinion.

Are you two people? I'm confused.
 
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It will be Starfield's award to lose this year. For one reason only.......because it's a new IP. Zelda is a better version of BoTW and FF16 will be viewed as just another great FF game. Starfield and that "new" car smell going on.
You really think so? I feel like TOTK is a shoo in right now
 

Mr.Phoenix

Member
It will be Starfield's award to lose this year. For one reason only.......because it's a new IP. Zelda is a better version of BoTW and FF16 will be viewed as just another great FF game. Starfield and that "new" car smell going on.
But I don't think FF has ever won it.

Starfeilds story and the presentation of that story would be just as important.
 

Madflavor

Member
I don't think FFXVI will win GotY, but IF FFXVI releases to a 90+ on MC, blows people away, and actually managed to win GotY at TGA 2023, then that would be one of the greatest comeback stories we've seen in gaming. That ain't hyperbole. For a franchise that's been underwhelming two decades to release a critically acclaimed mainline entry, AND manages to beat Zelda TotK and other strong competition? I guarantee you in that situation Yoshi-P would be one of the hottest names in game development, and the execs at Square Enix would throw money at him and his studio for his next project.
 

DelireMan7

Member
I don't think FFXVI will win GotY, but IF FFXVI releases to a 90+ on MC, blows people away, and actually managed to win GotY at TGA 2023, then that would be one of the greatest comeback stories we've seen in gaming. That ain't hyperbole. For a franchise that's been underwhelming two decades to release a critically acclaimed mainline entry, AND manages to beat Zelda TotK and other strong competition? I guarantee you in that situation Yoshi-P would be one of the hottest names in game development, and the execs at Square Enix would throw money at him and his studio for his next project.
This !

Judging by the demo, it's in my opinion a very probable comeback of the Final Fantasy franchise in gaming. Of course let's see the full game first but I am really enthusiastic
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
FF is potentially in a very strong position as they have ongoing success in the MMO space with 14, they seem to be upholding the established (post PS1) era with the FF7 remake sub-franchise, and so if they manage a critical and popular success with the radical rethink of FF16 I'd say the brand will have hit a new high in terms of broad appeal.
 

Azaroth

Member
As a (mostly) non-Final Fantasy person, I'll try to give my demo impressions later when I have a bit more time.

Somewhat tangential question prompted by this demo. My son is 10 years old and loved the combat, but after playing through the demo, I can't in good conscience let him play through this game, the themes and content are just too mature.

Can anyone think of some games with similar combat, that are more kid appropriate? I'm aware of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. I haven't played them but from what I do know, those aren't something I want him playing at this point either. So I'm wondering if anyone can think of similar games with this level of flashy, action oriented combat that would be more appropriate for a 10 year old.
 

Interfectum

Member
It will be Starfield's award to lose this year. For one reason only.......because it's a new IP. Zelda is a better version of BoTW and FF16 will be viewed as just another great FF game. Starfield and that "new" car smell going on.
Also recency bias. It's coming out just before GOTY season with only Spider-Man 2 to curb its hype.
 
Played about an hour of it last night, just up to beating the first mini boss in the swamp-y area. Mostly cinematics so far but had a good time, the cutscene direction and voice acting is S-tier, even if I don't vibe with how lore-heavy the writing is so far. The action is pretty fun even if it's a bit easy, but it's very smooth and feels good.
 

Pasta la Vista

Gold Member
maxresdefault-6.jpg


I feel like it was an idea that could've worked. The whole "boys on a roadtrip" is a cool concept for a FF game. But they made them as visually bland as possible, and none of them were particularly memorable. Noctis was a decent enough protagonist, but the storytelling wasn't good enough to serve his character and allow him to shine. I beat the game once and never looked back.
It's like Jersey Shore and a K-Pop band had a baby, pure nightmare fuel.
 
As a (mostly) non-Final Fantasy person, I'll try to give my demo impressions later when I have a bit more time.

Somewhat tangential question prompted by this demo. My son is 10 years old and loved the combat, but after playing through the demo, I can't in good conscience let him play through this game, the themes and content are just too mature.

Can anyone think of some games with similar combat, that are more kid appropriate? I'm aware of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. I haven't played them but from what I do know, those aren't something I want him playing at this point either. So I'm wondering if anyone can think of similar games with this level of flashy, action oriented combat that would be more appropriate for a 10 year old.

Hifi Rush, if he can git gud at music rhythm.
 

Madflavor

Member
I loved that emo boy band.

Adult Noctis is my best husbando ever.

The emo boy band would've worked if the game starts out and they style themselves in pure Nomura fashion. Then as the roadtrip goes on they get progressively more and more ragged and dirty looking and look like shit, to the point where the find new clothes. But the fact that these guys were dressed like they were going to the club, while they're in the great outdoors, was so off putting.

This is why I couldn't stand the "Rule of Cool" approach to the storytelling we got from XIII and XV.
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
Old fashion “screenshots” for nostalgic players like me…
Jokes aside with the correct HDR settings this game is a visual marvel! My opinion after tuning the settings changed radically about the way it looks. Mind blowing.
Eb7W0sh.jpg
H2vrfEp.jpg
2X7w82G.jpg
HXRFpyk.jpg
DxiDMJM.jpg
 
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Shifty1897

Member
As a (mostly) non-Final Fantasy person, I'll try to give my demo impressions later when I have a bit more time.

Somewhat tangential question prompted by this demo. My son is 10 years old and loved the combat, but after playing through the demo, I can't in good conscience let him play through this game, the themes and content are just too mature.

Can anyone think of some games with similar combat, that are more kid appropriate? I'm aware of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. I haven't played them but from what I do know, those aren't something I want him playing at this point either. So I'm wondering if anyone can think of similar games with this level of flashy, action oriented combat that would be more appropriate for a 10 year old.
This is a really good question. The best character action games are extremely violent and mature, Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, etc.
It's practically impossible to find now but Transformers: Devastation was probably the best recommendation I could give.
 

Gudji

Member
I want to add that I really love the active lore thingy. Short, easily digested back story for characters and places, more games need this!
Yeah, everytime I didn't understood or knew who a faction was i'd press the pause button and there it was. And later on the game there will also be a kind of "codex" where you can read everything about the characters and world.
 
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