With the Playstation 5 on the horizon, Sony has given fans a sneak peak of some exciting upcoming games at their recent Playstation 5 showcase. One of the exciting trailers at the showcase is the Final Fantasy 16 trailer. Here are my thoughts on the upcoming game to a most beloved franchise.

The Final Fantasy franchise has stirred the imaginations and hearts of millions of people worldwide for over thirty years. Each new addition to the legendary franchise is highly anticipated. Final Fantasies are known for their beautiful graphics and soundtracks, engaging characters and epic stories. These are games that stick with the fans who play them.

So it is easy to say that this new trailer has fans jumping for joy. Check out the trailer below:

So what are my initial takeaways with this trailer? Well first let me give you a little background in my experience with the Final Fantasy Franchise. I have played and completed Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII remake, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Type-0, the original FFVII and some of FFX. I have some knowledge on some of the older titles and some of the spin offs. My two favorites are FFXV and FFVII Remake for very different reasons, and I also enjoyed Type-0. In comparison to some fans, I may still be considered a rookie Final Fantasy fan.

Now with this in mind, what did I think of the trailer? Well, let’s start with the obvious: the graphics. The graphics are stunning and gritty as to be expected from a next gen console and a must for every Final Fantasy. It had a dark edge and tone that is not seen as much in Final Fantasies. Aside from Type-0, every other Final Fantasy has been rated T for Teen. Are we getting another Mature rated Final Fantasy?

This Final Fantasy looks to have many of the core staples of all Final Fantasies: Crystals, Summons, several recognizable enemies, and, of course, Chocobos. It also harkens back to the medieval setting used in the earlier games as opposed to the more steampunk/science fiction setting as seen in games like FFVII, FFVIII, FFXIII, FFXV, and so on. For many fans, this is a nice change of scenery as, in the coming years, we will be getting more of a steampunk setting in a Final Fantasy with the upcoming parts of the Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I think what I found most intriguing is the use of the Summons. The Summons look like they will be apart of the characters abilities and characters will use Summons powers like using Magic. And it looks like there will be a fair amount of Summons fighting Summons which is really interesting. I also really liked the Summon designs most especially Ifrit and Shiva.

There also seems to be more of a political power struggle angle in this game and a encroaching blight that is a danger to all of them. The use of a blight or disease has been in several Final Fantasies already. From the Starscourge in FFXV to the Geostigma in FFVII Advent Children, it will be interesting to see what they do with their blight. The game looks gritty and dark which is a nice addition to a Final Fantasy. I see betrayal and revenge as well as a brutal war raging. This looks really intriguing and I like the fighting style and mechanics that are in the trailer.

And then there is the mention of the crystals having control of their destinies for too long. This suggest that this is a story of a rebellion against the crystals, the gods and destiny. This is not a new theme in the franchise. I’m curious to see where they take this theme.

Now there a few down sides to this. The biggest is when will this be out and how different will it be from this trailer? Final Fantasies are known for putting out trailers for upcoming games years and years before they actually come out (first FFVII remake trailer was in 2015 and game released 2020). But there may also be some hope on this front. According to a recent Gamesradar Article, Final Fantasy XVI may have been in production for four years now.

Another important thing to note is that this looks like it will be a Playstation 5 exclusive, and new consoles always cost an arm and a leg when they first come out. For many people, this may not be in their budget for awhile.

Other than those few downsides, I am really excited to see more of this game. Overall, the trailer is engaging and peaks my interest. I can’t wait to dive into another Final Fantasy world. Hopefully we will get a release date soon!

All images are credited to SquareEnix.