Exploring dungeons in new Final Fantasy XVI gameplay footage
Get a preview of two dungeons from Final Fantasy XVI before the game launches later this month.
We’ve been gearing up for the launch of the next Final Fantasy game later this month, sinking our teeth into every bit of trailer and footage we can. Thanks to a recent IGN First video, we got our first taste of the dungeons we’ll be exploring in Final Fantasy XVI.
IGN revealed 18 minutes of exclusive dungeon-crawling gameplay on their channel, partially playing through two dungeons. In the footage, we’re treated to the gameplay in action and some incredible scenery. It reveals just how much care and attention Square Enix is putting into the experience this time. Plus, it gives many fans a chance to see how one of the series’ classic elements is translated over.
See the new gameplay footage below, courtesy of IGN. It contains no real story details barring some small cutscenes and banter, but if you want to explore two of the game’s dungeons completely fresh, don’t watch this one!
Head into the dungeons of Final Fantasy XVI
Eagle-eyed viewers have naturally picked apart the video by now, trying to find any details of note that reveal new information. We’ve already seen the game’s combat several times by this point, and as far as the basic mechanics, there’s not much new to report. We can safely say that in regular combat instances (i.e. not boss fights), the combat still looks engaging.
One particular detail to talk about is the stagger system, first introduced in Final Fantasy XIII. (Which, for all that game’s faults, was one of the better new mechanics.) In Final Fantasy XVI, Clive encounters several foes in the two dungeons, including some pretty bulky combatants. By dealing enough damage and filling an enemy’s stagger meter, they’ll be momentarily stunned, allowing you to wail on them for a short time.
We don’t quite know the exact scale of these dungeons, either. They look huge, but from a gameplay perspective, we only see about eight minutes of each. There’s no boss fights in this footage, either. We expect each dungeon will end in a tough encounter, but the developers are likely keeping all of that under wraps for now. Plus, we’ve already seen several boss fights from the game.
Beautiful environments
One thing to note about this footage is how amazing the Final Fantasy XVI dungeons look. Both are fairly dark places, but the maps and textures make them incredibly appealing to look at. The color choices might be my favorite. If you haven’t picked up on the game’s dark fantasy atmosphere by now, the dungeons make it abundantly clear.
Although we get a fair bit of the two dungeons previewed, IGN doesn’t show us much of anything on the story of Final Fantasy XVI. The few cutscenes that are recorded are relatively brief and mostly expository. And while the party’s banter while walking around is pretty solid, there’s very little story details to latch onto yet without the full context.
The dungeon-crawling begins again soon
Final Fantasy XVI is almost here, and players will experience its awesome dungeons starting June 22. It will launch exclusively for the PlayStation 5.
Pre-orders for all versions of the game are available now. You can pre-order the game yourself via our Amazon affiliate links below. Every pre-order receives the Braveheart weapon DLC and Cait Sith Charm DLC for in-game items.
PRE-ORDER
What are your thoughts on this new Final Fantasy XVI footage? Are you excited to explore the dungeons? Let us know!
