Though a few months remain until the release ofFinal Fantasy 16, the development team at Square Enix has made the rounds promoting the game across media outlets. In a recent interview with Japanese media, the director and producer ofFinal Fantasy 16revealed that the game will feature online connectivity and elaborated on what that feature will entail when the game launches.As one of the most-anticipated andmost cinematic games of 2023,Final Fantasy 16is being developed by Creative Business Unit 3, the team behind the critically-acclaimedFinal Fantasy 14. With Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida acting as the game producer for both these titles,Final Fantasyfans have been both excited and anxious for the next entry in Square Enix’s best-selling series. A few weeks ago, fans got a glimpse of what to expect inFinal Fantasy 16via the release of press-exclusive demo footage across multiple outlets. Recently, Japanese media got to ask two developers some questions about the upcoming title.RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 Made an Unexpected Engine ChoiceOn Twitter,Aitai Japan CEO Audrey Lamsamtranslated a Famitsu magazine interview with both Yoshida andFinal Fantasy 16game director Hiroshi Takai, which was featured in the March 30 issue. According to the translated notes,Final Fantasy 16will feature online leaderboards for a combat-focused mode which will pit players against a vast number of foes and see how they fare against other players around the world. The online feature has been compared to the Bloody Palace from theDevil May Cryseries, whichFinal Fantasy 16’s combat has taken inspiration from under the direction of lead combat designer Ryota Suzuki. Prior to his time at Square Enix, Suzuki was a combat designer for Capcom’sDevil May Cry 5andDragon’s Dogma.
The Famitsu interview also confirmed the expected length oftime thatFinal Fantasy 16will take to beat, as Yoshida reiterated that the main story could take players approximately 35 hours to beat. However, that time can double if side quests and other forms of content are considered, which could bring the total to over 70 hours for fans that want to experience everythingFinal Fantasy 16will have to offer. The game is also stated to include over 11 hours of cutscenes, which does not include cutscenes that occur during combat as part of quick-time events that players will have to keep an eye out for.
However, fans that want to see what else Yoshida has to say will have a chance in the coming days. Next Saturday, March 25, Yoshida will be joined by localization lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox ataFinal Fantasy 16panel at PAX Eastin Boston. With just three months to go until the game’s release, it remains to be seen how much more excitement Final Fantasy fans can take before then.
Final Fantasy 16will launch on June 22, exclusively for PS5.
MORE:Forspoken’s Open World Could Prove that Final Fantasy 16 Was Right to Not Feature One
