Final Fantasy XVI has a brand new trailer, “Ambition”, focusing on the game’s setting, lore, characters, and story.
The world of Valisthea is suffering, dying, and its light is disappearing. There are a number of different peoples, all with their own motivations and the trailer introduces them all to us, along with some of their key players. This matters, because there are mothercrystals, huge crystals that are important in the typical Final Fantasy sense. Each of these kingdoms is looking to claim mothercrystals from other kingdoms, and it will lead to war.
The ambition of the title is clear, and we should be prepared for the intrigue and drama to come. We get some time with protagonist Clive Rosefield and his little brother Joshua. And then come the summons.
There isn’t much about where the story will go but it delivers on the premise and the background. Each of these kingdoms has what are known as Dominants – those with the power to call forth Eikons. These are the Final Fantasy summons we know, and they look to include Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut, and Phoenix. The game, which the trailer announces will probably be rated M, then delivers on setting up all of this bloody conflict, including huge encounters and the potential power of all of these Eikons playing a significant role in what’s to come.
Here's the latest from #FF16 producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai. pic.twitter.com/nGua2jDsyY
— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) October 20, 2022
The trailer release was accompanied by a producer letter from Naoki Yoshida, who said
“This time we wanted to give the world a more in-depth look at Final Fantasy XVI’s lore and its rich cast of characters–with the Dominants front and center”.
He also notes that the team has "turned the corner and entered the home stretch” and is focused on polish and optimization. The trailer does confirm again the summer 2023 release window.
While the war for the mothercrystals looks to be important to the overall story, there also seems to be plenty of political intrigue in the works. How everything gets to the point of war, the kingdoms and their characteristics and strengths, look like they’ll be pieces of a dramatic story full of all this.
Yoshida promised some promotion and interviews over the coming weeks with more details, so we should learn at least a little more soon. For more on the game, visit Final Fantasy XVI.
