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The Crystals return: Final Fantasy 16


Zapp Branniglenn
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Wow it feels like we've gone back in time. In an interview, Squeenix stated interest in returning to the series roots with the next numbered entry. The next Final Fantasy game brings back the one plot element that used to unite the series: Crystals. We haven't seen them since FF5. Or Bravely Default if that counts. Will we be collecting elemental crystals to save the world? The trailer also includes a new renditions on the final fantasy 1 theme. This game seems a touch too gritty for my taste, but it definitely has my attention.

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THE CRYSTALS ARE TO BLAME

So, that's a very early render of FFXVI, which I'm not gonna lie I didn't expect any time soon. Crystals are back (though how they're handling them was not made clear), combat's more like FFXV/VII Remake by the looks of it to me, loos like we're getting a tragic start to the whole thing and we get a fair bit spoiled if they stay consistent with what we saw. We have no idea how much will hold, when it'll come or how they didn't hide the icons in the left corner. But it's got potential in fairness.

As someone who hasn't played FXV, does anyone recommend it? I haven't gotten onto it at all and it might be an inspiration for this one.

I also finally understand the artsy logo's meaning for one of these games. :P

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Looks like Witcher Dragon Age Final Fantasy, in a very good way. 

I am liking the cold, gritty and medieval tone. There is a lot less JRPG in this than you'd expect for a FF game, and at times it doesn't exactly look like FF, but I am keen to see that direction explored further. And while FF has certain inherent qualities to it, there have always been multiple genres explored throughout the different titles.

Hope it's PC day 1.

Also, I'm pretty sure Final Fantasy Dimensions would be the most recent crystal game. It's a mobile game, but not a gacha game, it's like a regular SNES/GBA FF RPG. Would recommend if you're looking for a good handheld JRPG.

30 minutes ago, Dayni said:

As someone who hasn't played FXV, does anyone recommend it? I haven't gotten onto it at all and it might be an inspiration for this one.

I have XV sitting in my Steam library, but haven't gotten to it yet. Maybe after I finish HZD. But I think it's worth playing if you like FF. Can be gotten for pretty cheap at this point too.

Edited by Aegius_NaTL
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1 hour ago, Glennstavos said:

Wow it feels like we've gone back in time. In an interview, Squeenix stated interest in returning to the series roots with the next numbered entry. The next Final Fantasy game brings back the one plot element that used to unite the series: Crystals. We haven't seen them since FF5. Or Bravely Default if that counts. Will we be collecting elemental crystals to save the world? The trailer also includes a new renditions on the final fantasy 1 theme. This game seems a touch too gritty for my taste, but it definitely has my attention.

Used to? Nooooooooo. Still is the right word. Some games have it less than others, but most of Final Fantasies even in the post-SNES era has had them. To go through, minding my knowledge on IX, XI, XIII, XIV, and XV is weak because I haven't played them.:

  1. "Restore the light to the crystals"- whatever that generic NPC line was.
  2. Black sheep sequelitis on the NES, meaning no crystals.
  3. Crystalism.
  4. Crystalism.
  5. Crystalism.
  6. Ms. Crystals had a baby with Ms. Summons, they called it "Magicite".
  7. Remember the old childhood quip "They're not dolls, they're action figures!", replace "dolls" with Crystals and "action figures" with Materia and the remark is yet truer.
  8. Other than the Crystal Pillar inside Lunatic Pandora, this game is no crystals. First game since II to be low-key on the crystals.
  9. Haven't played, but want to so I won't look up the story. But isn't this supposed to be a return to the old days? I would expect crystals to some extent then.
  10. No crystals, this game is alllllllll about the Summons yeeaaah! (No not really, a summon overemphasis is as bad as a crystal overemphasis.)
  11. *Glimpses the Wiki page for this game and the rest (barring XII which I know of firsthand)* I see the term "Crystal War"!
  12. Nethicite is crystals, and for once they're frowned on by the heroes.
  13. People turn into crystals? Seems like a case where crystals aren't very relevant.
  14. I see mention of some common crystals, but this game appears limited in its crystal usage too.
  15. Big important crystal? Dunno how important it actually is.

And for a few spinoffs with measures of crystalism:

  • Final Fantasy Tactics: A story of glorious drama and political intrigue! No, thats a lie, it's Evil Zodiac Crystals Story. Thats much more entertaining isn't it?
  • Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: No crystals are important in the sequel, though for the first FFTA they slightly are as one of the things that keeps Ivalice in existence.
  • Final Fantasy Type-0: I see here that it says there are four crystal kingdoms in this game, doesn't that say enough?
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: It's in the name of the game and they sustain the world, even if the crystals themselves aren't overly important and its more about making memories with your friends in the same room as you.

 

Maybe there's been a drought in Crystal Orthodoxy since FFV, but they've bumpily been significantly included and not significantly included since then.

 

---

Oh, and I sincerely hope Final Fantasy XVI has a smooth development and emerges at release a complete game without any controversy and fine quality all around. I wouldn't want almost any game to turn out poorly.

Edited by Interdimensional Observer
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25 minutes ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

Definitely going PS5 this console gen. I thought that they kicked the shit out of Xbox with their first games showcase. Now, it isn't even pretending to be a contest. 

 

This looks great, Miles Morales looks great, and God of War was all I wanted. Now all they're missing is Persona 6.

Are we not counting that there's a new Ratchet and Clank (Discounting the reimagining) for the first time in 7 years? How are Insomniac doing that and Miles Morales for the launch window?

PS5 is absolutely looking to take an early win, XboxS/X does have price point for the digital version going for it but that's not going to be for everyone.

42 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Used to? Nooooooooo. Still is the right word. Some games have it less than others, but most of Final Fantasies even in the post-SNES era has had them. To go through, minding my knowledge on IX, XI, XIII, XIV, and XV is weak because I haven't played them.:

  1. "Restore the light to the crystals"- whatever that generic NPC line was.
  2. Black sheep sequelitis on the NES, meaning no crystals.
  3. Crystalism.
  4. Crystalism.
  5. Crystalism.
  6. Ms. Crystals had a baby with Ms. Summons, they called it "Magicite".
  7. Remember the old childhood quip "They're not dolls, they're action figures!", replace "dolls" with Crystals and "action figures" with Materia and the remark is yet truer.
  8. Other than the Crystal Pillar inside Lunatic Pandora, this game is no crystals. First game since II to be low-key on the crystals.
  9. Haven't played, but want to so I won't look up the story. But isn't this supposed to be a return to the old days? I would expect crystals to some extent then.
  10. No crystals, this game is alllllllll about the Summons yeeaaah! (No not really, a summon overemphasis is as bad as a crystal overemphasis.)
  11. *Glimpses the Wiki page for this game and the rest (barring XII which I know of firsthand)* I see the term "Crystal War"!
  12. Nethicite is crystals, and for once they're frowned on by the heroes.
  13. People turn into crystals? Seems like a case where crystals aren't very relevant.
  14. I see mention of some common crystals, but this game appears limited in its crystal usage too.
  15. Big important crystal? Dunno how important it actually is.

And for a few spinoffs with measures of crystalism:

  • Final Fantasy Tactics: A story of glorious drama and political intrigue! No, thats a lie, it's Evil Zodiac Crystals Story. Thats much more entertaining isn't it?
  • Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: No crystals are important in the sequel, though for the first FFTA they slightly are as one of the things that keeps Ivalice in existence.
  • Final Fantasy Type-0: I see here that it says there are four crystal kingdoms in this game, doesn't that say enough?
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: It's in the name of the game and they sustain the world, even if the crystals themselves aren't overly important and its more about making memories with your friends in the same room as you.

On 9, crystals do have some imagery, but they're not prominent for the whole thing. Where they are prominent is in late game and I don't want to spoil because I agree with Sakaguchi (Hey, he said it's the best. :P). Some crystals also matter for summoning, even in gameplay. Looking, there's even some of it in 2 (Which I choose not to finish, so I didn't care to spoil myself)

I feel like the examples you mention aren't 1:1 in the sense of advertising them, but I can't say you're wrong. I do mean that literally.

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1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

 

  • 6: Ms. Crystals had a baby with Ms. Summons, they called it "Magicite".

Magi-citation needed. I don't recall those stones as ever being called crystals.

Quote
  • 7: Remember the old childhood quip "They're not dolls, they're action figures!", replace "dolls" with Crystals and "action figures" with Materia and the remark is yet truer.

Now hold on, just because Materia are glowy rocks don't make them crystals. I imagine they look the way they look because of graphical limitations at the time.

Quote
  • 8:Other than the Crystal Pillar inside Lunatic Pandora, this game is no crystals. First game since II to be low-key on the crystals.

But high-key on the time compression. Man, I'm glad that, of all the plot elements from 1 they could put in each game, they didn't pick time travel. Because 8 was a head scratcher.

Quote
  • 9: Haven't played, but want to so I won't look up the story. But isn't this supposed to be a return to the old days? I would expect crystals to some extent then.

There's some nostalgic Final Fantasy fan service in there (at an era where games didn't really do that), but no crystals

Quote

 

Oh, and I sincerely hope Final Fantasy XVI has a smooth development and emerges at release a complete game without any controversy and fine quality all around. I wouldn't want almost any game to turn out poorly.

 

Yeah, absolutely. FF7 remake went over pretty well I...don't expect that will last through its sequel(s) as we dive deeper and deeper into the Nomuraverse, so I hope 16 is just a great, standalone game with no drama. Also really looking forward to them sticking to medieval fantasy and not relying on modern day/sci-fi elements as a crutch. It's a bold choice.

Edited by Glennstavos
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I don't know too much about Final Fantasy: I heard about Versus XIII/XV but didn't get it (and given everything I've heard about it and the development nightmare it went through, I do not regret that decision) and my first and only Final Fantasy game so far is FF7 Remake, which I have been really enjoying so far, but I have not yet completed it. So here's my opinion as a newcomer to the series:

 

I like that this reveal trailer included at least some amount of potential gameplay; I've come to really dislike when a trailer is only cutscene; especially a trailer for a Square Enix game, as it usually means that Square Enix is announcing their game way too early (see Final Fantasy Versus XIII for an example). Looks like it will be mainly real-time action. I like the way in which FF7 Remake blended action and tactical combat with its ATB system, which made stuff like abilities, spells and healing something to be considered carefully and quickly while still having a bit of room to think. I hope this game implements something that stands out on its own but provides that same level of tactics. 

Anyway, I don't care too much about crystals; mainly thanks to FF15. What stood out to me that I really like is that they're going for a more classic medieval fantasy as opposed to science fantasy or urban fantasy like they've been doing for a long time. It's good that each game in a long-running series stand out, and this is a good way to do that. 

This seems like it's going to have a big war plot with political intrigue and such. Seems interesting; especially the part where the kid transformed into a phoenix. 

Edited by vanguard333
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1 hour ago, Glennstavos said:

Magi-citation needed. I don't recall those stones as ever being called crystals.

Do they have to be? It's still a magic shard thats literally called "Magic Rock" in Japan. If Mario got stronger from coming into contact with a truffle, would you consider it something new?

There is one picture on the FF Wiki showing a crystal form for VI's magicite, but the image address doesn't load.

 

1 hour ago, Glennstavos said:

Now hold on, just because Materia are glowy rocks don't make them crystals. I imagine they look the way they look because of graphical limitations at the time.

They are rounded unlike the usual shard form that crystals take, but they are translucent, they have magic, does the shape matter that much? For me, it doesn't.

And, the Huge Materia exist. As you see on the link, Ultimania artwork shows them very FF crystalline in shape.

 

1 hour ago, Dayni said:

I feel like the examples you mention aren't 1:1 in the sense of advertising them, but I can't say you're wrong. I do mean that literally.

I'm not saying all the games revolve around crystals the way ye olde I, III-V did. I did in my analysis admit not every game does. Maybe you could divide the FFs into three or four categories: the Crystal Orthodoxies (I, III-V), the Crystal Heterodoxies (VI, VII, XII, FFT), the Crystal Agnostics (VIII, IX?, XV?), and the Crystal Atheists (II, X, FFTA2).

I was intending to be cutting there for dramatic effect, but my real point is that the franchise has never truly abandoned crystals. Sure, they haven't always been center stage, and then you get something like X where they vanish altogether. But between the not infrequent spinoff that gets a spoonful of old school inspiration, and milder and more background implementations, the Final Fantasy franchise has never forgotten its roots in special rocks.

Final Fantasy wants to and tries to be cutting edge, that I can see. And the presence of crystals does not diminish the novelty of the stories, Materia = crystals does not invalidate whatever it is someone thinks that FFVII did well. But the past usually casts a shadow- its darkness variable- over the new actors and their new screenplays, and it could be crystals, it could be Bahamut, or it could be something else from yesteryear.

 

1 hour ago, Glennstavos said:

But high-key on the time compression. Man, I'm glad that, of all the plot elements from 1 they could put in each game, they didn't pick time travel. Because 8 was a head scratcher.

When I think about it, it wasn't that bad. My one issue with time compression was a certain decision, maybe I was being too cold, but I thought the choice made was condemning them and the distant future to their current fates.

 

1 hour ago, Glennstavos said:

I hope 16 is just a great, standalone game with no drama. Also really looking forward to them sticking to medieval fantasy and not relying on modern day/sci-fi elements as a crutch. It's a bold choice.

Fabula Nova Crystalis might've been partly to blame for the Versus XV fiasco, true. As for no modernity and sci-fi, well there is the grittier side of medieval that I don't think FF has ever tried but lets not have the option to have sex with a lamia. How to go big on the seriousness, melodrama, and supposed maturity whilst operating in a silly old crystal cage? Sounds like a good, potentially well-written when all is said and done, challenge.

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14 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

People turn into crystals? Seems like a case where crystals aren't very relevant.

 

It's decently important to the story.

Also, you use the crystarium to upgrade your characters. Pretty much a core mechanic of the game, i'd say.

Also, summoning uses their crystals as well.

So I would say it's decently relevant, If anything.

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17 hours ago, Dayni said:

As someone who hasn't played FXV, does anyone recommend it? I haven't gotten onto it at all and it might be an inspiration for this one.

From what I've heard, it's an okay game, but the scars of its development can be easily noticed even if you know nothing about the development nightmare it went through. 

Edited by vanguard333
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Really liked the return to the medieval-esque setting. Also crystals being back is nice thing. I have high hopes for this game as I think Yoshi P is the one in charge and he did a great job with 14. I simply hope there are party members, and if there are, I want a cast with variety. After 10 the quality of the party did fall a bit for me. But, I don't have a good PC and I don't intend to buy a PS5 so I guess no 16 for me. 

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10 minutes ago, SuperNova125 said:

Really liked the return to the medieval-esque setting. Also crystals being back is nice thing. I have high hopes for this game as I think Yoshi P is the one in charge and he did a great job with 14. I simply hope there are party members, and if there are, I want a cast with variety. After 10 the quality of the party did fall a bit for me. But, I don't have a good PC and I don't intend to buy a PS5 so I guess no 16 for me. 

He is a producer. Apparently the guy who led Stormblood (I think that's the 14 expansion? I haven't played much of 14) is the director of 16.

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1 hour ago, Aegius_NaTL said:

He is a producer. Apparently the guy who led Stormblood (I think that's the 14 expansion? I haven't played much of 14) is the director of 16.

Don't know much about 14 but from what I have resd he is the one who took the failure the original 14 was and made it into a realm reborn and generally is heavily involved in the game. I wasn't aware he also had 16. 

Edited by SuperNova125
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Yesterday I made a joke to a friend that the fireball magic in the trailer looks like just using a gun in Devil May Cry. And today I learned that a DMC developer was hired by Square recently. And that rumors claimed it was to work on FF16. I don't think those rumors have yet been confirmed, but it's interesting to think about. I'm definitely behind on this past decade's shift to action game for this series. This year I finished Lightning Returns, but I'm still two games (15 and 7 remake) away from being up to date. Not counting MMOs, since I avoid MMOs on principle

Edited by Glennstavos
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On a second (or fifth) viewing, something I realized is that I hope the overall game will be more... colourful than what was shown in the trailer.

When it comes to medieval fantasy, especially in video games, I much prefer when they're vibrant and full of colour, like Breath of the Wild (or really any Legend of Zelda game other than Twilight Princess) and I really dislike when fantasy games that try to be "gritty". "mature", or "realistic" almost inevitability fall into the Real is Brown trope:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RealIsBrown

Basically, I dislike when medieval fantasy games decide to mute the colours and make all the environments & clothing various shades of brown or gray. I really dislike this trope as it makes the games aesthetically bland and unappealing, and it's not even accurate to the Middle Ages: the Middle Ages were very vibrant and full of colour. Fire Emblem: Three Houses managed to be bright and colourful while being the darkest FE game in years in terms of tone and content, and the game was all the better for it than it would've been if everything was brown. Final Fantasy XVI, based on the reveal trailer, looks like a case of Real is Brown, and I don't like that. 

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XVI is building up to be amazing, but PS4 is last console I told myself I would buy. Even now, I use it as an overpriced blu-ray player more than a game system. I doubt they'll make the port to Switch, since that's my main system now, but I'll keep tabs on it. Just doesn't make sense to me to pay $590 just to play one game 😕

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On 9/16/2020 at 6:48 PM, Interdimensional Observer said:

and the Crystal Atheists (II, X, FFTA2).

What, are Spheres not crystal enough to you?

Anyway, hmm, looks very interesting. Though certainly way out of my availability as it were.

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a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

i was expecting for Square to complete the FF7R saga first, but apparently that's not a priority for them.

perhaps they have different teams working on different games, especially because i've never heard anything about "Creative Business Unit III", so it might be just a newly formed team assembled to work on FF XVI under Square's supervision.

there's rumors about people from FF XIV and ex-DMC5 development crews working together on the title, so there's high hopes in terms of story and battle mechanics.

for me, it looks like a return to good old Ivalice in terms of background story settings, but with an action-based gameplay instead of turn-based, wich is rad.

 

gotta be honest though: considering all that's been shown by Sony so far, the PS5 isn't holding back at all, they're literally out for blood.

not to mention the Demon's souls remake, wich can be considered the main banner for the PS5 at this point, and will probably become the focus for all the Dark Souls fans out there, at least until Elden Ring will show up again.

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