‘The land of Valisthea is studded with Mothercrystals’
Final Fantasy XVI is on my radar in a big way.
I think people are sleeping on it for now, as a lot of non-Final Fantasy XIVplayers aren’t aware of the raw talent that Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida possesses. And that’s fine! XVIwill probably have its day soon enough as we pry more actual info out of Square Enix. It seems like that era is dawning today, as the official website for XVIhas opened up.
With it, we get our first real look at the main characters, as well as the world itself. Our protagonist seems to be Clive Rosfield; a firstborn son of an Archduke who was supposed to be some sort of chosen one. Instead, that honor went to his younger brother Joshua, who is described as “bookish,” but nonetheless is tasked with the power of the Phoenix. Jill Warrick, an adopted daughter of the Archduke, will also be a major player in the story.
The fantastical setting is the kingdom of Valisthea, a land “studded in Mothercrystals,” and inhabited by Eikons; which are basically the name summons are called in the world of XVI. It seems like XVIis also going to have a very strong “warring nations” vibe, as there are six factions, all of which have a different vision for Valisthea.
So far, I’m really digging the return to the classic setting, and I hope the “destroy the crystals” feeling of the story trailer so far is really pushed to the limit. This has the potential to give us that warm and fuzzy feeling that so many people adored from Final Fantasy IX, but subvert our expectations with the narrative at the same time.
Final Fantasy XVI [Square Enix]