Final Fantasy XVI

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Final Fantasy XVI

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Title

Final Fantasy XVI

Developer

Square Enix Creative Business Unit III

Publisher

Square Enix

Director

Hiroshi Takai
Kazutoyo Maehiro

Producer

Naoki Yoshida

Artists

Hiroshi Minagawa
Kazuya Takahashi

Writers

Kazutoyo Maehiro

Composer

Masayoshi Soken

Series

Final Fantasy

Platforms

PlayStation 5
Microsoft Windows
Xbox Series X/S

Release

PlayStation 5:
June 22,2023
Microsoft Windows:
September 17, 2024
Xbox Series X/S:
June 8, 2025

Genres

action role-playing

Mode

single-player

Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game by Square Enix Creative Business Unit III. It is the sixteenths installment of the Final Fantasy series and was directed by Hiroshi Takai and Kazutoyo Maehiro.

Synopsis

FATE IS WRITTEN IN FIRE

Break your bonds.
Embrace Clive's Eikonic power...
And summon your destiny.

— Description for Final Fantasy XVI on back of the PlayStation 5 box

Setting

Final Fantasy XVI is set in the world of Valisthea, which consists of the two continents of Ash and Storm, and smaller archipelagos. Across the world huge crystals, called Mothercrystals, provide a flow of aether. Their shards are mined for commercial use. Humans cannot use magic without crystals, though there are some persons who are able to. Those are called Bearers and live in slavery. Usage of magic can cause petrification. Very few people are able to transform into Eikons. Those are called Dominants, and are a key factor in the politics of Valisthea.

There are eight Eikons known, each representing an element:

• Phoenix - fire
• Shiva - ice
• Ramuh - thunder
• Leviathan - water
• Titan - earth
• Garuda - wind
• Odin - Darkness
• Bahamut - Light

At the beginning of the game it is revealed that a second Eikon of fire - Ifrit - is present.

Valisthea is home to four grand nations: The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Dhalmekian Republic and the Kingdom of Waloed. In the center between the continents lies the neutral Crystalline Dominion, and the Iron Kingdom is located on islands on the coast of Storm. It is overseen by the Crystalline Orthodox.

In the past, humanity's ancestors called the Fallen dominated Valisthea before their civilisation vanished. Their ruins can be found around the world. The game is set during a time where aether is depleted by the Blight, and the nations are in conflict with each other because of it.

Story

As a teenager Clive serves his younger brother Joshua as a bodyguard, and together they live with their parents Duke Elwin and Duchess Anabella and their ward Jill in Rosaria. Clive is a Bearer, being able to weild fire blessed by the fire Eikon Phoenix. During the ceremony to awaken Joshua's powers as the Dominant of Phoenix they are ambushed by Sanbreque soldiers. Elwin is killed, and his death triggers Joshua's awakening as the Phoenix. He fights the soldiers, but is soon attacked by another Eikon of Fire, Ifrit. Ifrit kills Phoenix, and Clive swears revenge. His mother Anabella, who despises Clive for his lack of blessing, betrays Rosaria to preserve her bloodline - hoping to bear a new Dominant of Fire - and has Clive enslaved in Sanbreque's army.

Thirteen years later, during a fight between Dhalmekian Republic and the Iron Kingdom, Clive is tasked to kill the Iron Kingdom's Dominant. It's revealed it is an enslaved Jill, so Clive deserts and frees Jill. They are saved by Cid, who brings them to a hideout. There he agrees to help Clive finding Ifrit. Following a trail of an unknown Dominant, they fight Benedikta, the Dominant of Garuda. After defeating her, Clive takes her powers. When Benedikta is attacked by Bandits, she transforms into a raging Garuda, which triggers Clive to transform into Ifrit. Clive is in despair realising he is responsible for killing Joshua.

Cid convinces Clive to keep searching for the nature of his transformation, and asks him and Jill to support him to destroy the nation's Mothercrystals. He found out that they are causing the Blight. While infiltrating Sanbreque's Mothercrystal they are faced with a being called Ultima, who kills Cid before the Mothercrystal is destroyed. When Ultima wants to possess Clive, Joshua, who has survived the attack from Ifrit, directs the possession on himself. Five years after Cid died, Clisve is using Cid as an alias, carries on with his mission. Together with Jill they destroy the the Iron Kingdom's Mothercrystal. Sanbreque has occupied the neutral Crystalline Dominion, and it is revealed that Anabella has another son, named Olivier, with Sanbreque's emperor Sylvestre. The former crown prince Dion has been replaced by Olivier. Clive reveals to HUgo, the Dominant of Titan, that he killed Benedikta, and in his rage Hugo transforms into Titan. Clive kills Hugo and destroys the Dhalmekian Mothercrystal.

Under Joshua's advice, Dion stages a coup against Anabella. Dion kills his father, Emperor Sylvestre, and is forcefully transformed into a raging Bahamut by Olivier, where it is revealed that Olivier is a vessel for Ultima. Clive destroys Dominion's Mothercrystal, reunites with Joshua, and together they defeat Bahamut. Aware of Ultima, Dion kills Olivier, causing Anabella to kill herself. Barnabas, the Dominant of Odin, reveals that Ultima wants to shape Clive into a vessel called "Mythos", which Ultima can possess. After Jill gives him the power of Shiva, Clive kills Barnabas and destroys the Mothercrystal of Waloed. During his research Joshua learns that Ultima's people created the Mothercrystals in Valisthea to gather aether for a resurrection spell, which needs to be casted by a powerful vessel. The spell would wipe all humanity and life from the planet, and only leave Ultima's people behind. To stop Ultima, Clive, Joshua and Dion journey to Ultima's fortress of Origin. Ultima kills Dion, and mortally wounds Joshua after ripping out his fragment. Joshua gives Clive the power of Phoenix. With this, Clive is able to defeat Ultima and absorb his aether. He resurrects Joshua und together they destroy the final Mothercrystal in Valisthea. This removes magic from the realm.

References in Final Fantasy XIV

Dawntrail

Music References

Original Theme	Theme
'	Orchestrion Roll