Scheduled to be released for PlayStation 5 on June 22, Final Fantasy XVI is the next main installment in the Final Fantasy series, which follows protagonist Clive Rosfield as he harnesses the power of multiple summons to overcome his tragic fate. The game is the first full-fledged action-RPG in the Final Fantasy series and features high-speed battles in which players switch between the powers of various Eikons, as well as large-scale Eikon vs. Eikon battles.
We spoke with Senior Director Hiroshi Takai about how the game harnesses the power of the PS5 and how it was optimized and developed for the PS5.
As a developer, what were your first impressions of the power and technology of the PS5?
Hiroshi Takai: The two main things that struck me were the memory size and the SSD speed. I’ve worked with many different pieces of hardware over the years, and many have failed to strike the right balance between hardware capabilities and memory size. However, the PS5 is different: it comes with enough memory installed to take full advantage of the hardware. As for the SSD, as we were building the game, I was simply blown away by how fast it was.
The Final Fantasy franchise is known for the quality of its graphics. Final Fantasy XVI was developed primarily as a PS5 game, so how did you take advantage of the power of the hardware when it comes to graphics and gameplay?
Naturally, we wanted the graphics to be the best possible, so we focused on fine character detail and environmental models, as well as quality lighting and shadows, to really make them shine. . Rendering these models on screen is really resource intensive, and the lighting and shadow effects are then layered. We can only do that thanks to the memory size of the PS5. Clive, the protagonist of FFXVI, can unleash a wide range of attacks, and their animations and effects can also all fit in memory. And the way the game flows seamlessly between resource-intensive gameplay and equally intensive cutscenes and back again wouldn’t be possible without the speed of the SSD.
Could you explain a bit how FFXVI uses the PS5 DualSense controller adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in battle and exploration?
There are certain sections where the player will have to open heavy doors or lift portcullises, and we use the adaptive triggers there to convey that sense of effort and resistance. They are also used when riding chocobos. Haptic feedback can produce extremely subtle vibrations, which we use to create a sense of heightened presence in cutscenes. We converted the sound effects used in each scene into haptic data, which allowed us to represent details that we had never been able to before, such as the movements of the air.
Final Fantasy XVI will be the first full-fledged action-RPG in the series’ history. It’s a bold decision to completely abandon the command system. What was your goal with this?
It’s true, when it came to designing FFXVI, we wanted to see what would happen if we took it in a new direction and made it a full action RPG. We’ve refined the gameplay so that when you take the DualSense controller in your hand, your every input produces a reaction you can really feel. One of the main features of the combat system is the wide array of Eikonic abilities that Clive can unleash, which translates to a lot of freedom in how players can approach battle. There are also Eikon-on-Eikon battles, where the player directly controls the series’ famous summons, to add to the action. It’s a non-stop ride, from start to finish.
Although the details of each Final Fantasy game may differ, they are always centered around a gripping story. The story of Final Fantasy XVI has a sense of tragic heroism at its heart, but could you tell us more about its themes?
When we first started thinking about making a game for the PS5, we wanted to create a world where there was no disconnect between the graphics and the story. While it can go to some pretty dark places, it’s a world where that darkness only exists because light also exists, and our heroes go through the trials they face precisely because they have hope that things can get better. A world where every man, woman and child has their own idea of what a “just” world should look like.
What other PS5 games have impressed you? From a developer’s perspective, what did you think took advantage of the PS5’s capabilities?
I think God of War Ragnarok is a fantastic game. It’s a seamless experience from start to finish that paints a perfect picture of the relationship between a father and son.