A Final Fantasy XVI demo may soon be available for download if a listing appeared today on the PlayStation Store is to be believed.
Several eagle-eyed Reddit users noticed that a Final Fantasy XVI demo showed up in their libraries, but only after they pre-ordered the game. It could mean that the demo is reserved for pre-order customers, perhaps for a brief timeframe before it becomes available for everyone.
Either way, a trial version of the sixteenth mainline game in the RPG franchise will be available shortly to tide fans over until the full release, scheduled for June 22nd on PlayStation 5 (with a PC version coming later). As with many recent game demos, let’s hope that the progress will carry over to the full game once purchased. The announcement of the Final Fantasy XVI demo could likely take place during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest event, due to air on June 8th at 3 PM Eastern Time/noon Pacific Time.
Wccftech’s Kai Powell recently played the opening of Final Fantasy XVI during a hands-on preview event. Here’s how he described it:
The very first moments of gameplay are an on-rails shooting segment with players controlling Phoenix and trying to shoot down a rampaging Ifrit. Little is explained why players aren’t controlling Ifrit, but that’s only a part of the misdirection setting in. The core of Final Fantasy XVI’s narrative focuses on the great and powerful Eikon, summoned beasts and mythological figures that harbor the summons that Final Fantasy is traditionally known for, and the Dominants, who can channel and utilize their powers. During the war room campaign at Zirnitra Stronghold, the roles of Dominants and the Eikon they possess are swapped around before the player should have any idea of the significance. Clive himself appears to be the Dominant of Phoenix, while Benedikta wields the Dominant of Ice, Shiva (who can somehow light a pipe with that same power). The battles of Nysa Defile claim to wish to seek out Shiva’s Dominant as the primary target, but who could that be if Benedikta is not the chosen Dominant? These moments also highlight some of the mature themes that Square-Enix is going for in Final Fantasy XVI to bring the storied entry in line with popular dark fantasy such as HBO’s Game of Thrones series, complete with two partial sex scenes before the first hour of the game is complete.
