Final Fantasy XVI, the next main entry in the series by Square Enix launching later this year on PlayStation 5, will indeed be a six-month exclusive, but this doesn’t mean that the game will launch on PC right after the exclusivity period ends.
Speaking on the Official Japanese PlayStation Blog, Producer Naoki Yoshida provided an update on the yet-to-be-confirmed PC version of the game, saying outright that it won’t be out as soon as the PS5 exclusivity period is over. As the team spent a lot of time on the PlayStation 5 version and is still working on it, optimizing a PC version in half a year would be impossible. Naoki Yoshida would like to release the game on PC eventually, and he thinks he will, but he cannot say precisely when it will happen.
As such, those who wish to experience Final Fantasy XVI as soon as possible will have to get the game on PlayStation 5 this coming June. Kai had the chance to try out the game earlier this month, highlighting combat mechanics in his preview that set it apart from the rest of the series.
Clive’s combat prowess is put to its first real test with players getting the full grasp of juggling foes in combat or swapping between normal sword slashes and hurling magical spells (with no MP to be consumed doing so). Players can swap between the three currently equipped Eikons in the middle of combat. Each Eikon permits to have two combat abilities equipped out of those unlocked and each taking a small amount of time to refill and be used again, all the while Clive can swap to another and keep combat going. The skill menus that permit Clive to purchase new skills with the investment of skill points (which can be freely reallocated at any time) offer a hint that seven Eikon will be available for Clive to unlock and learn skills from which makes sense to fit an Eikon from each of the six provinces of Valisthea along with the wild card of Ifrit.
Final Fantasy XVI launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on June 22nd, 2023 worldwide. We will keep you updated on the game as soon as more come in on it, so stay tuned for all the latest news.
