A demo for Final Fantasy 16 is coming just a few weeks before the main game is set to launch, and players might even be able to keep their progress from it. The latest mainline installment in Square Enix’s seminal JRPG series was announced way back in the fall of 2020, and since then fans have been anxiously waiting for new details about Final Fantasy 16. A closer look at the upcoming epic was provided during December’s Game Awards 2022 livestream, which confirmed that Final Fantasy 16 will launch on June 22.Final Fantasy 16 is set in Valisthea, a world divided into six kingdoms that struggle to control the mystical creatures known as Eikons. Players will control Clive Rosfield, a royal son whose kingdom is attacked and is thus sent on a quest for revenge that looks to be much darker that the Final Fantasy games before it. Final Fantasy 16 also looks to continue the series' shift from traditional turn-based RPG gameplay to faster, more action game-style battles - something that could prove divisive if Final Fantasy 16 isn’t careful in its approach. Still, it appears that players will be able to sample Final Fantasy 16’s plot and gameplay ahead of time, as confirmed by director and producer Naoki Yoshida in a recent interview with Famitsu. According to a translation of this interview from Twitter user Genki_JPN, Yoshida confirmed that a playable demo for Final Fantasy 16 will be released two weeks before the game launches in June - although he didn’t specify an exact date. He also wishes to have save data from the demo will transfer over to the main Final Fantasy 16 - meaning that players will essentially be starting the game a couple of weeks ahead of time.
A playable demo for Final Fantasy 16 was confirmed as far back as last November, but Yoshida’s latest statements have provided more details on what players can expect going into this test run of the latest mainline Final Fantasy entry. According to the translated interview, Yoshida hopes that by releasing this demo so soon before the main game launches, Final Fantasy 16 will retain player interest over a longer period of time.
Given that the highly-anticipated Diablo 4 is currently set to launch merely two weeks before Final Fantasy 16, Square Enix might need all the help it can get in ensuring that the latest mainline Final Fantasy game is a success - especially after the mixed reception of the last two numbered entries. Nonetheless, eager fans will indeed be able to try out Final Fantasy 16 a couple of weeks before it finally hits store shelves, and their progress in the upcoming demo will hopefully carry over into the main adventure when it arrives this summer.
Final Fantasy 16 will be released on June 22, 2023 for PS5.
Source: Famitsu (via GamesRadar)