Square Enix has profiled two key characters from Final Fantasy 16, and shown off the game’s world of Valisthea in new screenshots.
Following on from its gameplay trailer reveal and release window announcement in the PlayStation State of Play yesterday (June 2), Square Enix shared even more from the game in a blog post.
Unlike protagonist Clive Rosfield – firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria – the first new character introduced doesn’t have quite as fancy a title. Hugo Kupka is a “permanent economic adviser”, but thankfully for players is also host to the Eikon (the game’s name for summons) Titan to keep things interesting.
“Once a nameless foot soldier in the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics,” the post reads. “It was here he used his newfound position as the most powerful man in the republic to exert influence over both the nation’s armies and its policy making – amassing a personal fortune in the process.”
Money and power aren’t everything though, as the second new character, Benedikta Herman teaches him these “are far from all the world has to offer”,
Harman “emerged from the storm of youth cold-hearted and ruthless” and is Dominant (she hosts a summon) of the Eikon Garuda, Warden of the Wind. This is paired with her talent for swordplay and subterfuge, making Harman one of the best informers around.
“It is on a mission to find the elusive second Eikon of Fire that she crosses paths with a like-minded Clive and is forced to face her past,” the post adds.
The new screenshots (above) focus on the western fantasy-blended world of Valisthea in which Final Fantasy 16 is set and its various landscapes, cities, and creepy tombs.
Following the trailer being released, producer Yoshida Naoki said Final Fantasy 16 will have “high-octane battles featuring our protagonist Clive Rosfield wielding a full arsenal of attacks unique to the game’s many Eikons.”
Though the game is now playable from start to finish, Square Enix’s all-star development team are taking until summer next year to get everything right.
The Final Fantasy 16 reveal was the first of many in PlayStation’s State of Play, but for everything announced, including Resident Evil 4 Remake and Horizon: Call of the Mountain gameplay, check out IGN’s full round-up.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.