In a recentJapanese livestream, the Final Fantasy 16 team explained the benefits of playing the game’s New Game Plus mode (alternatively calledFinal Fantasy mode) and addressed feedback from the recent demo experience regarding frame rate and other technical issues.As for the Final Fantasy mode, director Hiroshi Takai explained that Clive’s level cap will be raised to 100 (the normal level cap is believed to be 50), and that he will retain all unlocked skills and equipment from the previous playthrough.RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 File Size Revealed In Early Unboxing VideoHowever, the enemies will be much more powerful, and the famous Ultima Weapon – a recurring powerful weapon throughout the series – will only be available for crafting in this mode to accomodate the increased challenge. Another thing to note is that players won’t be able to switch back to the other story or action-oriented modes after choosing to start a game in Final Fantasy Mode.The new mode will also feature a variety of different enemies instead of the regular enemies you fight in each location. For example, the first area of the game will feature a fire-breathing Chimera enemy instead of a Wyvern mid-boss.The same will happen in a later area called the Inner Sanctum, where the iconic Iron Giant enemy will replace the normal axe-wielding soldier in the area. There will be a surprise enemy apperance like this in every area when players choose this mode, and Clive will be able to use all of the Eikons' abilities right from the get go to challenge and defeat the stronger enemies, as well as face further challenges in the extra arcade mode designed to be similar toDevil May Cry 5’s Bloody Palace.As for feedback, the team assures fans that there will be a sufficient amount of gameplay compared to cutscenes, and that the abundance of cutscenes in the demo is not reflective of the rest of the game. The team is also currently working on fixing theframe rateissue and the extensivemotion blueissue (both of which were noticeable to many players during the demo experience).
As for the minimap option requested by some players, the team decided against it because they felt it would take away from the feeling of exploring the environment on their own. The team is also considering adding more button-binding options for those uncomfortable with the current controls.
Localization Director Koji-Fox also explained how the translation process works in Final Fantasy 16 and how the English team worked hard to bring out the true voice of the characters, which we personally loved as well. You can also expect a feature from us in a few days to discuss the localization choices we liked in our demo experience.
There will also be a pre-release update to fix some present issues and text-errors in the game (thanks@Dreamboum), but the team assures the fans that the game is still playable without this update, as the crashes and technical hiccups occur in very rare cases, and it is not necessary to download for those who have internet connection problems or no internet by the time the game’s released.
