PS5 Exclusive Final Fantasy 16's Graphics Not Tuned or Optimised Yet

If they can get it to run at a smooth 60fps, the combat's a lot of fun, and the story is well-written and engaging, I'd be completely fine if the art direction and graphics they showed were the final product. After years of Square Enix prioritizing pretty graphics over competent storytelling and fun combat in mainline entries of this series, I couldn't care less how "next-gen" XVI looks.

I’m not convinced. I’m also hearing it’s really not ready yet. You see, it’s not about the trailer format that makes us say 2035, it’s SE in general with games. I still think this is getting delayed whether they give us a date or not. Also, this team did F14. That game has PS2 animations if you want to be generous (it ain’t high end PS2 animation). I don’t know how MMOs can be so stuck in the PS2 era and get away with it. You face away from your target and literally shoot the exact opposite of where you are aiming. It looks horrible.

I don't care as long as it has a good story and characters and it plays well we haven't had a great main numbered FF since X (MMOs not withstanding) so to me graphics are the least import thing for this game it looked fine enough

I am extremely excited for a new Final Fantasy game, it will be a day one buy for sure; but am I the only one that felt the trailer was just meh at best?

I know there is a lot more depth to a Final Fantasy than can be seen in a simple trailer, but what I saw didn't get me excited for the game. The only excitement I got was the knowledge that the next Final Fantasy game is (officially) on its way. Which you could have done with a title screen.

I think this was the best mainline Final Fantasy reveal of the last decade or so. Why? Because it looks like an actual game that exists. Not some impossible CG trailer or "gameplay" trailer that ends up being nothing like the game that eventually releases years later (as pointed out in the article!).

Did it look amazing graphically? Not really, but it has so much promise. Based on his previous work Yoshida knows what he's doing, which is not something we've been able to say about Square Enix for quite some time.

@Jaz007 MMOs deal in scope and breadth of content. If it played and looked like a proper JRPG then it would take a 5000 strong workforce working round the clock. No chance. Plus, they have no control over how many assets are on screen at once so they account for the worst case scenario. Try going to Limsa Lominsa and seeing the sheer number of other players there are while maintaining steady performance, it’s impressive. MMOs are a million times more complicated than you probably realise.

@Jaz007 it’s been confirmed to have been in development four years. They are launching the official site with more game details in October and will have a full blown reveal event in 2021. The game is definitely coming within the next year or two and Yoshi P has done a phenomenal job with FFXIV and is one of the best in the business. I prefer a well rounded story, world and gameplay over graphics. The normal SE FF teams prioritized graphics for XV and FF7R and they both were subpar at best.

I look forward to you eating your words next year

I thought it looked pretty good but not a patch on Final Fantasy VII Remake which looks absolutely stunning.However,I'm still excited for another Final Fantasy.
Which reminds me..I really MUST finish Final Fantasy XV..

Can't wait to play this non exclusive multiplat.

I thought it looked a little lackluster for next gen, especially the scene featuring Shiva. Somewhat relieved to hear that it wasn’t “tuned or optimized.” Tentatively looking forward to playing what kinda looks like a Final Fantasy take on The Witcher 3.

Lol well it's good seeing them actually acknowledging the "See you in ____" comments. Maybe we'll get it sooner this time... Hopefully.

I was most worried about the voice over. That didn't really work for me. I thought the graphics seemed fine

@Jaz007 The difference here is though this is being handled by the Realm Reborn team, which have been considerably more efficient when it comes to meeting deadlines compared to teams like Creative Unit Division I (other mainline Final Fantasies, Kingdom Hearts)

Naoki Yoshida's team has experience when delivering larger scale content on time while making sure an aspect of good quality control is still present as evidenced by FFXIV's relaunch and numerous expansions. Their work on MMORPGs like FFXI and XIV might actually make XVI's development time a lot more smooth since MMORPGs are generally considerably bigger in scope and have way more factors to consider than a purely single player game.

Not exactly a revelation. If it’s been in development for years and has no release date, we can assume they have work to do.

@nessisonett quantity over quality big time. I get some sacrifices need to be made, but there’s a point where we haven’t had the standard raise since MMOs started. I’ve played some of it and there tons of players in some areas, but the combat still lacks any punch or weight like any MMO in existence. It’s the only genre that looks basically the same since it started. No one has thought out a way to genuinely improve the gameplay and have it resemble and respectable modern game. I get that’s it’s hard, but no other genre has been allowed to be as stagnate as much as MMOs.
If FPS and such can find a way to have over 100 players fighting at once with tons of chaos, MMOs can think of a way to not play like a PS2 game. Sure, there’s tons of content, but does any of play reasonably by today’s standards? I’d argue no.
I love the idea of an MMO, but every single one’s execution drives me nuts.

@jmac1686 @TheFrenchiestFry Is this the same team that released the original FF14 as a compete disaster that had to be completely be remade in order to be a decent game by any standard? (I’m not sure because I wonder of they switched teams since it was such a disaster) Because if so, then this team still had terrible development issues until they got a solid foundation to work on. A framework which doesn’t work at all for a SP game.
I’d love for you guys to prove me wrong, but I have so little faith in SE for this.

@Jaz007 Realm Reborn was a different team than vanilla XIV. Yoshida was brought in to supervise the relaunch while working on Dragon Quest X.

The original XIV was directed by Nobuaki Komoto and produced by Hiromichi Tanaka (producer of FFXI)

@Jaz007 You could apply that exact same argument to isometric CRPGs or RTS games. People like the classic tab target gameplay similar to Guild Wars and WoW. If you want an MMO with different gameplay, there’s Neverwinter, EVE Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, even Destiny 2.

@nessisonett I tried ESO and Neverwinter and they still play like PS2 games. Same issues. Eve is space but maybe I should try it anyway. I wouldn’t call Destiny a full MMO.
CRPGs have started to use grid based strategy game play or more concrete back’s slash (I think). BG2 has a awful combat system that used rules in a way they were never meant to be used. Now BG (3 will do this) and Divinity use a grid-based strategy system which how D&D actually plays and makes combat so much better. For all the good writing and dialogue options, some old CRPGs have horrible combat systems that are terrible adoptions of real rule systems that work. They’ve advanced beyond their original awful combat problems these days while keeping what makes them memorable.
I haven’t played any RTSs lately, but I feel like they’ve advanced and QoL changes. From what I played of the intro of Shadow Tactics, it seemed to have a number of modern elements to them even if the graphics weren’t all Red Dead like, which is fine, the games don’t need to look like that. Can’t comment on them as much, though.
Tab targeting just comes across as lazy to me. At least when it’s in every single game....
I just find it strange that the concept, which doesn’t really need to be attached to super specific type of gameplay, is still stuck to a system made because of 90’s/2000’’s tech restrictions. It’s super weird to me that MMO’s play a certain way you can depend on the moment you see it’s an MMO.
Like, a JRPG could have any variety of gameplay mechanics attached to it. I can’t point to that genre and tell what it’s basically gonna play like.
It’s not my issue that some play this way, but that without doing something like going to space they all play that way without fail.

@TheFrenchiestFry Okay. Maybe I’ll be wrong then. It would be great lol.

@Jaz007 You’ve listed QOL changes that those specific niche genres have implemented over the years. I’m telling you right now, FFXIV has implemented many changes for the better in terms of streamlining gameplay and dragging it into this generation. Just play FFXI, a PS2 game and you’d see a massive difference. And FFXIV does somewhat sacrifice the sheer depth of XI for a more tolerable, prettier package. From the outside, MMOs look like they haven’t changed same as 90% of niche genres. If you’re invested in the community, you’ll appreciate every change, no matter how small.

"But if we released a pre-rendered trailer, they would say, ‘Alright, see you in 2035!’ " Lol, people are already saying that

I think I must've seen a trailer different from everyone else, cause I thought the game looked pretty good (lip sync aside).
Were people expecting some TloU level graphics?

That's good to hear, if the game can be released on 2021 ps5 will have the best one year line up ever besides ps2.

I was hoping with the next mainline FF game they would go back to turn based combat. Not for myself, but more for the old school FF fans. I feel they're due a nice throw back FF game, despite the combat in 7 remake being very good.
I thought the trailer looked alright. Kind of generic looking action game with chocobos & whatnot thrown in there. But I'm looking forward in seeing how it progresses.

Timed exclusive, you mean.

Didn't know Yoshi-P was producing the game. No wonder the art style and NPC faces reminded me of FFXIV's when I saw the first trailer.

@BlueOcean The denial of multiplatform and any mental gymnastic attempt to claim exclusive in any way is madness these days. This site is by far the worst offender of all sites/platforms for it.

If you want a good laugh, go back a few days to the articles about the rumours on MGS remake and Bloodborne. Both made 30 minutes apart, by the same blogger. Both say PS5/PC in the article but 1 says exclusive in the title.

I look forward to playing FFXVI on PC in it's best form, because it's non exclusive multiplat.

I would hope this is true because it looked like a PS4 game and not even one of the better ones. I did think it was bizarre that they just showed it running on PC at a PS5 event, leads me to believe the PS5 version could still be a bit off if they couldn’t show it running on the system.

@BlueOcean 6 months PC, 12 month console exclusivity right? I can wait.

I thought it looked better than FFVII remake, in a lot of areas that game actually looks pretty awful. The game looked good and now more than ever gamers seem to be moaning for the sake of it

@Fenbops @Menchi How can the title say "PS5 Exclusive" when they know that it's a timed exclusive? It's jarring and misleading. The exclusivity deal is that after 6 months Square Enix is free to publish the game on PC and after 12 months on Xbox.

There are very few PS5 exclusives really, even first-party games are planned for PC and some of them for PS4: Demon's Souls (Sony IP) PC, Spider-Man (first-party) PS4, Sackboy (not first-party but published by Sony) PS4, Horizon 2 (first party) PS4, Bloodborne remaster (Sony IP) PC, Metal Gear Solid Remake (rumoured game but obviously not first-party so PC and Xbox), Final Fantasy (PS5, PC and Xbox after 6/12 months)...

@BlueOcean It helps whip up their fanbase into fervour resulting in clicks. They will claim to be anti console war but will engage in "us vs them" to benefit. I've seen a small bunch of hardcore fanboys on here that ride or die Sony for life and believe Sony is above criticism.

@Menchi I agree that that's the editorial's intention.

@BlueOcean Side note, on PureXbox I get called a Sony fanboy, on here I'm called a Sony hater. Despite holding both companies to the same standards.

@Menchi Yep I know you are a PC player so some people "hate" you 😂.

I'll buy it if Minfilia is in it.

I found the trailer interesting as well. We had the "rumor" leading into the event it would be FFXVI and that it would be exclusive and that Sony is really going the "money hat at all costs" route.

It was seemingly more or less confirmed to see the trailer state boldly "CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE **also coming to PC". Ok, Sony did it, those jerks.

And then we find out from S-E after the show that PC is 6 months later, and that it's only console exclusive for a year. Which I'm happy about, I hate the idea of 3rd party money hatted exclusives. I also hate timed exclusives, but at least it's not like KH and FF6-13 that were trapped on one console for decades. But it seems like plain old false advertising to say "CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE" when it means "timed exclusive like dozens of other games in the past 7 years including Nier Automata."

@NEStalgia Right. I remember rumours from months ago that stated that Sony was attempting to get third-party exclusives as a defining feature of PS5, probably because they knew that they could not have any games ready for launch except the Spider-Man cross-gen spin-off and the Soul's Demons remake (not that Microsoft has much ready for launch either but at least the remasters are free). They tried to get Starfield as well as Final Fantasy XVI to draw attention. Funding games is wonderful but bribing third parties for timed exclusives in order to mislead people with trailers is dirty. It's like the Demon's Souls reveal, when they didn't make clear if it was a PC game or not.

@BlueOcean I'm glad FF isn't truly exclusive, I really dislike purchased 3rd party exclusives. But I also don't understand the point of timed exclusives. The only advantage it means to me is that I'll get it cheaper sooner. When it inevitably comes to XB a year later I'll probably snag it on PS5 for half the price on a PSN sale. In this case, though the problem is less about it being a timed exclusive and more about the fact that, in my opinion, the FF trailer was just plain false advertising. "Console exclusive" and "Time limited exclusive" "First on PS5" or something is not the same thing in my mind. I recall both Sony and MS clearly showing that timed exclusives were timed exclusives in the previous gen, so this change toward manipulative insinuated truth marketing stands out to me.

@NEStalgia That's right, I prefer honest specific statements than deceptive marketing. Timed exclusives are a double-edged sword, most people don't like them and Sony is not funding games but preventing others from playing games they have nothing to do with but only temporarily and for a relatively high price.