Expanding Final Fantasy 16 Meant Increasing Difficulty And Tying Loose Ends
FFXVI's DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka gave insight on the development of FFXVI's post-game content from Echoes of the Fallen leading up to the Leviathan-themed DLC.
www.gamespot.com
While Final Fantasy XVI may have ended on a rather definitive note, its DLC rollout explores much more of its world of Valisthea. The main story hinted at a few things that weren't addressed by the time the credits rolled, so the opportunity for additional content was quite clear. With the first of two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen, released in December 2023, those who were eager to get back into the shoes of protagonist Clive for more of the stylish action-RPG combat had something to chew on. But it's the upcoming The Rising Tide DLC that will round out the whole package, letting you wield Leviathan as an Eikon power and answering more of the questions left behind by the base game. After playing through Echoes of the Fallen, I had a chance to speak with FFXVI DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka about the development of post-game content and what it means for the future of this particular entry in the storied franchise.
The first thing that stood out was how player feedback was accounted for soon after the game's launch. "We have intentionally changed the balancing of combat from that of the main game. Specifically, we've boosted the overall strength of the enemies in the DLC," Kujiraoka stated. This was abundantly clear in the boss fight against Omega, which was a treat for Final Fantasy sickos (especially of the MMORPG variety) but also a surprising challenge that took me multiple tries to finish. It was more difficult than any boss you encounter in the main story and borrows a lot of complex mechanics that reminded me of Final Fantasy XIV's raid bosses, and that helped the combat system shine once again.
Kujiraoka said that the team paid attention to the community playing FFXVI, saying, "In part, this is because we had set the enemy strength a little low in the main game to ensure that as many players as possible would be able to reach the ending. But, from player reactions and streams, it seemed to me that we could maybe push that enemy strength a little higher." He also mentioned that since both DLCs open up just before the final act of the base game, players will be experienced--though, I must admit, it took a little while to shake off the rust from returning to the game after months.
As a long-time FFXIV player who takes part in Savage raids, it wasn't just the degree of difficulty that left an impression, but how familiar the process felt in learning how to beat the boss. There's some resemblance to the Omega boss fights in the MMORPG that came through in FFXVI's version. So, I had to ask about the potential cross-pollination, considering the umbrella of Square Enix's Creative Business Unit III, which developed both games.
"We might draw from past installments from the series, including FFXIV, for inspiration on how to visualize skills or for naming, but these are purely homages to previous titles and a nod to the fans. Having said that, it is surprising how many more players than expected feel the influence of FFXIV in FFXVI," Kujiraoka said. And I suppose that's true given the nature of the MMORPG being a sort of Final Fantasy theme park--FFXIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida's words, not mine. Kujiraoka continued, "FFXIV features all kinds of enemies from the series as a whole, and it's also the first time that a lot of skills are portrayed in 3D. Perhaps that means these appearances in FFXIV might leave a particularly strong impression? And perhaps FFXIV and FFXVI feel similar because they share some common elements in the way they add variation to how battles unfold and how they place importance on the narrative."
2/4/24 update...
FFXVI DLC Director Taeko Kujiraoka States Player Feedback Influenced Increased Enemy Difficulty in FFXVI DLC
“We had set the enemy strength a little low in the main game to ensure that as many players as possible would be able to reach the ending. But, from player reactions and streams, it seemed to me that we could maybe push that enemy strength a little higher."
Updated 2/9/24
Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr would ‘jump at the chance’ to play Clive again
Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr would ‘jump at the chance’ to play Clive again | VGC
Final Fantasy 16 star Ben Starr has said that he would, “jump at the chance,” to reprise his role as Clive Rosfield.
www.videogameschronicle.com
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