Final Fantasy XVI Resembles FF X/XII In World Map Design, Features A Central Hub

[John Elden Ring]

https://twistedvoxel.com/final-fantasy-xvi-ff-x-xii-world-map-central-hub/

The world map featured in Square Enix’s upcoming action role-playing game, Final Fantasy XVI, bears similarities to those of Final Fantasy X and XII.

In the latest issue of PLAY magazine, Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida stated that the game’s world map is comparable to those of Final Fantasy X and XII. On the world map, the player can choose an area to visit to and seamlessly travel to it. Once the main quest in the area has been completed, the player is then sent to the game’s hub area, known as The Hideaway.

In the hub area, players will have the option to buy and upgrade weapons and accept hunts. According to Yoshida, each place that the player unlocks over the course of their playthrough becomes available to visit at any time. Therefore, the player is at liberty to revisit previously visited regions of the world map. Upon revisiting some of these areas, the player will gain access to new side quests.

Unlike Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy X’s world map becomes available much later in the main story. Final Fantasy XVI appears to be more like the former in this regard, though Yoshida didn’t specify the point in the story at which the world map opens up for free travel.

The mention of seamless fast travel to previously visited areas on the world map had been hinted earlier by Yoshida during a panel dedicated to Final Fantasy XVI at PAX East 2023, where he demonstrated that the game takes advantage of the PS5 hardware to deliver near instant load times.

During the demonstration, Yoshida also revealed that Final Fantasy XVI will feature two Performance modes: a Graphics mode that targets 30fps while running at a resolution of 4K (2160p), and a Frame Rate mode that targets 60fps while compromising on resolution. While it was not explicitly stated what resolution the Frame Rate mode would run at, it’s likely to be close to 1440p.

 

[Airbus]

 

[Remember_Spinal]

 

[Cool hand luke]

Great news. FFXII and X had the best overworlds once the franchise moved to PS2. I love the freedom they gave you in FFXII early on - there was a secret weapon you could only get by running to a mid game area almost as soon as you started playing.

An FF 7-9 world map would also be amazing in 3DHD but that's a bit unrealistic.

 

[anonpuffs]

Good, open world games are played out. I hope games stop forcing open worlds just because they want to chase trends. Only use it if the game needs it, otherwise it's useless pablum and bland useless busywork.

 

[Swift_Star]

Good. Fuck open world games.

 

[Entropi]

Can’t say I remember world traversal in those games. Hopefully this is good.

 

[Airbus]

Good. Fuck open world games.

Open world in ff15 are good and enjoyable but yeah we can always go back to a more linear ff games

 

[Johnic]

I still long for the days of FF7. 8 and 9 where we got an airship and could travel the map. But I'm fine with these smaller, sandbox worlds as long as the story's good and tight.

It's just that combat is completely off-putting to me.