Final Fantasy XVI — Crown Prince of JRPGs Hits PC

There are few video game series that have had such a profound impact as Final Fantasy. Even if you’ve never played one, it’s extremely unlikely you’ve not heard the name of the JRPG games that have become a solid pillar at the centre of Square Enix’s development and publishing efforts over nearly four decades. For the series faithful, the regular iterations since 1987, and more recently the highly successful remakes, have burned themselves on the hearts of players as adventures sans pareil, representing everything that is good and pure in the world of gaming. 

In 2023, Final Fantasy XVI launched on PlayStation 5 to excellent reviews from critics and players, paving the way for the eagerly-awaited PC version in September 2024. To find out what it took to bring the experience to PC in all its glory and more, Intel Gaming Access seized a sword and cast a spell on Hiroshi Takai, game director on Final Fantasy XVI at Square Enix’s Creative Studio 3.

Final Fantasy XVI is a single-player action RPG set in a world where swords, magicks, and mythical creatures known as summons co-exist, and the agendas of its various protagonists may clash or coincide. You follow the life of the main character, Clive Rosfield, from childhood through his 20s and 30s, as he traces a story arc rich with epic clashes between titanic monsters and exhilarating action-packed battles. For FFXVI, Eikons make their summons debut; Dominants (human hosts) can channel their power, or even transform into them, adding another dimension to the conflict.

Building successfully on the legacy of such a storied video game franchise is no mean feat, and finding the elusive balance between satisfying the desires of long-time fans and making the necessary innovations to keep it moving forward is a task that Hiroshi and his team relished. “Since the FF series is such a long-running series, we committed ourselves to building an intricate world setting and storyline, both of which are long-standing qualities of the series,” says Hiroshi. “We also tried something new in that we created the series’ first fully fledged action-based battle scenes. The real-time Eikon vs Eikon fights are an experience that’s probably unique to Final Fantasy XVI.”

The world of Final Fantasy XVI is enriched by the sometimes engaging, sometimes challenging characters who cross your path, while at the heart of the game, your character will be forced to confront some of life’s most difficult questions. “Amidst the various characters who live by their own principles and beliefs, what will Clive feel and how will he move forward with his life?” asks Hiroshi. “I believe the answer to this question will differ for each player. I really hope players see Clive’s story through as it unfolds.” 

The Complete Edition PC version of Final Fantasy XVI comes fully loaded with all the DLC released to date for the title, giving PC players everything the game has to offer straight out of the gate. “We have released two pieces of DLC, Echoes of the Fallen e The Rising Tide,” says Hiroshi. “Both are packed with story and battle content that further enhance the gameplay experience of Final Fantasy XVI, so I definitely encourage you to play them.”

Ensuring the PC version lived up to the technical potential of the platform and its vast range of configurations was a task that took commitment from the team, as they worked to overcome early challenges. “We certainly struggled with the optimizations,” admits Hiroshi. “After resolving all kinds of issues visible to the eye, we then carried on identifying the intensive points of the CPU and GPU, and worked tenaciously to resolve them, one by one.”

“Players have different PCs of various specs and even the combination of CPU and GPU alone varies from player to player,” continues Hiroshi. “As our goal has always been to have the game be enjoyed by as many people as possible, we have prepared a wide variety of settings for each player to choose from.” 

If you’re a PC gamer with an eye for JRPGs, then Final Fantasy XVI really should be at the top of your wishlist this September. And in all honesty, it’s about time we had a hero we could all root for called Clive. 
Purchase Final Fantasy XVI on Steam