Not least because when you do get to let off the leash, its combat never fails to impress. It’s worth saying at this point that Final Fantasy 16’s opening hours are very story heavy, and while it does a great job at introducing Clive’s family ties and those who aim to unbind them, it did leave me wishing I was playing a more active part in it at times. This pace and a general sense of excitement are infinitely aided by the superb score that soundtracks the events, too. It’s not a revolutionary setup for a story in this genre, but one introduced with a fair amount of elegance in an early cadence that maintains a good balance between action and dialogue. Over the course of the opening few hours, you’re transported through different periods of his life as the personal catalyst for his story is revealed. One of those nations is the Grand Duchy of Rosaria and you play as Clive Rosfield, son of the ruling Archduke. Naturally, the continent’s six nations are going to want to fight for control of these, and so a constant state of conflict rages on. The story is rooted in the struggle over the five Mothercrystals that tower over Valisthea, which are the source of the magic that powers this world. They may be well-worn reference points for anything vaguely medieval-fantasy, but it's hard to ignore the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones influence here. There’s a sheer enormity to the size of these Eikons that even the likes of old-school God of War or Shadow of the Colossus would be jealous of. She provides a stark contrast to her adversary, the stony, monolithic Titan who towers over the skirmish between two rival factions below. It’s not afraid to throw spectacle after spectacle your way right from the off, with the early arrival of the ice Eikon Shiva onto a dusty battlefield truly stunning in its execution as she glistens in all her glory. Valisthea is a world that returns Final Fantasy to its more classic fantasy roots, albeit with heightened cinematic aspirations. The opening section that I played is described by Square Enix as “a special version made for media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.” But regardless of if the events presented are identical to the final game or not, don’t worry I won’t be spoiling any story details for Final Fantasy 16, just discussing some of the themes at play and the stage they set.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |