More information has been revealed about Final Fantasy XVI, specifically it’s endgame content, New Game+, and challenging modes.
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In an interview with Game Informer’s Wesley LeBlanc, Creative Director Hiroshi Takai and Combat Director Ryota Suzuki discussed details about the endgame of Final Fantasy XVI. This included the Arcade Mode that allows players to replay completed stages and be graded.
However, another avenue to enjoy the game again and again was through New Game+. LeBlanc reports that both Story Mode and Action Mode are harder in New Game+, though letting the player keep their unlocked abilities, gear, and upgrade their weapons even further.
In addition, there is “Final Fantasy Mode,” increasing not just the difficulty, but changing where and what kind of monsters appear. “The main design philosophy is that the first playthrough is about learning Clive, learning the controls, and then enjoying the story,” Suzuki explained. “The second playthrough, we want to shift that focus – because the story hasn’t changed – to the action.”
“For example, in Story Mode, while players may encounter waves of enemies, a lot of times, enemies don’t attack at once to allow players to be able to handle everything. In the harder modes of the game, we have removed these limitations so that you have multiple enemies all attacking Clive at the same time,” Suzuki elaborated.
Suzuki then summarizes, “Basically, what we’ve done with [Final Fantasy] Mode is give players controlling Clive the sense that they’’re always in danger, that death is around the corner, and that you’ll need to really, really pay attention to be able to clear the content.”
While under Final Fantasy Mode New Game+, players can upgrade their accessories (something not possible without both modes at once). They can also replay stages in Arcade Mode not only under the Final Fantasy Mode difficulty, but the Ultimaniac Mode for an even greater challenge.
“[These modes were] pretty much created solely for the hardcore players, those players that pride themselves on their skills in action games.” Suzuki also revealed that there wasn’t an exclusive reward under this mode, only overcoming the challenges themselves. “[It’s] a challenge that, even for them, is going to be very difficult to complete.”
Final Fantasy Mode also allows access to the Chronolith Trials, and the Final Chronolith Trials while under New Game+ as well. Takai promises they will be the biggest challenge the game has to offer. players can unlock them finding stones- similar to the Arete Stone players interact with to access Arcade mode.
Each Chronolith Trial is based on an Eikon, offering multiple stages with three rounds featuring waves of monsters, capped by a fourth round against a boss. They are also time trials, where specific moves, combos, and objectives can grant more time. Players must do all this while there is no healing (apart from what is granted when activating Limit Breaks).
Takai and Suzuki demonstrated Phoenix’s Trial by Fire, showing that the player only has access to Phoenix Eikonic abilities (unlike the main game, where players can utilize a wide variety of different skills in combos). Under Final Fantasy Mode and Ultimaniac difficulties, both Arcade mode and Chronolith Trials feature global leaderboards.