With tremendous pleasure for Xbox, the drastically new artwork by character designer Kazuya Takahashi was also dropped by Square Enix for the occasion of Final Fantasy XVI launching on Xbox. The visuals are quite eye-catching, well worthy of the game’s dark-fantasy mode, and give the Xbox crowd an almost whimsical look at what they are still missing.
And the Twitter post from the official Final Fantasy XVI account was met with excitement, memes, and demands for more content. Some gamers are upset about the DLC having their favorite characters like Joshua, Jill, and Cid. Others are just happy that the game is finally on Xbox after some initial PlayStation exclusivity. One player claimed it felt like a mash-up of Game of Thrones, Devil May Cry, and Final Fantasy IV—and honestly sound like the best crossover ever.
There is, however, my sour side. Some replies made fun of Xbox players, wondering if they would ever actually buy it, while the pro-physical-copy camp still hold out for a disc release. Then, a different user laid it completely flat: “Physical release or I won’t buy!” Just classic gamer-hardheadedness.
The fans fell in love with it, especially since Sleipnir rarely gets this kind of attention in official art. With respect to the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game, fans are thrilled to realize that basically Takahashi’s designs shall become the next wave of card art.
Now that we’re talking games, we might as well have a console war. While one user articulated concerns about Nintendo prices, another came to the defense of Final Fantasy XVI deviating from turn-based combat, arguing that it always had evolution on its side. And should we forget about the PS5 players out there who want a Pro patch to wash off the motion blur?
In the meantime, no matter what side you’re on, Xbox or PlayStation, one thing is clear: Final Fantasy XVI is huge. If by any chance you have not played it yet, now is the moment. However, don’t expect everyone to agree to be calling it a masterpiece. That’s exactly what Twitter is for.
That said, go check out that art. Pick up the game if it piques your interest. Then brace yourselves for the DLC announcements. Square Enix is more than ready to spill more on this world, and so are the fans. Perhaps we should say players now, because we’re here to have fun. Right?
In any case, enjoy the ride, or don’t. People will say something about it in either way.
