Final Fantasy XVI State of Play showcases the game's narrative, systems, and arcade mode

Sony and Square Enix showcased more than twenty minutes of new footage from Final Fantasy XVI in the latest State of Play broadcast, giving viewers the most expansive look yet. Virtually every  core aspect of the game received coverage, from combat to narrative and details about the game world, as well as the action-driven arcade mode.

Presented by producer Naoki Yoshida, the presentation dove deep, showing off protagonist Clive's different abilities and his appearance at different stages of the story. Yoshida also revealed that the main theme of the game was written and performed by singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu. Yonezu got his start as the Vocaloid music producer "Hachi", before debuting under his real name and voice in 2012. He also performed themes for anime series like My Hero Academia, Chainsaw Man, and March Comes in Like a Lion.

You can check out the archive of the Final Fantasy XVI State of Play stream below. Note that some aspects shown off may be considered spoilers.

The presentation plays up FFXVI's billing as the first "true" action-RPG in the mainline Final Fantasy series. The story covers three periods in Clive's history, including a flashback that covers key events in his life, such as his relationship with Joshua, his brother and the Dominant of the Eikon Phoenix. Clive will move about the game world of Valisthea, with its different areas represented by travel points. Earlier previews characterized the game world as more of an "open zone" game, with many large but separate areas to explore rather than a single contiguous map.

In combat, Clive can switch between different Eikonic powers, which alter his available moves and combat styles. In a montage of combat clips, Clive is seen swapping between the powers of multiple Eikons in a single string of attacks. For example, he can knock enemies into the air using Shiva's ice, and then finish them off while they float with Odin's Zantetsuken. Each Eikon is represented as a family of abilities on Clive's abilities screen. Players can select abilities to unlock with points gathered from defeating enemies, but an auto-upgrade option is available. Players can also tailor combat to their preferences with "Timely" accessories that can automate actions like evasion.

The trailer also included characters like Cidolfus, Jill, an old friend of Clive's, and the previously revealed Torgal, a wolf-like buddy. Party members will be AI-driven and fight alongside Clive. Scenes of party combat include fighting alongside fellow Dominants. NPC characters like Blackthorn the Smith, Charon the Shopkeeper, and Harpocrates the Loresman will populate the "home base" area of Cidolfus' Hideaway. There Clive can discover sidequests, take on bounties (from an FFXIV-style Hunt Board), and upgrade his equipment. A training mode will allow players to practice their combos, and an arcade mode will feature online leaderboards, as well.

Check out more screenshots from the latest showcase in the gallery below.

Final Fantasy XVI will launch on June 22, 2023 for PS5. Check out our other coverage of the game at this link.