win.gg
Win.gg News All the Final Fantasy XVI combat changes explained

All the Final Fantasy XVI combat changes explained

Author Icon
William Davis Published 13/06/2023
Final Fantasy release date

Final Fantasy XVI will change everything about FF combat, moving from a real-time/turn-based hybrid system to a fully-fledged action combat system.

Final Fantasy combat has come a long way since its original incarnation. It codified the turn-based system that became synonymous with JRPGs, but it started tinkering with the idea as soon as its fifth game. Now with FF XVI, the series is switching to a full-on spectacle fighter with zero turn-based actions remaining. Here are details on the switch and how it will change the feel of battle compared to XV.

The system change was announced during the official FF SVI gameplay reveal in April of 2023. The biggest news was that Ryota Suzuki would serve as the game’s combat director. Suzuki has previously worked on several action-focused titles, including Street Fighter 4, Dragon’s Dogma, Monster Hunter World, and the Devil May Cry series. Knowing Suzuki’s resume makes the change a lot easier to understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNulcTtGU9Q&ab_channel=IGN

Final Fantasy XVI will switch to full real-time combat

Final Fantasy XVI combat will more closely resemble Devil May Cry or Dark Souls compared to FF XV, with manual dodging, input chains, and minigames tied to certain attacks.

The gameplay reveal shows main character Clive dodging and diving through hordes of enemies without a visible targeting system. Attacks and other actions are bound to the R2 button, with new combat abilities cycling in after others are performed. Players only control the protagonist, with allies managed by the game itself.

Final Fantasy XVI combat minigame

In addition, the combat will feature quick-time events on certain attacks to further add skill expression. Early trailers show a circle appearing in front of Clive with markers for yellow and red, with red appearing to deal the most damage. The checks seem fairly easy, but more advanced moves could come with tighter windows.

This will keep players more engaged with the moment-to-moment combat, a further break from FF XV’s system.

William Davis
About William Davis

View full profile
Read Also
Fortnite Has Just Made Battle Royale Matches Shorter Fortnite
Fortnite Has Just Made Battle Royale Matches Shorter Zachary Roberts If you've ever found yourself thinking that a Fortnite Battle Royale match takes a while, Epic Games may have just dropped the update you've been waiting for. When one survives all the way to the end of the match but comes short of the fabled Victory Royale, it can feel like a lot of time was spent for nothing. However, thanks to the most recent tweak, matches are going to ...
You Can Now Trade on Pokémon Card Prices With Kalshi Pokemon
You Can Now Trade on Pokémon Card Prices With Kalshi Zachary Roberts Kalshi now offers traders the chance to trade on Pokémon card prices. The popular prediction market has plenty of available options, ranging from general news to elections. Traders can make predictions on weather, video games, and plenty more. Now, the value of Pokémon cards — one of the hobby's most hotly debated topics — has joined the platform, with users able to trade prediction contracts on future prices Kalshi has ...
Trainwreckstv Loses It With Two $3 Million Waylanders Cup Slot Wins Big Wins
Trainwreckstv Loses It With Two $3 Million Waylanders Cup Slot Wins Hannan Mundia The World Cup may be over, but a pair of $3 million wins for Trainwreckstv on the Waylanders Cup slot proved that the celebrations are still ongoing with the football-inspired casino game. Trainwreckstv was busy on streams throughout the summer's World Cup, which took place in North America, but this was perhaps his most notable win, with two $3m payouts landing within minutes of each other at Stake. The streamer ...
Kalshi Hits Netflix With Cease-and-Desist Over Documentary Trailer News
Kalshi Hits Netflix With Cease-and-Desist Over Documentary Trailer Zachary Roberts Kalshi, one of the most popular prediction markets, is in a legal dispute with streaming platform Netflix after the trailer for a new documentary was released. Kalshi has responded by threatening legal action over claims of defamation. This centers on a scene in the trailer where traders were depicted making predictions in states where it is not permitted to do so. The trailer for Instadocs: The Prediction Market Games, a ...
Eddie Craven Reveals the Stunning Statistics Behind Stake’s Dice Game Slots
Eddie Craven Reveals the Stunning Statistics Behind Stake’s Dice Game Khizar Mundia Dice has established itself as one of the most popular casino games online in recent years, and Stake co-founder Eddie Craven recently revealed the eye-watering numbers behind the simple title — it has generated over $75 billion in wagers across 200 billion bets. Dice is a Stake Original game that has been available on the platform since its initial 2017 launch. The title has been around since before Stake and ...
MrBeast Releases New Make-A-Wish Video Amid an Eventful 2026 Twitch
MrBeast Releases New Make-A-Wish Video Amid an Eventful 2026 Khizar Mundia Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is known above all else for his charity and philanthropy, and the YouTuber's latest effort saw him release a Make-A-Wish video with other top streamers. This included Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. and multiple mainstream celebrities as they fulfilled 100 wishes. MrBeast was married just a few days ago, but the YouTuber is already going viral for his latest video. His latest release is more emotional than entertaining, ...
Pragmatic Play’s The Dog House Megaways 1000 Takes the Slot Series to a New Level Slots
Pragmatic Play’s The Dog House Megaways 1000 Takes the Slot Series to a New Level Ian John The Dog House series of slots have proven to be a hugely popular collection of games from Pragmatic Play, offering a wide range of variations to appeal to slot gamers of all breeds. The most recent release is The Dog House Megaways 1000 slot, an enhanced version of the hugely popular Dog House Megaways, and it hit casinos on 13 July, 2026. The original The Dog House Megaways introduced dynamic ...