Final Fantasy fans find references to previous games in FF16

Final Fantasy fans have been picking apart new footage of FF16 to discover possible references to previous games in the series.

As Vikki reported yesterday, new footage of the game has been released online, taken from a talk by producer Naoki Yoshida and localisation director Koji Fox at PAX East. It looks truly stunning.

The full panel presentation also includes further details on the game and answers a few fan questions.

One criticism of the game so far is that it feels quite different to previous games from the series. That's despite sharing the same DNA as past games and including many iconic elements, from the Eikon summons, to rideable chocobo, spell names, and yet another incarnation of Cid.

Yet one Twitter user, named The Dragoon/Keyblade Master, has been collating comparisons with previous games.

For instance, the battle music from composer Masayoshi Soken (Final Fantasy 14) appears to reference "Don't Be Afraid" from Final Fantasy 8. Might there be more musical references in Final Fantasy 16?

There are other similarities too, like similar shots in cutscenes from the likes of Final Fantasy 1, 4, and 9.

Perhaps the most obvious game to reference, though, is Final Fantasy 14, considering this game shares many of the same team. In the fight with Benedikta, for instance, she cries "now fall!", which appears to be a reference to Garuda in the MMORPG.

The PAX East panel provided a look at some of the RPG elements of the game, away from combat.

For instance, there was a first look at the world map, rendered like a hand-crafted model (how very Game of Thrones), and the exceptionally quick load times between areas.

The game will feature two graphics modes - performance and frame rate - for those looking for 4K visuals or a smooth 60fps.

There were also glimpses of the wider world too, including a market town and Cid's hideaway, which acts like a hub between adventures filled with NPCs and stores. Gear crafting can be done at the blacksmith, for example. Side quests will often begin in the hideaway. There's also the Arete Stone that offers a battle training mode and an arcade mode.

Battles occur seamlessly in the world and while the game may not be fully open world, the areas are still huge and contain towns within. Eikon battles, meanwhile, are all unique: the panel showed new footage of battles against multiple Eikons.

Other questions answered: not all battle cutscenes are driven by QTEs (and they don't result in game over), more RPG elements will be shown in April, and yes - you can pet the Torgal.

At the very least, Yoshida is being particularly transparent on Final Fantasy 16, which served the team well during development of Final Fantasy 14.

You can check out the full panel below, or read more about the game's combat.

Yes, You Can Pet the Torgal: A Final Fantasy XVI Panel at PAX East 2023