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Final Fantasy 16 is quite a big game. The passage of the story can take from 35 to 40 hours, and with side content – up to 70 hours. However, the game also features New Game+, which the developers say will feature new combat and enemy placement changes.
Speaking to Game Informer, Creative Director Hiroshi Takai and Combat Director Ryota Suzuki spoke more about New Game+. They said that it is available for Story and Action Modes, but two more difficulties will become available in the future: Final Fantasy Mode and Ultimaniac. In the first case, the difficulty increases, the location of the monsters changes, and the types of enemies are “remixed”.
Suzuki said:
The core design philosophy is that the first playthrough is about learning Clive, mastering the controls, and then enjoying the story. In the second playthrough, we want to shift the focus – since the story hasn’t changed – to the action.
For example, in Story Mode, although players may encounter waves of enemies, in many cases the enemies do not attack at the same time so that players can deal with them all. In more difficult game modes, we have removed these restrictions, so that Clive is attacked by many enemies at the same time.
What have we done with the regime [Final Fantasy]so it gave the players controlling Clive the feeling that they were always in danger, that death was just around the corner, and that you had to be very, very careful to complete the tasks.
If you interact with the Arete Stone in the hideout in Final Fantasy Mode in New Game+, you will be able to complete stages of the same difficulty in Arcade Mode. However, there is also Ultimaniac Mode, an even more difficult mode.
[Эти режимы] were created exclusively for hardcore players, those players who pride themselves on their skills in action games. [Это] a challenge that even for them will be very difficult to pass.
There is no reward for this – it’s just for showing off.
Even if you complete New Game+, you can upgrade weapons and accessories (although the latter is only possible in Final Fantasy Mode). You can also get access to Chronolith Trials (or Final Chronolith Trials in Final Fantasy Mode) – the hardest challenge.
Challenges are time-based and consist of multiple stages with multiple rounds of enemies, starting with regular waves that increase in difficulty, and ending with a boss. You can use various tricks and combos while completing tasks to increase the time. However, there is no healing option in the game.
Since they are based on eikon, there must be at least nine of them (unlocked by access stones like the Arete stone). One of them is “Trial by Fire”, based on the Phoenix, which unlocks only that eikon’s abilities.
