Not Even Final Fantasy XVI Devs Could Follow The Game's Confusing Story

There’s a batch going connected successful Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix’s upcoming stylish reinvention of nan iconic RPG franchise. Between nan caller setting, monolithic Eikon battles, and Game of Thrones inspiration, FFXVI tin beryllium confusing to follow. And you aren’t alone, arsenic nan devs added an in-game explainer because moreover nan squad couldn’t travel nan game’s convoluted story.

Read More: Final Fantasy XVI’s Developers Had To Watch Game Of Thrones

Launching arsenic a PlayStation 5 exclusive connected June 22, FFXVI is this extremist shakeup for a bid that shaper Naoki Yoshida said successful August 2022 is “struggling” to support relevance successful an evolving industry. The crippled wholly breaks free from its turn-based roots to go thing overmuch much action-oriented, akin to 2018's God of War (all while harnessing the powerfulness of nan PS5). Recent previews suggested nan translator works, moreover if bid veterans whitethorn person a unsmooth clip molding themselves to nan caller formula. Another constituent that makes adapting to FFXVI difficult is nan storytelling, which is truthful bombastic and perplexing that Square Enix needed to build successful thing called Active Time Lore to make consciousness of what doesn’t afloat make sense.

FFXVI’s Active Time Lore characteristic is astatine your fingertips

Active Time Lore is caller to nan Final Fantasy franchise. First revealed successful a February 2023 PlayStation Blog post, nan characteristic lets you region astatine immoderate constituent during gameplay—especially successful nan mediate of a cutscene—so you tin publication up connected nan events that conscionable transpired, what’s happening astatine ample successful nan world, a characteristic and nan motto they’re using, aliases moreover factions and locations involved. It’s for illustration having a elaborate Wikipedia in-game, making it truthful you don’t person to scour nan net to study about, say, why protagonist Clive Rosfield is truthful emo.

In a May 22 question and reply pinch Polygon, Yoshida said that while it was ever Square Enix’s extremity to show this sweeping epic of a communicative pinch a monolithic ensemble cast, doing specified a point would inevitably lead to confusion. This bewilderment was peculiarly felt amongst nan halfway improvement team, which prompted nan creation of nan Active Time Lore feature, according to Yoshida.

“I deliberation it was May successful 2019,” he said. “We brought together beautiful overmuch nan main unit from each of nan sections moving connected nan game, and we publication done nan full book each together. We recovered retired that a batch of moreover nan soul halfway unit were lost, they didn’t cognize what was going on! So we realized each of a abrupt we needed immoderate measurement to support players that were going to consciousness this measurement arsenic well. Because if we arsenic devs are emotion it, players are decidedly going to.”

According to Polygon, location are immoderate in-game characters that further explicate FFXVI’s disorienting narrative. Loresman Harpocrates shares lore tidbits pinch you via an unlockable library. Then there’s nan governmental clever clever Vivan Ninetales who tin springiness you nan beverage connected nan authorities of affairs betwixt nan realm and its cardinal players, fundamentally pulling a Pepe Silvia to representation retired relationships and nan subject situation. These characters, coupled pinch Active Time Lore, sound for illustration welcomed additions for a bid that’s beautiful damn difficult to travel accurately.

Kotaku reached retired to Square Enix for comment.

Read More: Final Fantasy XVI Sounds Fun, But Series Vets Might Have It Rough

Confusing communicative aside, FFXVI looks for illustration an epic action game. While there’s still a period earlier it officially launches, it’s being reported that a demo for nan crippled will beryllium available earlier then, giving you a mates of hours to play arsenic a youthful Clive to immerse yourself successful nan Game of Thrones-esque story.