Square Enix has announced the release period of the next in their series of RPG giants, Final Fantasy, with Final Fantasy XVI releasing for the Playstation 5 globally in Summer 2023. This announcement has come with a new trailer showing off some of what can be expected from the new world that players will explore. 

Developed by Creative Business Unit III, an internal development division within Square Enix, Final Fantasy XVI centers around Clive Rosfield, protector of his younger brother Joshua who is a ‘Dominant’; an individual capable of summoning and controlling powerful creatures known as ‘Eikons’.

Watching the trailer, fans of the series may catch a few familiar faces from the roster of Final Fantasy summons, like the fiery demon Ifrit, frosty maiden Shiva, and the laser-dragon Bahamut. Recurring features in the series, XVI sees the famous monsters duking it out in apocalyptic battles, scattering soldiers in their wake like toys and damaging each other for six-digit figures. 

The trailer also gives a short glimpse of the battle system for the new title, with fast-paced sword combat appearing to continue with the more action-oriented fights which have been adopted in more recent titles within the franchise. In addition, it appears that the battles between the colossal monsters will be under some degree of control from the player, and certainly few things are going to suffer for having a few kaiju fights involved.

Final Fantasy XVI will be available for Playstation 5, with expected release in the Summer of 2023.