Final Fantasy XVI was revealed earlier this fall at the PlayStation 5 showcase, and the game looks to taking the franchise in a bold new direction.

Even though FF 16 is focusing on crystals like many of the series' earlier titles, it has a dark and gritty look—notably the violent blood splatter in the trailer—that feels fresh. This Final Fantasy will be much more adult-oriented.

Square Enix launched the game's website, and with it our first in-depth details into the world, story, and characters. Here's everything to know about Final Fantasy XVI (release date sometime in 2021). 

The World of Valisthea

FF 16 takes place in the world of Valisthea, a land divided into six realms, each bearing their own Mothercrystal.

The crystals supply the land with aether, a spiritual energy fueling their prosperity and endowing the people with the ability to use magic.

There was peace for many years among the six realms until a mysterious threat known only as The Blight sowed chaos among the people.

Eikons and Their Dominants

Final Fantasy is known for its mythical entities available to summon in battle. In this entry, they are called Eikons.

Each Eikon has a dominant: an individual with the sole ability to summon them into the world. So far, Square Enix confirmed that favorites like Shiva, Ifrit, Titan, and Phoenix are returning.

What other Eikons are yet to be revealed?

The Characters

As of now, the official site has only three character profiles listed, but they give us a little insight into what this game is all about.

Clive Rosfield

Clive is seemingly one of the main characters of the game. He is the son of the Archduke of Rosaria, one of the six realms.

His younger brother Joshua awoke as Phoenix's dominant, and Clive was appointed as his shield. He is also able to wield some of Joshua's power.

His mission turns to revenge because of the deeds of the dark Eikon Ifrit. What is the deed that Clive is seeking revenge for? The answer to that question seems to hold one of the critical points of the story.

Joshua Rosfield

Joshua is Clive's younger brother and Phoenix's dominant. He is kindhearted but not the warrior that his brother Clive is.

In the trailer, we see a calm, sweet kid who later demonstrates terrifying powers. It will be interesting to see how his story plays out further.

Jill Warrick

Jill is from another realm but became a ward of Rosaria at a young age. She has grown close to Clive and Joshua over the years.

Jill also gained the brother's trust and was raised as a member of the Rosfield household. What role is she going to play in the story?

The initial trailer was exciting but left us with a lot of questions, and these new details leave us wanting even more. Hopefully, they keep the updates coming and FF 16 doesn't spiral into the mess that was FF 15.

Exclusivity?

Final Fantasy XVI will be exclusive to PS5 for the first 12 months after its release. After that, it may or may not come to other consoles such as XBox Series X and Nintendo Switch.

However, PC gamers may get it sooner than that. Six months after its release, Square Enix has the option to create a PC version. They haven't promised this will happen, but it's definitely a possibility.

There is no official confirmation of FF XVI coming to PC, however the structure of the deal and the mention in the Sony PS5 showcase does suggest this is the case. When this arrives after the 6 months contractual period is up is obviously down to SE. /2

— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) September 17, 2020

The franchise needs a game that will redeem the series as a whole, and I'm hopeful that the Game of Thrones-esque imagery we've seen so far points to a bold reinvention.