In an interview with Sony for the PlayStation Blog, Final Fantasy XVI Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox shared insight about protagonist Clive. In the interview, Fox mentioned that due to the differences between Final Fantasy XIV and FFXVI, Clive will be more involved in dialogue than the Warrior of Light from the MMORPG. Which is natural, given that Clive will serve as the protagonist to the next mainline entry in the Final Fantasy series.
Fox described the difference between writing for an MMORPG compared to a more focused experience like Final Fantasy XVI. The game’s nature as a standalone narrative changes things. He stated that Clive will have a more active role in conversations in comparison to FFXVI. This is because characters won’t be talking “to” him, as he described. He also noted that high quality facial capture will also lend itself to the team being able to convey certain emotions without the use of dialogue.
Outside of Clive, Square Enix released information about several other characters that will appear throughout the game. The new details included a look at other Dominants of importance, such as Dion Lesage and Barnabas Tharmr. Both characters received a bit of the limelight in the “Ambitions” trailer. That video provided a deeper look into the various factions at play in the JRPG.
Final Fantasy XVIÂ will release in Summer 2023.
