For all its “fully AI-driven” characters, the familiar party camaraderie you get from other mainline games remains intact in “Final Fantasy 16”.
According to “Final Fantasy 16″ producer Naoki Yoshida, spreading out battle controls among multiple party members could end up hindering the action or making it more complicated, which is why you’ll only be controlling Clive in this game’s multiplayer mode.
As Yoshida explains, in battle, players will have these AI-driven characters.
Even so, you won’t just see them in battle; you’ll also hear them chit-chatting amongst themselves and accompanying Clive on his journey. In addition, you’ll see new party members join and depart as the story progresses.
“These characters will play big roles in the story and have their own arcs themselves. And so it’s not just… basically having someone help you in battle, it’s having party members participating in Clive’s journey.”
In the Domination trailer for “Final Fantasy 16″, the party system seemed to be downplayed, but Yoshida was quick to clarify what a single playable protagonist in Clive Rosfield meant for the game when we inquired about it.
In order to avoid overwhelming players, Yoshida explains that the trailer focuses solely on Clive and his role in battle. However, Yoshida emphasizes that the protagonist is not alone in his journey and that he has companions who accompany him throughout the story.
As a fully customizable character, Clive comes equipped with a plethora of special abilities. Ultimately, we wanted players to be able to use these in a fluid and stylish manner. It’s possible, however, that distributing battle control among several members of the party will make things more difficult, if not hinder, the action. We came to the conclusion that having players focus solely on controlling Clive was a better option.