Final Fantasy XVI State of Play: Gameplay, world, RPG systems and more

You can catch the 20-minute Final Fantasy XVI State of Play at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST through Twitch or YouTube. If you can't make it for whatever reason, we will be covering the event live as it happens.

The Final Fantasy XVI State of Play begins in 30 minutes. We're beyond excited to finally get our first official longform look at the game. Journalists have already gone hands-on with the title and previewed it on various websites, but it'll be great to see how Square Enix itself shows off the work, hopefully with some surprises.

If you can't make the show for whatever reason at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST through Twitch or YouTube, we'll be covering it with live updates.

The Final Fantasy XVI State of Play starts now! Tune in on Twitch or YouTube. If you're unable to make it for whatever reason, keep your eyes glued to this page as we bombard it with live updates.

The Final Fantasy XVI State of Play opened with a greeting by Naoki Yoshida, producer of the game. We'll be going over the story, world and combat, alongside a breakdown of RPG and support systems through footage that has yet to be seen before.

The showcased opened by throwing us right into the gameplay, showing the protagonist on a mission to find Shiva's dominant. We're immediately thrown into gameplay, with a promise that it is "the first true action RPG in the series." It was likened to a "high-speed roller coaster ride," showing off what the primal combat looks like alongside tons of mind-blowing combos against bosses.

The story follows a character named Clive throughout his teens, twenties and thirties. It is designed to play like an epic saga chronicling the story of this man's life throughout the kingdoms of Valisthea.

We immediately get a look at the main menu, showcasing Gear and Eikons, Abilities, Attributes, Items, Journal and a Map. There is a world map with fast travel options to jump around the world.

Final Fantasy XVI is going through a long-form showcase of its various environments, and my god is it breathtaking. From majestic forests to enormous cities to mysterious temples to expansive cavern systems, the game seems phenomenal visually. 

We saw an absolute ton of combo-heavy gameplay segments, featuring Clive taking down anything from huge monsters to beefy humanoid figures by utilizing the classic abilities we adore from the Final Fantasy series.

For those who want to focus on story rather than action, players can select story-focused gameplay style.

Not only will players have access to tons of wonderful party members who develop differing types of relationships with him, but Clive also has a wolf-companion he can issue commands to while in combat. And of course, don't forget to feed your little buddy!

Players get access to Hide, Hideaway after a certain point in the game, which will act as the game's main hub to receive side quests and train in the training room. You can also conversate with NPCs to learn about side-quests all throughout the world.

Players can take optional hunts to go after certain monsters and something called the Thousand Tomes, which allows the user to go deep into information on monsters, items and characters. There's also a librarian-esque character who will offer information on the deeper politics of the world.

The gameplay demo ended with Clive battling huge foes, terrifying shadowy assassins (and fighting off their attacks by button mashing), and battling the iconic dominants themselves and the power they wield. All of the incredible bosses and battle encounters we're being shown just absolutely takes my breath away, from gigantic fire beasts to huge sword wielding knights and how the player encounters them in combat.

Of course, you'll be able to battle the icons themselves in epic close-quarters-combat.

Icon vs Icon battles are the most unique aspect of Final Fantasy XVI, allowing the users to battle to fight other icons in real time, utilizing their epic abilities against the classics, with every showdown being immensely unique. 

Final Fantasy XVI launches June 22 and we could not be more excited. Square Enix has done exactly what it needed to: Showcasing a deeper dive into the combat, exploration, side quests and worldbuilding. To say I'm hyped as heck is an understatement, and I cannot wait for June to come.