There are recurring series features including Chocobos for area travel, and summoned monsters called Eikons, which are both fought as bosses and used through channelling their power in combat.

Clive Rosfield, guardian to his younger brother Joshua, witnesses his kingdom destroyed and becomes involved in the growing conflict between Valisthea's nations and a secret power driving the war.

Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game in which players take control of protagonist Clive Rosfield and a rotating party of AI-controlled companions through segmented open areas across the continents of Valisthea.

[9] While in battle, Clive can use normal attacks, a dodge, and use elemental abilities from Eikons, the game's version of recurring Final Fantasy summoned monsters.

Scattered throughout the two continents of Ash and Storm are colossal magical crystals, known as the Mothercrystals, which provide aether energy to the various populations and drive civilization with shards mined for commercial use.

[16] By the game's events, Valisthea is suffering from a depletion of aether dubbed the Blight which withers all life, driving the nations into conflict with each other.

Thirteen years later, Clive is sent behind enemy lines during a fight between the Dhalmekian Republic and the Iron Kingdom to assassinate the latter's Dominant, revealed to be an enslaved Jill.

After Clive and Jill see the full oppression inflicted on Bearers and their sympathizers in occupied Rosaria, they join Cid in a quest to destroy the nations' Mothercrystals, which are causing the Blight by draining aether from the land.

Under Joshua's advice, Dion stages a coup against Anabella but in the process accidentally kills Sylvestre and is transformed into a raging Bahamut by Olivier, who is a vessel for Ultima.

Joshua's research into Fallen ruins reveals that Ultima's people seeded Valisthea with the Mothercrystals to siphon aether for a resurrection spell after succumbing to an earlier Blight.

A post-credits scene in Valisthea's future, where magic is considered a myth, shows a family living in peace and owning a book credited to Joshua recording the game's events.

[c] Post-release downloadable content expansions Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide expand on the Motes of Water, a persecuted tribe associated with the Eikon Leviathan.

They learn that the Dominant of Leviathan, a baby called Waljas who shares family with Shula, was forced to awaken his powers and imprisoned with magic to shelter and enrich Mysidia.

The staff includes members from the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV, and multiple veterans of the Ivalice universe.

[21] The logo, portraying the Eikons Phoenix and Ifrit in battle and tying into the game's themes and story, is designed by long-time illustrator Yoshitaka Amano.

[4] Concept work for the game began in 2015 after Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda approached Yoshida to develop the next mainline Final Fantasy.

[14] Full production on Final Fantasy XVI began in 2016 following Patch 3.4 of Heavensward, when Takai and Maehiro had found replacement staff for the next expansion Stormblood.

[23] Takai's main goal for the game was an action-based combat that was easy to use, and a mature dark fantasy narrative that would tackle difficult themes.

[39] Having worked for a long time on Final Fantasy XIV, which used multiple styles and paid homage to the entire series, Soken had trouble adjusting to composing for a single-player with a central narrative and musical theme.

[39] One recalled episode from the music writing was a bardic song performed both in spoken and sung form by a trained singer and actor that would change depending on Clive's position in the story.

[43] Rumors emerged in late 2019 about Final Fantasy XVI due to reports that Creative Business Unit III had finished groundwork for a major new title.

He admitted potential representation issues, but foresaw problems with both breaking player immersion in the setting, and problematic stereotypes being associated with protagonists or antagonists.

[55] There was a similar response inspired by Yoshida's reluctance to classify the game under the "JRPG" moniker, as he was uncomfortable with negative associations historically attached to the term.

[47][60] A notable cross-promotion was a real-life replica of Clive's sword, created by blacksmith Tod Todeschini and exhibited at the Royal Armouries collection at the Tower of London from June 20 to July 19.

[81] Jordan Middler, writing for Video Games Chronicle, found the story well told and its cast likeable after a slow start filled with worldbuilding and unfamiliar terminology.

[79] Eurogamer's Edwin Evans-Thirlwell praised Clive's storyline and the narrative's examination of series themes, though noted a tone of "wanton backstabbing and ambient misogyny" among the supporting cast.

[87] Giovanni Colantonio of Digital Trends found the story lacking after shifting away from Clive's revenge quest, additionally finding few of the characters memorable, but praised the overall lore.

[8][82][84][85][88] Higham described Final Fantasy XVI as the series' most drastic gameplay shift to date, praising the variety of ability combinations possible later into the game.

[85] Colantonio was pleased by the scale and spectacle of Eikon fights and enjoyed the combat despite it being driven by the story; he hoped the series would continue refining these elements in future installments.

[8] Wilkerson praised the customization available to expand the combat options for new and experienced action game players, but felt the difficulty too easy overall and noted a lack of enemy variety.