Watch a historical weapons expert break down combat in ‘Final Fantasy XVI’

In partnership with Square Enix

While Final Fantasy XVI fans are still immersed in Square Enix’s latest adventure, one thing has become clear: the world of Valisthea is brutal — and whether you’re facing off against soldiers, monsters, or even the land’s devastating Eikons, being prepared for battle is a must. To learn more about Final Fantasy XVI’s weapons, armour and combat, NME invited Matt Easton — a historical weapons expert from Schola Gladiatoria — to teach us everything he could about the game’s deadliest aspects.

• READ MORE: ‘Final Fantasy 16’ review: what ‘Game Of Thrones’ could have been

As it turned out, that was a lot: much of Final Fantasy XVI’s combat gear has been drawn from real-world periods of history, from protagonist Clive Rosfield’s 15th-century longsword to Eikon-wielding companion Jill Warrick’s renaissance-era rapier. Other design choices are wider-reaching — freedom fighter Cid uses the Japanese martial art of “Iaido” in battle, while Easton uses a katana replica to point out similarities between his blade and the traditional Japanese sword.

However, much of Final Fantasy XVI is rooted in fantasy: Benedikta, the Dominant wielder of Garuda, uses a jagged “arming sword” unlike most real-world weapons, and stays lightly-armoured so that she can utilise her ability to fly in combat. Like other Dominants, Benedikta is capable of transforming into a monstrous Eikon at will — so with these powers in play, combat in Final Fantasy XVI is often unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the real world.

“The fact there are giant creatures there obviously plays such a big part in dictating the choices of armour and weapon,” Easton points out. “In a world with these creatures…what weapons would you actually choose? I think there’s been some real imaginative choices made, and I like the unique takes on the weapons [and] some of the differences we see.”

You can watch Easton’s full breakdown to learn about Clive’s combat style, why Prince Dion is “ready for war,” and much more — though if you can’t wait to jump into battle yourself, Final Fantasy XVI is available now on PS5.

The post Watch a historical weapons expert break down combat in ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ appeared first on NME.