Final Fantasy XVI is of course one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2023, and while there is still conjecture about the game’s release date, and some details of the game’s post-launch content, New Game +, and duration have all been outlined, there’s plenty more still to be shared. Italian publication Everyeye had an opportunity to sit down and talk with some of Final Fantasy XVI‘s key development players, and they each shared a range of important insights into the upcoming game, including how the PS5 version of the game will utilise the unique features of the DualSense controller.

The interviewer at Everyeye asked Yoshida how Final Fantasy XVI was going to take advantage of the unique capacities of the Dualsense controller, to the haptic feedback, the adaptive triggers, or even the 3D audio of the console. To this, Yoshida responded with,

Absolutely yes. We are taking advantage of virtually all the unique features of PlayStation 5 . Since Final Fantasy XVI is a sword-based action game rather than gunplay, adaptive triggers aren’t pushed to their limits. Nonetheless, we have integrated appropriate and natural features to increase the immersion offered by the game. For example, haptic feedback is activated when certain actions are used that unleash the power of the Eikon or in any case in large-scale battles between the Summon themselves.

Typically, up until this point we’ve seen many developers take full advantage of the adaptive trigger capacities of the controller, namely through bow and arrow mechanics, the pulling back of the string, and the tension that it creates rippling through the trigger. Other games, such as Bethesda’s Deathloop had guns lock up at times and this would be represented through an inability to pull through the trigger to shoot. Ranged gameplay has been a big beneficiary of this feature of the Dualsense, but as Yoshida highlights, games with a more melee, sword-wielding focus have not, as of yet been able to take advantage of the capacity of the adaptive to a similar capacity. Beyond that, the way that Yoshida suggests that his team will use the haptic functionality sounds fairly standard. While 3D audio was not addressed in Yoshida’s response, that implementation in PS5 games is pretty standard in 2022, and you can expect Square-Enix to be utilising that feature as well.

The game’s development is reportedly 95% complete, and Square-Enix is aiming to release Final Fantasy XVI on PS5 and PC in Summer 2023.

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