Early sport ideas for Ultimate Fantasy XVI

I’d say Ultimate Fantasy XVI is lastly out, however in comparison with earlier collection video games, this one hardly felt like a wait. Nonetheless, I feel I converse for everybody after I say that Inventive Enterprise Unit III’s tackle the mainline collection has drawn lots of curiosity. Fortuitously, the ultimate product is as improbable as I hoped it could be.

Ultimate Fantasy XVI marks a daring new route for the franchise. For those who’re a fan of the earlier turn-based entries, this sport might really feel downright alien at the beginning. Fortunately, Ultimate Fantasy XVI takes many steps to assist ease gamers into its mechanics. With time, you can also Precision Dodge into lethal counterattacks that set off lengthy, spectacular combos. So whether or not you’re an motion sport fanatic or a complete beginner, listed below are ten ideas for Ultimate Fantasy XVI that may improve your early sport expertise.

1: Test the blacksmith typically

A pair hours after the prologue for Ultimate Fantasy XVI ends, you’ll end up in your first hub space. Naturally, that is the place you’ll deal with some fundamental maintenance between exploring fields and charging by way of dungeons. That is additionally the place you’ll see the blacksmith, who it is best to test in with typically.

Crafting isn’t essentially deep right here. Mainly, you’ll shove supplies you discovered into your gear to make some numbers a bit of increased. Nonetheless, don’t depart these stats on the desk, particularly when weapon upgrades may also help take enemies down sooner. Test for a circle marker subsequent to the Blacksmith or Store icons to see if they’ve new items for you!

2: Watch which strikes deal HP or Stagger injury

In your ability tree, you’ll be aware that skills have star rankings that point out each their uncooked injury and their stagger injury potential. These aren’t exhausting to know, however within the thick of fight, it’s straightforward to only spam skills off cooldown and hope for the most effective. Nonetheless, you can severely increase your injury output by utilizing your strikes strategically.

This particularly applies to the early sport, the place your pool of Eikonic skills continues to be comparatively sparse. Strikes that primarily stagger enemies can actively waste your time if you happen to use them when an enemy is already staggered. Conversely, if you happen to use your strongest HP injury skills when a foe is already staggered, you may stack 150% injury modifiers on them.

As your playstyle evolves, chances are you’ll choose to disregard staggering enemies relying in your construct. Both means, as you equip skills, ensure you know what you’re placing in these potential slots.

3: Activate Energetic Time Lore once you want it

The plot in Ultimate Fantasy XVI can get fairly dense. You could infer key particulars from context, however just some key background particulars may also help immerse your self within the story. That’s the place Energetic Time Lore is available in.

Anytime throughout a cutscene, maintain the contact pad button to open the Energetic Time Lore menu. This can present you a small handful of lore blurbs related to your level within the story. That is particularly useful close to the start of the sport when phrases like Dominants and Bearers get launched in speedy succession. You don’t want to make use of this all through the complete sport, however positively test your Energetic Time Lore if one thing confuses you.

4: Respeccing is free

As you progress your ability tree in Ultimate Fantasy XVI, you’ll see a combination of low cost upgrades and costly skills to unlock. When you have your eyes on, say, the Flames of Rebirth transfer, you may suppose to avoid wasting your potential factors. Don’t do that!

Respeccing is quick and free in Ultimate Fantasy XVI. For those who aren’t in fight, you will get your potential factors again from any ability, no questions requested. In different phrases, if you happen to’re saving for an costly potential, spend money on different abilities within the meantime and reallocate these factors later. As a bonus, this technique makes it very straightforward to experiment with totally different playstyles. Discover what works finest for you!

5: Use ranged assaults to be taught assault patterns

Bosses in Ultimate Fantasy XVI are completely bonkers. We’re speaking multiphase, bombastic enemies that stretch the bounds of what your PS5 may even deal with. These encounters can simply pummel anybody who recklessly fees, which is the place ranged assaults are available.

To be taught assault patterns, it helps to maintain a small distance whereas pelting magic with the triangle button. This makes it very straightforward to learn the way lengthy sure enemies will wind up strikes, or what areas sure assaults will strike. Then, after you have the rhythm of the struggle down pat, rush in to begin comboing between Precision Dodges.

Truthfully, it may be straightforward to neglect you might have magic at your disposal in any given second. If a boss completely prevents you from closing in on them, chucking magic may also help you squeeze in just a few hits as you watch for them to return to the sector.

6: Take note of your gray well being

When Clive takes injury, it is best to discover two issues about your well being bar. Firstly, you’ll lose well being, as a result of… nicely, that’s how video video games work. However extra importantly, you’ll additionally discover that a part of your well being bar turns into greyed out. That is no accident.

Whereas gray well being doesn’t contribute to your total well being pool, you can restore it utilizing sure skills. The largest instance of that is Torgal’s Treatment command, which is able to slowly regenerate your gray well being particularly. The Flames of Rebirth potential follows the identical guidelines with its therapeutic properties. To heal past this, you’ll wish to both use an merchandise or watch for a degree up, which is able to totally restore your HP.

7: Keep in mind that you would be able to cost assaults

When you begin unlocking abilities, you’ll uncover cost assault choices for each your melee and magic buttons. Don’t neglect you might have these when you unlock them!

The sport will instruct you that charged assaults can break enemy shields, however that’s removed from their solely use. For instance, once you’re nonetheless in restoration frames after ending a combo, you may maintain down an assault button to arrange a powerful strike, even once you’d usually have to attend to begin swinging once more. Use all of the instruments at your disposal!

8: Fill up on gadgets if you happen to’re having bother

Not like basic RPGs, you may’t grind till you may afford 99 potions to breeze by way of each dungeon within the sport. Clive can solely maintain a handful of every merchandise, however they’ll simply make the distinction between victory and defeat.

For those who’re stocked on gadgets, any potions you discover will flip into instantaneous therapeutic. Moreover, stat buff gadgets like Stoneskin Potions may also help you face up to assaults you don’t know the way to dodge or amplify your injury throughout burst home windows. They’re comparatively low cost to replenish on, so that you may as nicely seize them in case of an emergency.

9: Full sidequests once you discover them

So I don’t imply to sound any alarms with this tip, however Ultimate Fantasy XVI does have factors of no return. These usually received’t take you unexpectedly, as the sport will nudge you to handle unfinished enterprise beforehand. Nonetheless, they do exist. I like to recommend you clear aspect quests as you progress so nothing passes you by.

Granted, most aspect quests in Ultimate Fantasy XVI contain small tales that flesh out the world. They do have some good rewards, however lacking them received’t damage your save file or something. Finishing them does make Ultimate Fantasy XVI really feel extra like an RPG than a personality motion sport, although, which brings me to my closing level.

10: Discover and discover treasure chests

Ultimate Fantasy XVI isn’t an open world sport, however I wouldn’t say this can be a dangerous factor. Just like the NES and SNES Ultimate Fantasy titles, many areas cover treasure chests to uncover if you happen to spend time exploring. I like to recommend checking any curious corners or hallways you discover to get probably the most out of Ultimate Fantasy XVI, particularly if you happen to’re approaching it extra as an RPG.

Whereas most equipment you’ll discover received’t essentially change your sport expertise, they nonetheless add a terrific sense of discovery to the sport. And on the finish of the day, you paid $70 to play one thing you take pleasure in. Take the sport slowly, soak within the surroundings, and get as invested on this planet as you need.

We don’t know if we’ll ever get one other mainline Ultimate Fantasy sport like this once more. But when there’s just one tip it is best to take going into Ultimate Fantasy XVI, it’s to take pleasure in it whereas it lasts.

Timothy Monbleau

Information Editor – Timothy began writing neighborhood blogs for Destructoid in 2012. He favored it a lot he determined to write down articles for the location professionally. His love for RPGs and the Ys collection will endure ceaselessly.

Extra Tales by Timothy Monbleau