Final Fantasy 16, the latest entry in Square Enix’s massively successful JRPG franchise, has brought with it more of what made the series so popular. However, it differs in quite a few ways as well including the combat system.
This time around the game has gone full Devil May Cry and heavily focuses on epic hack-and-slash combat. While it isn’t hard per se, the combat mechanics can still take a while to get used to. Here are some tips that will come in handy while slaying enemies across the world of Valisthea.
Don’t ignore Timely Accessories
Final Fantasy 16 provides players with items known as Timely Accessories which make the gameplay much easier. These items essentially help players in combat by doing some of the work for them.
For example, the Ring of Timely Healing automatically uses a potion when the player’s health is critical allowing the you to focus on whatever you are fighting.
Learn to parry
Parrying is incredibly useful when it comes to combat in Final Fantasy 16 and every player must get good at it. Performing a successful parry can be tricky as you will have to time it right.
Press square when an enemy is about to attack you, but time it in such a way that your blade makes contact with the enemy’s attack. If done correctly time will slow down for a short while allowing you to perform a flurry of attacks on the enemy, thereby taking out chunks of their health with ease.
Use skills with a high stagger strength rating
If you are having a particularly hard time with any of the bosses or enemies in Final Fantasy 16, try using skills with a staggering rating of three stars or higher. A higher stagger rating means more damage to the enemy’s Will Gauge.
When an enemy’s Will Gauge reaches zero they will collapse and will remain stationary until their Will Gauge goes back to 100%. During this time, every attack you perform will deal 150% damage allowing you to take out significant amounts of health.
Skills such as Gouge (Garuda), Wicked Wheel (Garuda), and Scarlet Cyclone (Phoenix) all have a stagger rating of three stars or higher, making them good options for a build.
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Switch between equipped Eikons during combat
Final Fantasy 16’s Eikon abilities have cooldowns, stopping you from spamming them. Fortunately, you can equip up to three Eikons, so when one ability is under cooldown you can switch to the next Eikon to continue using cool attacks.
By the time you have switched and used your third Eikon’s abilities your first Eikon abilities will be available. This is a neat way to continue performing cool moves and also increase your DPS.
Learn Precision Dodging
Final Fantasy 16 allows players to perform what is called a Precision Dodge which is vital in combat. Similar to parrying, performing a successful Precision Dodge will slow down time for a brief moment, allowing you to perform a counter combo.
To execute a successful Precision Dodge, you will have to dodge right before the enemy’s attack hits you, but keep in mind, dodging too late or too early will not register as a Precision Dodge. This tiny window for timing the dodge right is what makes it tricky, but mastering this ability is worth the effort.