The journey players go on in the main story of Final Fantasy 16 is truly unforgettable. From the heartbreaking opening hours to the impactful finale and all the spectacular Eikon fights in between, players who only focus on the main game will undoubtedly enjoy themselves. However, if they ignore all the side content, they will be missing out on some of the best gameplay in Final Fantasy 16 - something that will sound very familiar to those who played the demo.
In Final Fantasy 16’s demo, players get to experience the first two hours of the game, with the look at Clive’s younger years likely being enough to win fans over on the story and its main character. However, the gameplay in the main portion of this demo is not nearly as in depth as what fans will experience once Clive is an adult, as they only get a portion of one Eikon’s moves to player around with. This is where the Eikon Challenge comes in, though a lot of fans may have skipped it - something they could have also done with the Chronoliths and S-Tier hunts.
Final Fantasy 16’s S-Tier Hunts and Chronoliths Are Must-Play Content
Because of its name suggesting players are in store for some kind of combat arena or side content, Final Fantasy 16 demo players may not have bothered with the Eikon Challenge. However, this would have been a mistake, as the Eikon Challenge features the very best gameplay in the demo. Players get to use three Eikons and battle a few main story bosses, something that could easily win them over on the action combat. However, Square Enix does not do enough to encourage demo players to try the Eikon Challenge, and the same can be said for the main game’s best side content.
Final Fantasy 16’s side quests are understandably divisive, as though they offer good storytelling, their objectives often come down to fetching items. Square Enix does a lot to encourage players to engage with them nonetheless, as they appear on maps, show up on the player’s HUD when Clive gets close to them, and can be accessed through a quest manager in the hideaway. However, players are not pushed to access the hunt board nearly as much, with nothing more than a small yellow dot suggesting new hunts are ready after the initial introduction.
This is a bit of an odd decision considering just how great the S-tier hunts in Final Fantasy 16 are. Whether gamers are battling a massive dragon or a Behemoth with unique abilities, these optional fights should not be missed, as they are more challenging than most main story fights and can truly push players to their limits. For players that find the main game too easy, these are an excellent way to get a more challenging experience, yet some players may not even bother with them since they are entirely optional. With even some lower tier fights being memorable, like a toucan-looking chocobo that requires constant dodging to beat, hunts are something combat lovers should make sure to engage with.
However, Chronoliths are an even clearer example of excellent content that players may miss out on. Time trials that are entirely hidden and not advertised to players in any way, each Chronolith must be discovered in Final Fantasy 16’s open areas. However, if they are found early on, players may not be able to access them since they will likely lack the Eikon tied to the trial. This could see them moving on and never returning, which is a shame since a few trials are legitimately tough, and also because all of them offer high quality rewards. Working to get better scores in the main Chronolith Trials and the Final Trials that unlock once the original version is complete is a lot of fun, as players need to be clever with how they use their abilities to give themselves more time.
While hunts at least have a board in the Hideaway with a cute Moogle nearby to encourage visits, Chronoliths are highly missable. Considering how fun they can be, and how they likely took a good bit of effort to design, this is a risky move on Square Enix’s part. Adding side content that players may never experience makes exploration rewarding, but when that content is as well-hidden as the Chronoliths or as rarely advertised as the Hunts, it means that a lot of players could skip out on it completely. Much like the Final Fantasy 16 demo’s most enjoyable combat was kept to a second mode and missed by many, several of the full game’s best fights are also found outside the main story path. Hopefully, players still give them the attention they deserve despite this.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now exclusively on PS5.