The recent State of Play focusing onFinal Fantasy 16gave players new insight on what to expect regarding its gameplay, story, and combat. One of the more interesting revelations was Clive’s companion Cidolfus (Final Fantasy 16’s incarnation of the reoccurring “Cid”) having a base of operations known as The Hideaway. The Hideaway serves as a hub for characters to converse, a place for Clive to buy and upgrade gear, and a research library to learn more about the game’s world of Valisthea and its inhabitants. It is here that players will interact with Harpocrates -Final Fantasy 16’s de facto librarian and historian.
Recognized as the god of secrets and confidentiality in Greek mythology, Harpocrates inFinal Fantasy 16serves as Clive’s resident expert on the history and culture of Valisthea. By visiting Harpocrates in The Hideaway, players have the opportunity todig deeper intoFinal Fantasy 16’s worldand lore, filling in the gaps that might exist regarding understanding the connections between characters or the importance of certain locations. This balance between open exploration of Valisthea and obsessive completionism to unlock all chapters in the Thousand Tomes is a boon for players seeking to immerse themselves inFinal Fantasy 16’s world.
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The Thousand Tomes is Final Fantasy 16’s World Guide
The State of Play revealed that exploring Valisthea provides Clive with environmental cues that create notes and a reason to visit Harpocrates. Successful delivery of these notes to Harpocrates fills out chapters in the Thousand Tomes, which then levels up and revealsmore details about the world of Valistheafor players to dig through. While the narrative of anyFinal Fantasygame is typically rich with lore and information about the world in which players inhabit,Final Fantasy 16is taking this further by attaching a gameplay mechanic to learning more about the game’s cultures.
Once players have unlocked new entries in the Thousand Tomes, they can visit military scholar Vivian at The Hideaway and attend lectures. By attending these lectures, players will learn more about the connections between certain countries or factions, granted clues as to where to venture next. The Hideaway and Thousand Tomes serve as both a guide tothe world ofFinal Fantasy 16and a handbook to help players on their quest, with successful completion of Harpocrates and Vivian’s quests rewarding players with knowledge and insight as well as access to new quests.
Final Fantasy 16 Offers Freedom to Explore Valisthea and Rewards for Thorough Exploration
The large,open zones of Valisthea inFinal Fantasy 16are rife with opportunity for players to explore and discover secrets. With some of these secrets rewarding players with notes for Harpocrates to decipher, there’s incentive for players to dig into every nook and cranny in hopes of completing every chapter of the Thousand Tomes. This balance between open exploration of the game’s world and incentive to complete the Thousand Tomes will undoubtedly appeal to completionists while also providing rewards for anyone looking to learn Fantasy16’s world and its inhabitants.
Some of the best RPGs give players the freedom to choose between squeezing out hundreds of hours of gameplay or completing the main story quest.Final Fantasy 16’s implementation of Harpocrates and the Thousand Tomes quantifies progress in learning everything about the world of Valisthea, and may push players to end up spending more time in the game than they would have intended. With the main story ofFinal Fantasy 16having a 35-hour completion time, Harpocrates' quests will be a welcome distraction for those looking to spend more time in Valisthea.
Final Fantasy 16launches on June 22 for PS5.
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