Here is all the information you will want to have concerning the Ultimaniac Mode in Final Fantasy 16.
Among the most significant gaming launches of the year is Final Fantasy 16. According to Square Enix, more than 3 million copies of Final Fantasy 16 were sold throughout its first week of sales (from June 22 to June 29). The PlayStation 5 sales milestone, according to the Tokyo-based developer, comprises both retail and digital sales. As per reports, however, the game’s physical sales in the UK only were 74% decreased compared to those of the previous version, Final Fantasy 15. Still, during its first week of release, Final Fantasy 16 had the highest overall sales.
With the proviso that Final Fantasy 16 is merely available on the PS5, the respectable sales figure should be taken into account. When Final Fantasy 7 Remake debuted as a PlayStation 4 exclusivity in April 2020, it sold 3.5 million units in three days, but that was to a significantly wider install base of machines than PS5 now enjoys. Although Final Fantasy 15 was released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the month of November 2016, it only sold 5 million copies on its first day. The fastest-selling title in the Final Fantasy series’ history is still Final Fantasy 15.
Now, along with the great graphics presentation and compelling characters that have become synonymous with the genre, this time around lovers of in-depth and gratifying fighting mechanics are not shortchanged either. There is also the Ultimaniac Mode in Final Fantasy 16, which is only available in the game’s supplementary Arcade Mode, for those among you who wish to put your abilities to challenge and compete with other players for positions on the leaderboard.
What is Ultimaniac Mode in Final Fantasy 16?
Every time you begin New Game+ on regular Final Fantasy difficulty, the Ultimaniac Mode from Final Fantasy 16 can be unlocked. Ultimaniac Mode ups the difficulty of the game to 11 while Final Fantasy obstacles hike the level ceiling and includes revised mechanics.
The Ultimaniac Difficulty can be chosen under the Arcade Mode menu, and it can be accessed via The Arete Stone within the Hideaway. Final Fantasy 16’s linear levels are featured in Arcade Mode, which also offers the option to instantly bypass all the cutscenes. Collectibles like treasure chests are also absent from this version.
Similar to the Final Fantasy difficulty, this variant will mix up mini-boss encounters, alter enemy locations, and raise health reserves and enemy aggression. In contrast to the Final Fantasy style, you have to restart an entire level if you die in Ultimaniac Mode.
As is the case with most of the Arcade Mode, this one is entirely optional. It primarily serves players who wish to make the most of the new fighting system and engage in score-based competition. Many various factors will also have an impact on your high score. The more obvious elements are clear time and damage, but you will get bonus points for disregarding any tonics or potions.
Variety in combos will also be crucial; you cannot simply count on pulling off the same fundamental combo together repeatedly. Instead, you will have to continuously change things up to get high scores, which should motivate you to reconsider how you are employing certain Eikon powers. However, bear in mind that Ultimaniac Mode is also going to limit the difficulty and the gear you can bring into any given stage.
How to Play Ultimaniac Mode
Be aware that, even when contrasted to the normal Final Fantasy difficulty, Ultimaniac Mode is entirely another beast. You can lose your lock and be forced to stop working if you make a mistake. You should take it slow because several of these stages have remarkable runtimes.
If you play Final Fantasy 14 frequently, you are definitely familiar with CBU3’s dungeon design. If you can take the heat in Final Fantasy 16, you can also drag sizable groups of opponents from wall to wall. And this can significantly reduce your clean time if you combine Eikons with skills that have a large area of influence.
The majority of the foes are considerably more aggressive, so you will either need to play a lot more defensively and take advantage of opportunities or work on your blocks, parries and dodges. You will also need to adapt the way you play the game. Here, both Shiva’s Cold Snap and Titan’s Titanic Block skills might be extremely helpful. But bear in mind that gaining the Titanic Block’s Counter Hits feature will not stop foes from assaulting you.
Additionally, you should stock up on skills that deliver a lot of standard damage and stun damage. The majority of this will depend on personal preference, but you want to be capable to use as many skills as you can in a brief period of time when fighting mini-bosses and, in particular, standard bosses.
The Final Fantasy modes accessory function, which enables you to mix multiple accessories to increase their effects, should generally be used. You can do this to boost damage output, reduce cooldowns, or even extend the range of an effect.
When Will There Be a PC Version?
The PC version of Final Fantasy 16 is probably being developed by Square Enix, although producer Naoki Yoshida claimed it will not be available anytime soon. Also, there is no mention of PVP, which is something that Final Fantasy creators avoid (or fail to fully implement) since FFXIV. This might be the main reason why the Final Fantasy franchise is far from being a part of the eSports scene (despite having tournaments called the Feast in FFXIV; on the lodestone, each player’s character name and season-previous ranking are revealed) and, consequently, far from a multimillion-dollar worth betting sector presented here, unlike some other role-playing video games, such as Fortnite or League of Legends.
All in all, Final Fantasy 16 deviates from what fans may have come to expect from a Final Fantasy game in terms of its fast, reflex-driven, action-heavy combat, but the game’s outstanding narrative, characters, and world-building rank right up there alongside the very best that the series has to offer, and its ground-breaking Active Time Lore feature ought to establish a new benchmark for how long enough story-heavy games retain players invested in their worlds.
