Final Fantasy 16 provides a variety of options to tweak the game's difficulty, even in the early game. For one thing, on starting a new save file, it gives players two options: Story Focused or Action Focused modes. These essentially allow the player to choose their main priorities for playing the game. If they want to experience the story uninterrupted, FF16's Story Focused mode tones down the combat difficulty a little, so players can breeze through battle. If they want to challenge themselves, Action Focused mode lets them experience FF16's new battle system in all its fast-paced, Eikon-slinging glory. Players can swap between modes any time outside of battle, and there's a third difficulty unlocked on NG+.
However, FF16 the perfect entry point to the FF series, even for players new to the world of action RPGs.
FF16's Timely Accessories Make Precision Timing Easier
From the start, FF16 grants players a group of Timely Accessories, called the Timely set, making it easier to perform dodges, attacks, and flurried combos with perfect precision. FF16 is all about stringing together normal attacks while charging up special ones, and it rewards perfect timing. Players get bonuses for dodging, countering, even siccing Torgal at an enemy in step with the flow of combat. The Timely Accessories all either automate these processes or give players larger windows and more obvious cues to perform them.
FF16 gives players all five Timely rings before they enter into their first real battle. None of them are equipped by default, but they can all be switched on and off at any time. Each of FF16's Timely rings makes combat easier for the player in one of five different ways.
How FF16's Timely Rings Work
The Ring of Timely Focus is a wholly unique accessory in FF16. Players who went through the entire demo before buying the game should already be familiar with it; it's equipped automatically during the Eikonic Challenge mode. The Ring of Timely Focus slows down time when an enemy is about to hit Clive, creating a quick-time event in which the player must dodge before the attack connects. As long as the player performs the evasion before time speeds back up, it counts as a precision dodge. This frees up the player's attention, which would otherwise be trained on the enemy's movements, giving them a chance to focus completely on their offense.
FF16's Ring of Timely Evasion works similarly but makes dodging even easier. With this one equipped, there's no need for players to even perform evasions at all; the game automates the whole process. Players can focus instead on dealing as much damage as possible.
There's also an option for players who have trouble ing what buttons to press in order to trigger FF16's most powerful combos or are prone to making mistakes during longer chains of attacks. The Ring of Timely Strikes automates combo attacks; players only need to press one button to have Clive execute a full chain. This makes FF16's combat play out in a way that resembles FF15's simple-yet-satisfying formula.
The Ring of Timely Assistance automates the actions of Clive's furry friend, the wolf pup Torgal. Torgal is the only controllable companion in FF16, and though his abilities are rather limited, it can be a bit clumsy to switch between his commands and Clive's healing/item options in the midst of battle. The Ring of Timely Assistance changes this, allowing the game to control Torgal's attacks and healing all on its own. His automated actions are based on the battle's composition and Clive's condition; he'll use his AOE move Ravage when facing a large group, his single-target Sic when fighting a single enemy, and howl to heal Clive when his health is low.
Finally, the Ring of Timely Healing does exactly what it says on the tin: whenever Clive's health dips below a certain point, this ring will automate the use of a potion or high potion. With this accessory equipped, players can have constant control over Torgal; there's no longer a need to switch between his command menu and the item menu. This isn't a totally new feature in FF16 - many other Final Fantasy games have used a similar mechanic under the name Auto-Heal.
FF16's Timely Rings Make Difficulty Flexible
FF16's always-adjustable difficulty modes are an excellent way to make the game accessible to new players, but the Timely Rings take that a step further. Players may find themselves struggling with a specific facet of the game's combat from the beginning; maybe they keep flubbing their combos, or forgetting which button causes Clive to execute a dodge. They can simply equip the most appropriate ring, and use it as long as they like. With more experience, players may find that the aspects of FF16 they once struggled with are starting to become easier. They can then unequip the Timely accessories for an additional challenge, keeping gameplay interesting.
Even veteran action RPG players may get stuck on some of FF16's bosses, though. These foes come at the player fast, with rapid onslaughts of deadly strikes consistently painting the battlefield red. Players who repeatedly die to a particular boss that's unbelievably quick or deals an incredible amount of damage may want to equip the Rings of Timely Focus or Evasion, making it easier to stay out of harm's way. Once the battle's over, they can unequip the accessories and go about the rest of the game as before.
The flexibility of FF16's combat system makes it easier for any player to overcome their pain points with the game's systems. This kind of customization is a step forward in of difficulty and accessibility; instead of just choosing a single ranked option from a menu, players can pick and choose which mechanics they want to make easier. The fact that players can change their difficulty mode or equip/unequip Timely Rings at any time encourages them to learn and grow, continuously challenging themselves as they go through the game. It all adds up to a warm welcome for players old and new into the world of Final Fantasy 16.
Source: FINAL FANTASY/YouTube
