Today, GDC has officially made recordings of last month’s panels available to watch on its official website. Of these, a total of three different panels covering Final Fantasy XVI were hosted at GDC 2024. These panels were led by Lead Technical Artist Eitaro Iwabuchi and Game Designer Momoka Aono. The first, titled ‘FINAL FANTASY XVI’: Wrangling Complexity to Deliver Top-Quality (Presented by Autodesk), focuses on integrating Autodesk and reducing workload yet maintaining the quality fans have come to expect. The second highlights the workflow and pipeline that the Cinematic Team utilized to create FFXVI. Lastly, the third panel dives into Active Time Lore and how the feature allows players to engage more closely with Valisthea.
Below, you can check out a detailed overview of each panel and what to expect via GDC and Square Enix. Please note that while the first panel is available for all to watch free of charge, the latter two do require you to be a member:
‘FINAL FANTASY XVI’: Wrangling Complexity to Deliver Top-Quality (Presented by Autodesk)
Uncover SQUARE ENIX’s strategies for reducing workload and complexity without compromising the quality of FINAL FANTASY XVI. This session explores how the studio seamlessly integrated Autodesk and in-house tools, allowing data to flow between the two for environment layout, animation and more, enabling them to create extraordinary realms and characters that have captivated a loyal audience of over three million players.
Cinematic Workflow and Pipeline of ‘FINAL FANTASY XVI’
Eitaro Iwabuchi, Lead Technical Artist at Square Enix Co., Ltd., details the method of transferring data from MotionBuilder to Maya and the tools utilized to support their workflow when designing FINAL FANTASY XVI. The workflow is designed with a combination of tools that have been used internally for other projects and tools that were developed from scratch exclusively for this project.
Designing Active Time Lore for ‘Final Fantasy XVI’
In this session, Game Designer Momoka Aono will demonstrate how UIs can help players better understand the story of the game through examples of the lore support system called “Active Time Lore,” invented for FINAL FANTASY XVI. Attendees will learn the example of designing the new lore system and how to make players understand the in-game world and to be curious about its lore, through the three years’ development team struggling to create UIs, program and implement lots of data.
Final Fantasy XVI is available now for PlayStation 5. A PC version is in development and reportedly close to completion. Next week, the second and final DLC pack, titled The Rising Tide, will release for PS5. This DLC follows the lost Eikon, Leviathan, and the land of Mysidia.
Be sure to check out our 4.5/5 review of the game, as well as our interview with members of Virtuos’ global studio network, who supported the development of this title.
