FFXVI: All Difficulty Levels Explained

Picking the correct difficulty setting for you is an essential process at the start of any game, and even though it seems like a pretty straightforward question to face, there’s a significant amount of time and thought that goes into why you should pick certain modes. What you want to get out of the game is usually the basis for which difficulty you pick, since players with a bigger interest in the story tend to pick slightly easier difficulty, whereas players that enjoy more combat-heavy gameplay will opt for a bigger challenge. That said, Final Fantasy XVI does difficulty slightly differently, and the process isn’t as simple as easy, standard, or hard.

Which Difficulty Setting should you pick in FFXVI?

Rather than offering an increasing scale of difficulty, players will have to select between either a story-driven experience or an action-focused approach to the title. Both of these modes approach things like combat in different ways, so it’s worth knowing the ins and outs of them before you make your decision, and we’ve broken down both modes to make it easier for you.

As the name suggests, the story-focused mode will make combat slightly easier, but not by necessarily reducing the difficulty and damage done by your foes. Instead, you’ll be given a number of perks through equipable rings to help you out during combat which takes the pressure off having to know the ins and outs of it. If you’re relatively new to the franchise and want to be able to enjoy the game rather than feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to remember during combat, then we would recommend taking the story-driven approach.

Related: How Long to Beat FFXVI? – Answered

However, if you’re a bit of a veteran within the Final Fantasy franchise, the action-drive mode offers a more traditional approach to combat. You’re essentially left to your own devices, and you won’t have any of the perks like automatic dodges and potion consumption, so it relies a lot more on your skill and knowledge of combat rather than letting you coast through. This mode requires a pretty significant amount of micro-managing and there’s a lot to take into consideration while playing, but it is arguably the more authentic way to play the game.

But, regardless of which way you prefer to play, Final Fantasy XVI offers a lot to explore once you’ve finally decided. If you’re looking for other ways to enhance your gameplay before really sinking in though, we’ve got guides on FFXVI: What is Final Fantasy Mode? – Answered and FFXVI: How to Reduce Motion Blur which could make your experience more enjoyable.