Whenever a new Final Fantasy game is released, we expect to be introduced to a pulsing world filled with history, cultures, and places to learn about. In the latest game, we have Final Fantasy 16’s Valisthea, a world where people’s lives are tied to the power of crystals, the control of Eikons, and the mysteries of the past.
Final Fantasy, like many other successful series and the best PS5 RPG games, has created great hits as the years passed and left a legacy of rich and memorable worlds that many players get nostalgic about. In Final Fantasy 4, we have a moon keeping the secrets of an old civilization, while in Final Fantasy 7 we have a decaying planet where a big corporation exploits its vital energy. This time, the team behind Final Fantasy 16 chose to go for a more traditional Western-medieval scenario to depict the world of Valisthea while keeping important aesthetic elements known throughout the series. And we got to visit this incredible world during our Final Fantasy 16 review playthrough.
Final Fantasy 16 Valisthea
Final Fantasy 16 Valisthea is the main realm in which the game takes place. It is divided into two continents and six nations, with plenty of areas (levels) taking place in the various regions of Valisthea. The different nations in Valisthea are:
- Ash continent – The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, The Kingdom of Waloed
- Storm continent – The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom, The Crystalline Dominion
The world of Valisthea is split into two continents, one called Ash in the east, and Storm, in the west. While Valisthea presents a good variety of biomes, it also presents the singular characteristic of having spread throughout the land, gigantic crystals called Mothercrystals. These are sources of aether and those who are bestowed by Mothercrystals with it can conjure magicks.
Another blessing given by Mothercrystals is the Final Fantasy 16 Eikons, extremely powerful creatures that reside inside chosen humans known as Dominants. Alongside the crystals, the people of Valisthea are also used to finding old structures built by an antique civilization called the Fallen.
Around the Mothercrystals spread on Valisthea, nations were formed, thriving thanks to the blessings received from them. As time passed, these nations realized that the Mothercrystals’ power is not infinite and that eventually, the crystals of each nation will run out of aether. So, all the realms of Valisthea began a race to conquer and find more crystals as well as to deal with the Blight.
Each realm in Valisthea is culturally and politically distinct. Even how some of them deal with the blessings of Mothercrystal changes depending on the nation. First, we have the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, where the game’s protagonist, Clive Rosfield is from. Rosaria is the result of the union of smaller independent provinces in the West.
Although it’s a nation blessed with the Dominant of the Eikon Phoenix, it uses the aether of the Mothercrystal Drake’s Breath located close to Rosaria. Now, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque stands out in Valisthea as a solid theocratic society, ruled by the Holy Emperor, and protected by Bahamut, the Warden of Light. The city has been blessed by Mothercrystal Drake’s Head.
The Kingdom of Waloed is the only nation in the Ash continent, and it has proved its power by conquering this region while dealing with the orcs and beast-men who lived there. As explained by Final Fantasy 16 official site, it’s due to the power of the Kingdom of Waloed’s Mothercrystal, Drake’s Spine, that they were capable of building up a strong army. Leading this army is Odin’s Dominant, Barnabas Tharmr.
Now, in the Storm continent, we have the Dhalmekian Republic, a region composed of five states and ruled by a parliament formed of representatives from each of these states. It’s worth mentioning that Hugo Kupka, the Dominant of Titan, has a big influence on the city’s decisions as its permanent economic adviser. The Dhalmekian Republic controls Drake’s Fang, the Mothercrystal whose aether is used by the whole southern area of Valisthea, putting this nation in a powerful position.
Back to the extreme west of Valisthea, off the coast, there are a group of small islands called The Iron Kingdom. It’s in this region where Drake’s Breath, the Mothercrystal the Grand Duchy of Rosaria gets their weather from. At the same time, the Iron Kingdom is also known for being the realm of the Crystalline Orthodox, a religion central to this nation that is against Dominants. Because the worshipers of the Crystalline Orthodox take Dominants as abominations, those who are found to bear the power of an Eikon are executed.
In the center of Valisthea we can find the Crystalline Dominion. This region differentiates itself from the others because it has the tallest of all the Mothercrystals, called Drake’s Tail. Besides that, there is also the fact that this land has not a singular ruler nor a Dominant to protect it. Due to where the Crystalline Dominion is located, all the nations have fought to take the place for its strategic importance. However, after some time, these nations came up with an agreement, making it an autonomous dominion. The decisions regarding the place are taken by a council of representatives from the other nations.
And this is all you need to know about Final Fantasy 16 Valisthea. This is a compelling new world where it seems many mysteries await players about the Mothercrystals as well as the Eikons. Now, if you want to learn more about this world, you should check our guide on Final Fantasy 16 Hideaway, which is going to be a key location during Clive’s adventure.