Square Enix is determined to not let players walk away from Final Fantasy 16 after the credits have rolled. Beyond the main game, they have included a plethora of activities and game modes to keep the game alive and your playtime increasing.
One such mode is the Arcade Mode, which sees players competing to perform the best in battle scenarios. It pits you against enemies to try to perform Battle Techniques as best as you can and gives you a grade after the encounter. It's a fun way to hone your combat skills, and it is pretty easy to find once you know how to unlock it.
How To Unlock Arcade Mode
In order to unlock Arcade Mode, you won't have to do too much in the main game of Final Fantasy 16. The mode will be unlocked for you once you have completed the Fanning Embers quest, having taken down the Midnight Raven boss.
Once you have done this, simply visit the Arete Stone at the Hideaway and you can select Arcade Mode from the menu.
As you progress further in the story, you will unlock more scenarios to tackle in the mode.
Arcade Mode Overview
The Arcade Mode in Final Fantasy 16 is all about performance and has you competing in environments you have already completed in the main game.
When you first start a scenario, the in-game level, consumables, and gear will be given to you determined by where your character would be at during that section of the game. It takes the average level players should be at for that scenario, so if you were a player who was ahead of the curve when first playing through that part of the story, you will be forced to operate closer to the average for Arcade Mode.
You will be able to choose your Eikon Abilities and accessories to take with you into battle, however, so there is some level of customization that the mode will let you play with. You just can't over-level yourself to cruise through these scenarios.
In each scenario, your goal is to perform specific Battle Techniques to perfection in order to drive your score up.
The way your scored is calculated is broken down into two categories:
- Battle Technique Complexity - represented by the color of the letter grade you are given
- How well you performed the technique - the number of stars you are given after performing the Battle Technique
These two categories combine to give you your grade at the end of each Battle Technique, adding up to your overall score, which will all count towards your final grade at the end of each run. Just remember that the more complex Battle Techniques you attempt, the higher the possible points will be.
Arcade Mode Scoring System
|
Color |
1-Star |
2-Star |
3-Star |
|---|---|---|---|
|
White |
100 |
300 |
500 |
|
Blue |
500 |
700 |
900 |
|
Cyan |
2,000 |
4,000 |
6,000 |
|
Green |
20,000 |
25,000 |
30,000 |
|
Rainbow |
40,000 |
50,000 |
60,000 |
Unfortunately, as of right now, there is no purpose to this mode other than to perfect your combat prowess. There aren't any rewards given to you for achieving a certain score, and there aren't any online leaderboards to let you compete against other players for the best score. This could very well change in the future, but for now, it is just for you to enjoy and keep yourself honed in.