While playing the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 16 you may be wondering if there are Hunts in the game, and if so, when do you unlock them. Well, the good news is they are definitely in the game, but the bad news is you won’t be unlocking them for a long while. Before we get to the pertinent information, let’s explore what Hunts are for newcomers to the series.
What are Hunts?¶
Hunts have been a staple in the past few games of the Final Fantasy series starting with Final Fantasy XII, and from there, they have carried across future installments, although some games use a different term for them. This side activity has you accepting a Hunt from a board similar to a bounty board, then you’ll need to track down a Notorious Mark (usually a large monster or two) to its location and defeat it. The easier Hunts start at Rank C while the more difficult Hunts end up at S Rank which are some of the toughest battles in the game, some of which require a good amount of knowledge of the game.
Once a Hunt is complete, you’ll get a reward. This changes from game to game, but it’s usually some Gil (money), XP, Ability Points, Renown, and rare items, or materials. In Final Fantasy 16, you’ll need these rare items to craft some of the best gear which can only be crafted from materials the Hunts reward you with. As you progress through the listed targets on the Hunt Board, you’ll unlock new, and more difficult Notorious Marks (depending on Story Progress).
Unlocking Hunts in Final Fantasy XVI¶
For the series veterans, this is the information you’re looking for. In Final Fantasy XVI, you’ll need to progress the story quite a bit before you can unlock this activity. Fortunately, it can’t be missed as you’ll come across your first mark during the story mission “Release” which is the 31st mission, approximately halfway through the game.
During the mission, you’ll need to head toward the nearby river (for story purposes). On your way to the river, you’ll walk into an unusual monster (usual if you’ve played previous entries), a giant floating eyeball with wings. This weird-looking monster is called an Ahriman who is a rank C Notorious Mark.
Note, Hunts are generally more difficult than regular battles, and can even surpass the difficulty of the game’s regular boss battles, although this is normally reserved for the higher ranks. With this in mind, you don’t necessarily have to defeat this now, and you can run away from the battle, and come back later when you’re stronger if you’re not feeling confident of yourself just yet. Read this page for the full Ahriman hunt strategy.
Once you’ve defeated the notorious mark, you still won’t be able to get more hunts until a few story quests later. Continue with the main story quests, and eventually, you’ll be able to talk to the Moogle in the Hideaway who has been teasing you all this time. Head to “The Mess” area of the Hideaway, and after a brief tutorial, you’ll be able to access the next couple of Hunts by talking to the Moogle again.
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