Quick Links
Final Fantasy 16’s arcade mode is a wonderful addition to the series that allows you to replay the different sections of the game and attempt to obtain the highest score possible. Here, all the RPG components are stripped away, and you are left with a set level, and a predetermined set of skills, items, and equipment.
Related:Final Fantasy 16: Beginner Tips
You won’t be able to grind your way to victory here. Instead, you will have to use what the game gives you to claim victory and acquire the highest score possible. This is a test of skill, but there is definitely a right way to approach this mode. We’ll help outline the best ways to rack up an impressive score. S-Rank here we come!
Updated July 07, 2025:We have added a little more information to help clarify certain elements of the Arcade Mode. This includes going into greater detail about the accolades that are available. These updates should help this guide be a more comprehensive breakdown of the arcade mode.
Time Isn’t Really A Factor
So, while you are being scored, time never factors into said score.There is absolutely no incentive for killing enemies quickly or clearing an area swiftly. So, take your time, and target high-scoring attacks.
This means that you can absolutely sit back and stack up some precision counters while waiting for your Eikonic powers to recharge. That being said, keep in mind that your party members are going to do their own thing, so, if you take too long, they may end up killing some enemies.
This is especially worth keeping in mind if you are using abilities like the “Flames of Rebirth”, as you’re able to finish a leg, let it slowly recharge, and then tackle the next section once all your Eikonic abilities have become available again.
Arcade Mode Does Not Provide Material Rewards
This is the first thing we need to address.You don’t earn experience, you aren’t given gold, and you aren’t even rewarded with any items.Not even if you get an S-Rank. If you are playing arcade mode, you have to be in it for the love of the game.
Bragging rights are the most tangible reward associated with the arcade mode.If you are looking to grind, you should select Stage Replay from the Arete Stone instead.
Item Management Is Vital
In the arcade mode, the items you start with are the only items you will get.There are no items to pick up, monsters won’t drop any either. So, you will need to ration everything thoughtfully.
Torgal’s heal may not be impressive initially, but it is definitely something that is worth using in the Arcade Mode.This also makes theFlames of Rebirth Eikonic Ability utterly invaluable.
Lastly, the Limit Break ability can act as an incredibly potent heal as well. Though you won’t gain access to this ability until you have unlocked the fourth Arcade Mode stage (on the plus side, once youhaveunlocked it, you can use it in the first four stages as well).
Abilities Are Not Pre-Set
While the Arcade Mode ensures that Clive is always at the same level, and gives him a preset item and equipment loadout, it doesn’t have an established set of abilities for Clive. That means that certain abilities will only be useable if you have unlocked them beforehand.
So, if you want to have things like the Burning Blade ability available—or the incredibly important Taunt—you’ll need to unlock those from the Ability menu before you start the arcade mode.Similarly, what Eikonic Abilities you take with you will need to be set in the menu before you start an Arcade Mode stage.
If you are struggling with any of the earlier Arcade Mode stages, you can come back later once you have acquired other Eikonic powers and have unlocked your limit break ability. This will make these battles far more manageable.Especially tougher ones like Caer Norvent.
Style Isn’t The End All Be All Of Arcade Mode
We’re sorry to have to inform the sweatier Final Fantasy 16 fans of this, butyour ornate air combos, are only as valuable as the moves they contain(for the most part, at least). This means that the flashiest combos won’t be worth the most points.
If you are seeking the highest grade possible,you are going to be far better off spending your time maneuvering the enemies into groups and hitting them with the highest-scoring attacks.That being said, there is still a reason to include some variety in your gameplan. We’ll get intothatin the accolades section.
Accolades And You
A number of things may not factor into your score for each leg but do, in fact, impact youroverall score.These factors will be the accolades you receive at the end of a stage. Certainly,someaccolades are extremely easy to receive—such as firing off your magic spell a set number of times—whileothers are extremely tricky to obtain and require particularly clean play—such as the accolade for clearing a leg without being hit.
Just verify you are stringing together long combos, landing Eikonic attacks frequently, dealing as much damage as possible when you have the enemy stunned, firing off your magic regularly, and precision dodging consistently.Keep on top of all that and you will be showered with accolades!
Mark of the Ceasless
Dealt massive damage while semi-primed
Mark of the Hotfoot
Landed a combined total of 10 shift strikes and shift shots.
Mark of the Patient
Parried an attack
Mark of the Practiced
Executed several magic bursts over the course of the entire stage.
Mark of the Tireless
Mark of the Unbloodied
Mark of the Vengeful
Landed 10 attacks or shots immediately following a precision dodge.
Chained a combo for 20 or more seconds.
Mark of the Unforgiving III
Increased Damage Multiplier to 1.5x while an enemy was staggered
This isn’t a comprehensive list of the accolades available.Especially since every stage has its own unique accolades associated with battle-specific goals.
Enemy Healers Are Always Your Top Priority
Once you start battling against clerics, you will find that they are more than capable of completely ruining a leg of your run.If a cleric heals, then they will wipe your score! That’s right, you may have every point ripped away from you for the current leg.So, it is of great importance that you wipe these troops outimmediately.
At the beginning of any given encounter, ensure to look for these spell-casters. Don’t get cute. You don’t even want to start fighting another unit until you have wiped out all the clerics. This is even more brutal when they appear part-way through a leg. However, these arcade stages aren’t available unless you have already completed this section of the game.If you are planning to play through these stages again in arcade mode, absolutely make sure to note where healers are during your primary campaign runs!
There Are Missable Monsters
This is an element that you need to pay close attention to, as it is something that can be easy to mess up.You can absolutely miss monsters in the Arcade Mode.You are not required to kill every monster before moving on. However, your score will suffer as a direct result if you move on before you have cleared all the monsters out.
This is a moot point in most legs, as it would be impossible to miss monsters,but in any area that has multiple paths, you could easily skip some creatures tucked away in the corner of the map,which is likely going to severely impact your ability to get an S-Rank for that leg.
As we already stated, time isn’t an issue in the Arcade Mode. So, if you are in an area that you aren’t super familiar with, and there is a lot of space to explore, then take your time and make sure you track down every last creature.
Death Is A Big Deal
In the main game if you die you will be able to restart close to where you fell.While that istechnicallytrue of the arcade mode as well, doing so wipes your score for every single leg that came before where you died.Needless to say, that is devastating.
If you are chasing a high score, then this is quite simply untenable.Dying means having to restart from the beginning of the dungeon.Sure they give you the option to revive, but the punishment is quite simply too severe for that to be viable. If you want a chance of earning a respectable score, at least. And why else would you be playing the Arcade Mode?
Eikonic Powers Are The Cornerstone Of A Successful Run
Your use of your Eikonic Abilities will determine if you get an S-Grade or not. You will want to use the abilities most capable of hitting multiple enemies, of course.So, be thoughtful when choosing your ability loadout (you will need to do this before you start the mission).
You will want to hit with as many Eikonic Abilities as possible. So, ideally, landing an Eikonic Power will be the first and last thing you do in any given battle. Generally speaking,the more enemies you can hit with a single Eikonic attack, the better.Which brings us to our next point…
Grouping Enemies Is The Key To A High Score
We already talked about how your best result will be gained from hitting Eikonic Abilities. The more enemies you get, the better. However, in order to land that attack on a large group, you will need to get them to cluster together. Thankfully, we’ve got the perfect solution.
The trick here is that you will want to have the taunt ability unlocked.Use it to pool as many enemies together as possible, and then light them up with your best Eikonic Attacks. Remember, time isn’t a factor, so you may do this multiple times in a single battle, though that will require deftly dodging until your attacks recover from their cooldown.
