Square Enix has released the latest Active Time Report, showing some new footage of battle gameplay and revealing a few new details.

There are only three elemental spells in the game, being Fire, Blizzard, and Lightning, and this has been done to increase the importance and place of each spell. Each element can be affected by the weather and location in which it is used, inviting players to experiment with different spells in different areas and conditions.

Some areas and objects are flammable, like grass which will catch fire if targeted with a fire spell. These flames can spread to other nearby objects, spreading the area of effect. However, the presence of rain will prevent fire from spreading and will quickly extinguish it. Lightning, on the other hand, will become more powerful and spread further in the rain. Blizzard can freeze water for a period of time, and if monsters come within contact of the area, the cold can slow their movement or even freeze them to death.

Elemental magic is held like an object in your inventory, and is created by gathering elemental energy that springs up around the world (which sounds a bit like the draw points from FFVIII). There are other kinds of magic in the game, but these will not be available until Noctis receives a royal ring through the course of the story.

Story details were also revealed. At the beginning of the game, the technologically advanced Niflheim Empire has conquered and occupied the vast majority of the world, using its overwhelming numbers of airships and robotic soldiers. The Kingdom Of Lucis, which gains its power from a magical crystal, still maintains its independence despite being badly worn down under the considerable pressure of the Empire. You play as Noctis, member of the royal family of Lucis.

The game will include imperial bases you can infiltrate and destroy, and there are even some you can capture. The gameplay video had a very Metal Gear Solid vibe, and showed the main characters sneaking into an imperial base, hiding from two legged walking battle tanks and Magitek Infantry. Noctis can use his “Blade-Warp” ability to teleport around, even right behind soldiers to deliver a one hit kill. Once the spotlight hits him, the alert sounds, and the combat reveals itself to be an action-packed affair. At one point, Noctis uses a fire spell on oil leaking on the ground, which catches fire to its surroundings and causes a massive explosion. To top it all off, we have a turret shooting scene.

Square Enix has an event planned for March in LA where they say everything will be revealed, including the release date which is still schedule for 2016.