Final Fantasy XVI -PS5- 9.5

September 17, 2023

I just finished Final Fantasy 16. I logged 68 hours, and completed all the optional sidequests before fighting the final boss. FF16 was a wonderful rpg, with fun battles, soaring production values, and a sweeping narrative that stands with the strongest in the series.

The gameplay continues the series’ recent move towards being more action-oriented. I will say that a lot of rpg elements are simplified here. And I do wish there was more sense of teamwork during the battles. Clive feels like a one man army, despite there technically being a couple other party members on screen. There are weapon and spell upgrades, but only for Clive. Fighting is still very fun -though not quite as good as something like Ninja Gaiden 2004 or the Bayonetta trilogy-, and the soundtrack has my favorite battle themes in the entire series.

The over world map has points that you fast travel to, but certain sections are part of the same map, which makes the areas feel a little more connected like a traditional overworld, albeit a small one. And thankfully, there are plenty of sidequests to give the game the much-needed dose of rpg flavor. The sidequests were fun for me, and deepened my understanding of the world’s culture. They added a lot to the overall adventure, and should not be skipped.

Even though some of the rpg elements of the gameplay are simplified compared to older games, where the game truly shines is in its narrative. Right from the get go, the story pulled me in. I did notice some inspiration from Game of Thrones in the opening hour, but immediately after the intro, the story very much goes its own way.

FF16 does a great job of integrating old FF tropes into the lore, specifically summon spells. Summon spells (called Eikons here) play a huge role in the story in that some characters are born with ability to use them (known as Dominants). Other people are born as bearers of magic, and treated as low class citizens compared to normal humans or dominants.

The story has powerful themes of class, family, revenge, and social reform. There are long stretches of world building and politics, but it’s all very engrossing. And when the dramatic payoffs hit, they hit hard. There are some truly epic showdowns between some of the heroes and villains in this game.

The scope of the story and complexity of characters actually makes the older games feel a bit dated. FF16 had some of my favorite villains and heroes in the whole series. Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Dion were all great heroes, brought to life with powerful voice acting. Benedicta, Annabella, Kupka, and Barnabas were fantastic villains with deep motives for their evil plans.

Even though the rpg elements of the gameplay were a bit simplified here, the story really enthralled me. I’m giving Final Fantasy XVI a 9.5 out of ten.