Review for Final Fantasy XVI - PlayStation 5
Introduction
Final Fantasy XVI for PlayStation 5 is the latest mainstream installment in the renowned Final Fantasy franchise by Square Enix. This game marks a return to the series' iconic roots while innovating with new gameplay mechanics. I have decided to review this game to provide an in-depth analysis of its story, characters, and gameplay.
Hands-On Experience
For me, Final Fantasy XVI is a kind of return to form for Square Enix and the main numbered FF games. While SE has had some great games come out in remakes and sequels like FFVII Remake and XIII-2 and XIII LR, the main numbered games have kind of...sucked since X was released...on the PS2. Final Fantasy really saw its best games in X, IX, VII, and VI and really have not returned to form since these games. For me, while not perfect, XVI is really the first game that made me excited and wanting to play the game rather than just get through it since X. As always, my reviews are divided into three categories: story, characters, and gameplay, with story getting the most weight. Spoiler free for the most part.
Story: 9.5/10
Is this the best story I’ve ever played? No. But it was a great story. You start off as Clive, who is a shield/protector of his young brother who will inherit the throne of his kingdom. However, the story quickly turns into a revenge story as Clive is an outlaw and is striving to make the world a better place, while discovering a vast conspiracy that could doom the entire world. I feel like the first half of the game seems to drive a bit more and is a bit more engaging, but the beginning of the story does a great job of building a fantastic, interesting world that keeps you invested through the entirety of the game. The story is a MUCH more mature take on a typical FF story, and I appreciate that. Darker in tone, graphic in delivery, I was in this story from the beginning and the game did not let me go. This is not the BEST FF story, but it’s the best in 20 years.
Characters: 9/10
While the story was great, the characters were almost equally as good. For the first time in two decades, the FF team made a mainline FF that actually had an interesting main character who I actually wanted to play as. XII had no main character (I pretend it’s Balthier as he was the only interesting one), XIII’s was boring, and XV was just an emo sad boy. XVI finally saw Clive, who had character development, a growth arc, and someone you actually had empathy for and interest in. XVI was a bit different in that you didn’t have a huge cast of side characters to share in the focus. This story is told through Clive’s eyes and from Clive’s perspective. Nonetheless, the side characters were really good, with some outstanding ones that surprised me. Cid’s character was nothing short of amazing. He is an instant crowd-pleaser who is extremely relatable and interesting. Even some of the smaller characters who had little screen time were extremely well done. Gav was hilarious, and I enjoyed his story. We were able to watch him grow throughout the story and see Clive and his relationship really blossom. Otto was very relatable, and you felt his emotions. Even characters like Blackthorne and Mid were ones that I enjoyed seeing and hearing about. The various villains even had great stories. Kupka was a fantastic villain. Well written and well developed. Clive’s mother was also a villain that you loved to hate. The only letdown for me (and it’s slight) was Jill. She had a great backstory, but she felt kind of...bland to me? I think more could have been done with her, to be honest. Still, the characters of this game were some of the best I’ve seen from a FF game in quite some time. They don’t hold up to the casts that we had in VII and X, but a good cast nonetheless. The character exploration of Otto I thought was a really nice touch for a small character in the grand scheme of things. Oh, and did I mention you have a pet dog? And he’s awesome? Yeah...can’t go wrong with a pet dog.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
This is where the game falls off the most. So I’m going to rant here but first the positives. I love action games. While FFX is my favorite game of all time, the God of War series (especially the Norse games) and Arkham games are way up there too. So I appreciate some of the changes FFXVI took with this. FF never sits on its laurels and is always looking for ways to change things up. I’ve never been a huge fan of the whole stagger system that they’ve employed, but I feel this is the best version I’ve seen of it. Being able to have so many different abilities is fun. I love the whole hideaway base of operations they’ve created. This game also employs one of the better hunt systems in any of the recent games. And all in all, regardless of the next paragraph, the fight system was interesting enough for me to not lose interest and kept me wanting to play.
Now to the bad. While I appreciate that they tried something different with the gameplay, I don’t like what it ultimately ended up being. They tried to make it into an action game (not even sure it’s an RPG at this point), but it falls short of all of the other action games that have come out recently. Games like God of War and Spiderman just blow this thing out of the water when it comes to gameplay. At the same time, I found myself missing some of the staples of FF. Casting Firaga on a group of enemies and leveling up one of the party members to be a healer is just completely lost here. You play as one guy with a few rotating side characters that never seem to die in combat. They are invincible, it seems, and only serve to make the combat even easier. The combat is just too...easy. I know you can beat the game and play it on a harder mode, but I’m not the type of person that wants to play a game, beat it, and then turn around and play it again. So playing it on the hardest mode I had the option to play was still just a breeze. If the story and characters had not been so good, there just isn’t enough on the gameplay to keep me playing. There was also no character customization. No “hey I really want my character to be a super strong swordsman so I’m going to up my damage/ability points here.” No, you just get general stat increases as you level up. The only thing you can customize is your special abilities and only a little. Clive cannot be a healer. Clive cannot be a mage. Clive can only be what SE wants him to be. The recent FF’s have all suffered from boring, uninspired side quests...and unfortunately FFXVI is no exception. While I will say they are better than FFVII remake, the side quests are little more than fetch quests or kill quests. The loot is meaningless for the most part, save a few. You don’t need extra experience or ability points because the game is already a bit too easy. And the vast majority of them don’t really do much for the story. I do kind of feel the graphics were a bit of a step backwards for this game. The characters seemed stiff, and the expressions were minimal. At times the environments could look muddy and bland. There were certain points that this game was honestly comparable to FFXII when it comes to graphics.
Echoes of the Fallen
I really enjoyed this DLC. It’s short. Not sure it’s worth the 10 bucks, but I enjoyed it. I wish the main game had side quests like this. Big, multi-hour quests that you could really sink your teeth into. It is kind of disappointing you had to pay 10 bucks to get something like this, BUT I did think it was a good addition and gave you a lot of insight into the fallen.
Rising Tides
I liked this DLC. New area. Beautiful visuals. Access to new eikons. A couple of really nice boss fights. For $20 bucks, I think it's probably a little steep for what you are getting here. I would have liked more lore, and maybe more exploration of Jill. I think there was an opportunity here to really expand on the story, but it didn't happen. Nonetheless, probably the best side quest in the game.
Overall 9.25/10
Overall, this is a great game. The gameplay is really where the game struggles. It’s too easy. It doesn’t have a clear identity. There is no character customization. Clive is Clive, and you will play as the Clive that SE wants you to play as. But my gripes about gameplay are not enough for me to rate this game too poorly because everything else is fantastic. The story is really good. Maybe it’s because the story of the last several main entry games has been so bad? But I feel like XVI got the story right. While the cast of characters don’t play as big of a role as some of the other FFs like VII, IX, and X, and this is more of a one-man show, Clive is finally the main character we’ve been waiting for. You feel his anger. You empathize with him. You understand him. The side characters are all very well done and at times just as interesting as Clive. Overall this game is excellent. Is it the best ever? No. It has its faults, but it has a great story and a cast of characters you are invested in.
I bought this game back in February and over the next couple of months, I would 100% this game to completion and I would complete both of the DLC expansions. This is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best games I've ever played in my life. Everything about this game I absolutely adored. The graphics were phenomenal and breathtaking. The gameplay and combat were engaging and satisfying and badass. The soundtrack was perfect and is one of my favorite soundtracks from any video game I've ever played. Every song in this game is memorable and hits. The story and the characters had me locked in and truly made me care about what was happening. Clive and Jill are legit the best couple I've seen in any video game. The fight scenes had a sort of anime-esque feeling to them in every single positive way. The big bombastic boss fights in this game are some of the best I have played in any video game. This is one of the few games where I truly felt like I was playing a "next-gen experience." The fact that it didn't even get nominated for Game of the Year is absolutely baffling, and it was definitely robbed. Completing this game's story made me feel empty. Not because I was disappointed in the ending, but because I was so sad to see it end. The journey that this game took me on was an emotional one that I will never forget. And hot take, I think this is the best Final Fantasy game ever made.
I will say though: Just play this game in quality mode. The performance mode in this game is just terrible, in my opinion. It goes down to like 720p and probably doesn't reach any over 45 FPS. But the poorly optimized frame rate mode can't really make me take down any points from it. I just played it in quality mode and I had a phenomenal time. Hopefully they update the performance mode for it to be more stable, but for now just stick with the original quality mode. 20 out of 10. Definitely worth every single penny. It's worth it when it's at full price and especially worth it when it's on sale.
FF XVI is an excellent game. The art style is not as Next Gen looking as some games, but it has an excellent story, characters, and boss battles. If you aren’t hardcore enough to get through DarkSouls or Elden Ring, FFVI can provide a much more approachable challenge. I would categorize this game as an interactive TV series. There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of talking and plot-building sequences. NPCs are a bit too chatty and side missions, while forgettable, provide useful items. This game is mostly linear; you can move around a little, it opens up after about 10-12 hours but you can either fight or run by respawning enemies. Other than mini-bosses and boss battles, the enemies are highly repetitive. Once you enter a story sequence with combat, the pacing is fast and furious, finishing with a memorable boss battle. The boss battles are incredible. The art style, while beautiful, is relatively dull and textures are flat and lifeless. I think it was a style choice, but it is far, far from what you would see in Horizon Forbidden West. Sound design is excellent. The boss battle sequences jump the graphics up to new heights and colors pop. The good: The plot, the characters, and the boss battles are excellent. I’ve continued playing out of interest in seeing the plot through, much like reading a good book. Cons: Stripped-down RPG elements, very lean. There are like 2 costumes, only 2 per character. I would love to have more choices. Replayability is good if you turn off most assists and make the game more challenging. This game will definitely appeal to fans of Guardians of the Galaxy game, Midnight Suns, or Final Fantasy.
無事に届きました。未開封で綺麗でした。ありがとうございます。
今作も日本語入ってました！
Detailed Analysis
Product Description:
Final Fantasy XVI for PlayStation 5 features a sprawling storyline, engaging characters, and action-focused gameplay. The physical game comes in a standard Blu-ray disc, designed to fit the PS5 disc drive. The package includes the disc, a case, and some promotional materials. The dimensions are similar to other PS5 game cases, small and compact, making it easy to store.
Performance:
As for the quantitative measurements of the product’s performance, the game runs seamlessly on PS5, especially in quality mode. The game boasts swift load times, high frame rates in quality mode, and a visually striking experience. Compared to other contemporary action RPGs, it holds up well, although it lacks the intense RPG elements that some purists may seek.
Positives and Negatives
Pros:
- Excellent story and character development
- Engaging and emotional storyline
- Phenomenal boss battles
- Next-gen graphics and sound design
- Easy to get into for new players
- Multiple engaging DLCs
Cons:
- Limited character customization
- Side quests are often uninspired
- Gameplay may be too easy for seasoned players
- Graphics can be inconsistent in performance mode
- Repetitive enemy encounters
Expert Opinion
Expertise:
I have been a fan of the Final Fantasy series for over two decades, spanning multiple console generations. My extensive experience with RPGs and action games makes me well-suited to provide a balanced review of Final Fantasy XVI. My background as a professional game reviewer also adds credibility to my opinions and analyses.
Buying Options
Where to Buy:
Final Fantasy XVI can be purchased at several retailers:
- Amazon - Often features discounts and promotions.
- GameStop
- Best Buy
- Official Square Enix Store
Prices may vary, and availability can fluctuate depending on supply and demand.
Conclusion
Final Fantasy XVI is best suited for long-time fans of the series and newcomers who appreciate a rich story and character-driven gameplay. While it may have some drawbacks, the engaging plot and emotional depth make it a must-play. I highly recommend it.
Additional Resources
References and Further Reading:
FAQs:
- Q: Is the game challenging? A: The game can be relatively easy, but you can increase the difficulty.
- Q: Does it have multiplayer? A: No, Final Fantasy XVI is a single-player experience.
- Q: How long is the game? A: The main story takes around 40-50 hours to complete, with additional time for side quests and DLCs.
