-- Possible Spoilers There-in --
I have a long, storied history with Final Fantasy. Funny enough, it was the homage and swansong to the classic era of Final Fantasy where I first was introduced - Final Fantasy IX. Since then, I have experienced every mainline game prior and since. Through shifts in direction and genre, through the various drawn-out and trouble productions, I stuck it out.
That's why it wasn't bothersome to me when I heard that Final Fantasy XVI would motion into a more action-focused route. To be fair, what with Final Fantasy XV and VII: Remake's combat, it felt like a natural progression - and the only concerns I really had from then was how the game would take shape.
Knowing that Naoki Yoshida's team was the vision behind the XVI project already instilled faith in me. Though it took me until Heavensward to fully grip and immerse me, the MMO Final Fantasy XIV was his baby and wowed me with deep political theming, complex characters, and a constantly escalating, intertwined narrative, along with Masayoshi Soken's excellent score. It wasn't unlike the grittier, more Shakespearean Ivalice setting from Tactics, XII, and Vagrant Story, and all signs pointed to Final Fantasy XVI following in their footsteps. I wasn't disappointed.
The world of Valisthea in XVI is as hauntingly beautiful as it is uncompromisingly dark. Political unrest, gruesome wars, with protagonist Clive stuck in the middle via machinations of cruel fate - one that we see him buck against as he seizes his destiny and those alongside him. Unlike Yasumi Matsuno's games, like the aforementioned Ivalice titles, there is a resonant, strong emotional core there, acted out flawless with a stellar voice cast that includes the likes of Ralph Ineson, David Menkin, Susannah Fielding, Harry McEntire - and Ben Starr, who plays our lead Clive in his first major voice acting role. The vulnerability and genuine portrayal he gave absolutely floored me, and seeing him work through his trauma with a genuine, supporting cast of characters that evolved alongside him. There were some fumbles, however. There were certain characters I wish had more development or lens into their backstory, such as Jill or Cidolfus - which will hopefully manifest in the form of DLC. And there were times where the plot came to a screeching halt, be it narratively or by throwing a bunch of fetch sidequests at you. The latter were a slog to get through, but the fortunate thing about them is that all of them did add to the world-building and ended in a place that made me appreciate them, and glad that I suffered through the monotony to see them conclude.
Now that we're discussing gameplay; the combat. Similar to how I felt knowing that Yoshida had the reins on the project, I wasn't concerned about the new, fleshed-out laser focus on action combat either, knowing that DMC5 and Dragon Dogma's Ryota Suzuki was the combat director. Feeling like a fluid, glorious fusion of the aforementioned Devil May Cry and Kingdom Hearts, the adrenaline-fueling, bombastic combat deserves the highest praise I can muster - never growing old in the two playthroughs that I completed. There was so many small optimizations you can make - each move chaining into another. Buffering and priming abilities and weaving them in the tapestry of carnage Clive can deliver to foe and Eikon alike. Oh, yes. The Eikons; embodiments of past Final Fantasy summons, manifesting as either a human's powerset or a kaiju, Attack on Titan-esque monstrosity that could sunder kingdoms and act as mutually-assured destruction in this grimdark fantasy setting, one that Ifrit-infused Clive has the power to absorb into him by mysterious means. As you likely aware of, each Eikon conquered in the narrative adds to his moveset, which you can swap between three templates of in real-time while in combat, adding to Clive's arsenal of themed abilities. Some act as powerful gap-closers, empowered dodges, or unyielding block-and-counters, with a spectacle of battle-field clearing moves that I never tired of dealing out. The only flaw I could leverage against the combat itself was that I felt that mastering abilities in order to put them into other Eikon templates was a bit of a grind.
But it was easy to grind away regardless, when you have the bombastic, emotion-stirring score of Masayoshi Soken. This man is the true successor to Uematsu's mantle, able to compose gorgeous character themes with powerful leit motifs, exciting fist-pumping symphonies that harken back to operatic, classical music, and even grungy, DMC-style buttrock or dubstep that should've felt jarring and out of place, but didn't. I could blindly point at any track in the OST, and in all likelihood, it would be in the running as one of my favorite's, but Joshua's theme 'Away' or Clive's 'Find Your Flame' are two that I implore you to listen to if you haven't.
As you can tell, I had a lot to say about this game. I've been a lifelong fan of the franchise through thick and thin - and seeing FFXVI metamorphize into something with a clear vision is inspiring as the game was fun and emotionally moving, touching on hard themes that helped me become a better person through the perspective of one who could right the wrongs of the world - and did. It saddened me to see that some outlets or players view Final Fantasy as more of a box that one couldn't stray from, or that it got snubbed for Game of the Year when it had so many things going for it.
Empathetically, I cannot recommend this game enough, and while shy of perfection, what with some pacing issues and repetitive content, on a personal level, this was a masterpiece.
Also, if it doesn't win best score at the Game Awards, we riot.
I have a long, storied history with Final Fantasy. Funny enough, it was the homage and swansong to the classic era of Final Fantasy where I first was introduced - Final Fantasy IX. Since then, I have experienced every mainline game prior and since. Through shifts in direction and genre, through the various drawn-out and trouble productions, I stuck it out.
That's why it wasn't bothersome to me when I heard that Final Fantasy XVI would motion into a more action-focused route. To be fair, what with Final Fantasy XV and VII: Remake's combat, it felt like a natural progression - and the only concerns I really had from then was how the game would take shape.
Knowing that Naoki Yoshida's team was the vision behind the XVI project already instilled faith in me. Though it took me until Heavensward to fully grip and immerse me, the MMO Final Fantasy XIV was his baby and wowed me with deep political theming, complex characters, and a constantly escalating, intertwined narrative, along with Masayoshi Soken's excellent score. It wasn't unlike the grittier, more Shakespearean Ivalice setting from Tactics, XII, and Vagrant Story, and all signs pointed to Final Fantasy XVI following in their footsteps. I wasn't disappointed.
The world of Valisthea in XVI is as hauntingly beautiful as it is uncompromisingly dark. Political unrest, gruesome wars, with protagonist Clive stuck in the middle via machinations of cruel fate - one that we see him buck against as he seizes his destiny and those alongside him. Unlike Yasumi Matsuno's games, like the aforementioned Ivalice titles, there is a resonant, strong emotional core there, acted out flawless with a stellar voice cast that includes the likes of Ralph Ineson, David Menkin, Susannah Fielding, Harry McEntire - and Ben Starr, who plays our lead Clive in his first major voice acting role. The vulnerability and genuine portrayal he gave absolutely floored me, and seeing him work through his trauma with a genuine, supporting cast of characters that evolved alongside him. There were some fumbles, however. There were certain characters I wish had more development or lens into their backstory, such as Jill or Cidolfus - which will hopefully manifest in the form of DLC. And there were times where the plot came to a screeching halt, be it narratively or by throwing a bunch of fetch sidequests at you. The latter were a slog to get through, but the fortunate thing about them is that all of them did add to the world-building and ended in a place that made me appreciate them, and glad that I suffered through the monotony to see them conclude.
Now that we're discussing gameplay; the combat. Similar to how I felt knowing that Yoshida had the reins on the project, I wasn't concerned about the new, fleshed-out laser focus on action combat either, knowing that DMC5 and Dragon Dogma's Ryota Suzuki was the combat director. Feeling like a fluid, glorious fusion of the aforementioned Devil May Cry and Kingdom Hearts, the adrenaline-fueling, bombastic combat deserves the highest praise I can muster - never growing old in the two playthroughs that I completed. There was so many small optimizations you can make - each move chaining into another. Buffering and priming abilities and weaving them in the tapestry of carnage Clive can deliver to foe and Eikon alike. Oh, yes. The Eikons; embodiments of past Final Fantasy summons, manifesting as either a human's powerset or a kaiju, Attack on Titan-esque monstrosity that could sunder kingdoms and act as mutually-assured destruction in this grimdark fantasy setting, one that Ifrit-infused Clive has the power to absorb into him by mysterious means. As you likely aware of, each Eikon conquered in the narrative adds to his moveset, which you can swap between three templates of in real-time while in combat, adding to Clive's arsenal of themed abilities. Some act as powerful gap-closers, empowered dodges, or unyielding block-and-counters, with a spectacle of battle-field clearing moves that I never tired of dealing out. The only flaw I could leverage against the combat itself was that I felt that mastering abilities in order to put them into other Eikon templates was a bit of a grind.
But it was easy to grind away regardless, when you have the bombastic, emotion-stirring score of Masayoshi Soken. This man is the true successor to Uematsu's mantle, able to compose gorgeous character themes with powerful leit motifs, exciting fist-pumping symphonies that harken back to operatic, classical music, and even grungy, DMC-style buttrock or dubstep that should've felt jarring and out of place, but didn't. I could blindly point at any track in the OST, and in all likelihood, it would be in the running as one of my favorite's, but Joshua's theme 'Away' or Clive's 'Find Your Flame' are two that I implore you to listen to if you haven't.
As you can tell, I had a lot to say about this game. I've been a lifelong fan of the franchise through thick and thin - and seeing FFXVI metamorphize into something with a clear vision is inspiring as the game was fun and emotionally moving, touching on hard themes that helped me become a better person through the perspective of one who could right the wrongs of the world - and did. It saddened me to see that some outlets or players view Final Fantasy as more of a box that one couldn't stray from, or that it got snubbed for Game of the Year when it had so many things going for it.
Empathetically, I cannot recommend this game enough, and while shy of perfection, what with some pacing issues and repetitive content, on a personal level, this was a masterpiece.
Also, if it doesn't win best score at the Game Awards, we riot.