For a game as notably deeply flawed as this one is, and how much I could easily be writing an essay-length review on every specific little aspect of what 16 gets right and wrong, I can't really bring myself to be so hyper-critical when Final Fantasy 16's high peaks are so awe-inspiringly high in a manner that I don't think I've ever seen or felt in a video game before. I don't think I've played another video game that made me genuinely feel like I went on this massive grand scale epic of a story, and even with all of my issues and how low the low points can disappointingly get, by the end of the game I was ready to tear up knowing I'd be saying goodbye to these characters and the journey I shared with them.

Is that score overly generous? It absolutely is. Do the side quests suck ass and do I wish they were cut so I could've saved myself 20+ hours of mediocre running around? Without a doubt. Are the RPG elements fairly light and kind of underbaked? Sure. Those are going to bother some people a lot more than others, and it's why after finishing the game I do understand why 16 is such a divisive title. But my point is that I frankly do not care.

All of this is to honestly just admit that I love any story whose thesis is about the strength and power of bonds and relationships being strong enough to tell even a god to go fuck himself if they disagree. The highest class of pure kino.