Final Fantasy is back.
After years of missteps and 'okay' mainline games FF comes out swinging with another game that I can truly call great.
Despite a few pacing nitpicks FF16 delivers a strong narrative and world with emotionally gripping characters. Very rarely have I played an RPG and enjoyed some of the side characters as much as the main ones. Characters like Gav and Byron ended up becoming unexpected favorites after I was sure they'd get minimal screentime.
Being a big fan - to say the least - of the FF composers that came before him (especially Uematsu and Shimomura) and being generally unversed in his music, Masayoshi Soken had a reputation to meet in my mind. I can say with confidence that my expectations were surpassed. He carries the torch with the strong motif usage that I've come to love the series for. I wish more of the music were live-recorded, but that's not enough to get in the way of his incredibly strong composition.
While some (understandably) lamented FF's transition into an action franchise, I've always been of the opinion that I'm welcome to the change so long as they become damn good action games rather than "solid" ones. 16 does the job and some. The options presented with Eikons kept me changing my strategy and setup throughout the entire game. Combat is smooth, snappy, and flows incredibly well.
Overall, FF16 has a few small things to touch up on before I can call it perfect - side quest structure, exploration, and pacing could use a bit of work - but if this is the new direction for the series, I'd say we're in good hands. The best in the series since FF9.
After years of missteps and 'okay' mainline games FF comes out swinging with another game that I can truly call great.
Despite a few pacing nitpicks FF16 delivers a strong narrative and world with emotionally gripping characters. Very rarely have I played an RPG and enjoyed some of the side characters as much as the main ones. Characters like Gav and Byron ended up becoming unexpected favorites after I was sure they'd get minimal screentime.
Being a big fan - to say the least - of the FF composers that came before him (especially Uematsu and Shimomura) and being generally unversed in his music, Masayoshi Soken had a reputation to meet in my mind. I can say with confidence that my expectations were surpassed. He carries the torch with the strong motif usage that I've come to love the series for. I wish more of the music were live-recorded, but that's not enough to get in the way of his incredibly strong composition.
While some (understandably) lamented FF's transition into an action franchise, I've always been of the opinion that I'm welcome to the change so long as they become damn good action games rather than "solid" ones. 16 does the job and some. The options presented with Eikons kept me changing my strategy and setup throughout the entire game. Combat is smooth, snappy, and flows incredibly well.
Overall, FF16 has a few small things to touch up on before I can call it perfect - side quest structure, exploration, and pacing could use a bit of work - but if this is the new direction for the series, I'd say we're in good hands. The best in the series since FF9.