After getting into the series with Final Fantasy VII Remake and working my way through some of the older games afterwards, the Final Fantasy series quickly became my favorite videogame series of all time.
I had very high expectations for Final Fantasy XVI, not only because I'm a big fan of the series, but also because it looked absolutely breathtaking from the trailers.
Surprisingly enough, the story and the characters are actually better than I expected, and the character writing, dialogue, world building and lore are arguably the best in the entire series.
The gameplay is basically a streamlined version of Devil May Cry 5's gameplay; it lacks depth and challenge, but I still like it nonetheless because the action combat system works well and the Eikonic abilities are great. With that being said though, I wish it had more combos and deeper RPG elements.
The visuals are gorgeous, the soundtrack is easily one of the best in the entire series, and the boss fights... oh my god! The Eikon boss fights are the most spectacular fights I've ever seen in a videogame, period.
Unfortunately, however, Final Fantasy XVI has some noticeable flaws as well, such as mandatory fetch quests that slow down the pacing of the story at times, inconsistent framerate even in performance mode which is borderline unacceptable for a PS5 exclusive title, and underwhelming side-content that needs more variety and better rewards.
Pros:
+ Engaging story
+ Likable and compelling characters
+ Fun gameplay
+ Wonderful visuals and music
+ Jaw-dropping boss fights
Cons:
- Pacing issues
- Minor performance issues
- Lack of meaningful side-content
Narrative: 8/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Music: 10/10
Graphics/Audio: 9/10
Final Rating: 8.5/10
- Really Great -
By trying to diverge from the main series in many areas, Final Fantasy XVI is a divisive Final Fantasy game, however, it's the best mainline Final Fantasy game since XII by far and a flame of rebirth for the main series.
Do I recommend it?:
Yes, to both fans and newcomers.
I had very high expectations for Final Fantasy XVI, not only because I'm a big fan of the series, but also because it looked absolutely breathtaking from the trailers.
Surprisingly enough, the story and the characters are actually better than I expected, and the character writing, dialogue, world building and lore are arguably the best in the entire series.
The gameplay is basically a streamlined version of Devil May Cry 5's gameplay; it lacks depth and challenge, but I still like it nonetheless because the action combat system works well and the Eikonic abilities are great. With that being said though, I wish it had more combos and deeper RPG elements.
The visuals are gorgeous, the soundtrack is easily one of the best in the entire series, and the boss fights... oh my god! The Eikon boss fights are the most spectacular fights I've ever seen in a videogame, period.
Unfortunately, however, Final Fantasy XVI has some noticeable flaws as well, such as mandatory fetch quests that slow down the pacing of the story at times, inconsistent framerate even in performance mode which is borderline unacceptable for a PS5 exclusive title, and underwhelming side-content that needs more variety and better rewards.
Pros:
+ Engaging story
+ Likable and compelling characters
+ Fun gameplay
+ Wonderful visuals and music
+ Jaw-dropping boss fights
Cons:
- Pacing issues
- Minor performance issues
- Lack of meaningful side-content
Narrative: 8/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Music: 10/10
Graphics/Audio: 9/10
Final Rating: 8.5/10
- Really Great -
By trying to diverge from the main series in many areas, Final Fantasy XVI is a divisive Final Fantasy game, however, it's the best mainline Final Fantasy game since XII by far and a flame of rebirth for the main series.
Do I recommend it?:
Yes, to both fans and newcomers.