Final Fantasy XVI review.

2023 has been an absolutely stellar year for video games; finally, post-COVID studios are back to firing on all cylinders, and titles that have been delayed for years are finally seeing the light of day. Amongst these are a handful of juggernauts that have been around for 30+ years and are still punching their way to the top of sales charts globally. The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy all released their newest installments this year to critical praise and reception, proving years later that these "old" games continue to reinvent themselves and hang out amongst the titans of modern-day gaming. In Final Fantasy's case, you have the stark shift from turn-based combat that the first handful of mainline games were built on to action-based combat that has you weaving a beautiful but deadly dance with your foes chaining combos across the battlefield. Final Fantasy has far and away cemented itself into the legacy of the gaming industry; around 280 million units sold in its lifetime put it in the top echelon of its class, and it continues to be a leading example of AAA JRPGs. While Final Fantasy XVI isn't doing anything brand new, it nails almost everything it tries to be.

Final Fantasy XVI returns to a high fantasy setting held up by European Midevil design and architecture, something I was glad to see return after so many titles featuring a semi-futuristic leaning on a cyberpunk setting. Set on two continents, "Valisthea" or "the twins" are known separately as the Storm to the west and Ash to the east. The lands are divided among six individual nations, ruling under the shadow of giant mother crystals formed from the ground, giving access to magical powers and strength. At its core, FFXVI is a story of two brothers groomed down two entirely different paths and the bond between them while separated. Our tale follows Clive Rosfield, the firstborn son of the kingdom of Roaria to the west. Born essentially to serve as a Shield to his younger brother Joshua, who was gifted the Eikon of the Pheonix at birth to lead Rosaria's future. Eikons are this game's version of summons; unlike being creatures you gain control of or quite literally summon into the world to help you fight, those gifted with their powers can transform into the physical embodiment of their Eikon, conveying godlike powers. While the early half of the story is strong and cemented in a close-knit story that really got me invested, the later half quickly unfurls into the supernatural and all supreme beings fighting for control of the planet itself and becomes a planitary job. As time passed, I found myself expecting the end to come way sooner than it did. The story is thankfully carried along by what I'd argue is some of the best casting the franchise has had yet. Ben Starr, Ralph Ineson, and Susannah Fielding are particular standouts, voicing our main trio of Clive, Jill, and Cid. Ben and Ralph particularly had excellent chemistry in scenes together, putting forth a sense of comedy you'd expect from two single dads catching up; they both have since gained a breakout online following since release.

If you're already confused by the likes of "dominants", "Eikons", or multiple nations and people to keep track of, don't worry as FFXVI introduces the handy "Active Time Lore". At any time during gameplay or, most importantly, cutscenes, if you press and hold the Dualsenses touchpad, time freezes and sections out of an encyclopedia pop up for any characters in the cutscenes or phrases being used that you can further dive into to remind yourself of certain phrases or catch up on a more detailed history of a character or place. I really hope this becomes the industry norm, as I found myself pausing every cutscene that came up to catch up on what was actively happening or parts of the lore-heavy story I might have missed. You'll find yourself using this feature often as you spend a majority of the time in amazement at the graphical fidelity and inspiring boss battles throughout the game. The team over at Creative Business Unit III went above and beyond, showcasing a stunning use of particle effects and set pieces that are used to showcase larger-than-life boss battles that I never grew bored of. You'll find yourself stopping and taking a look at the landscapes and scenery splattered around Valisthea. It’s not often I find myself stopping play time to openly explore and use a photo mode in a game.

FFXVI's combat is an evolution of what was established in 15, but it does enough to separate itself from its predecessors. Most notably, the FF team brought on Devil May Cry combat director Ryota Suzuki to lead the reigns on what he himself considers his "personal masterpiece". Clive has basic sword combos that you can combine with eight different styles of abilities and magical powers you gain and master throughout the game. At any given time, you can select three sets of abilities hot-keyed to your UI. Learning these skills becomes fundamental as you start finding ways of stringing abilities and skills together to either further combo strings or do as much damage to some enemies stagger meters as possible. I found the combat to reach a point where it felt like a rhythm game, keeping pace with my abilities cooldowns rotating between my three equipped sets and keeping Clive constantly gliding across the battlefield in a deadly but awe-inspiring dance. Series staples like magic are essentially gone in 16, however. With the amount of abilities to customize and play with, all typical magic abilities you'd expect to see have been replaced with a simple fireball you can use at any time to continue damage or assist in juggling an enemy. A beast hunt board is placed in your hub area, giving you sort of mini bosses to test your skills and abilities at that point of the game. While I didn't find too many super challenging, it was a good way to explore new skills or combo strings, and I wanted to try it in a real setting.

Where FFXVI falls apart is in its overall pacing and delivery of story and gameplay moments. At first, the game is pretty straight-forward, with a constant stream of story missions pushing you forward and occasionally one or two side quests here and there for fun. (At minimum, stick with side quests designated with a +, as these offer actual upgrades or helpful mechanics.) As you progress, side quests feel more and more spread apart while eventually hitting multiple story missions without any side content, only to have 9+ quests dropped on you at the next turn with no rhyme or reason. Especially at the 50+ hour mark, my desire to see the game through was actively challenged and tested as more and more side content was thrown at me. At times, you'll feel rushed to get through certain plot points but then immediately be weighed down by a chore list that's not worth the time or effort for you or your character.

Final Fantasy XVI is a masterclass and a shining example of why the "Final Fantasy" name has endured the test of time. While it may not be what long-term fans of the franchise were expecting, I feel it's an excellent branch to extend what a Final Fantasy game could be. Despite a wavering plot line and a weak list of side content to further pad out an extremely stretched-out story, the game is held up by stunning visuals and a combat system that encouraged me to test new things and kept me locked in on the action at all times. Personally, I'd recommend FFXVI to anyone with an interest in JRPGs, action-based combat games with an emphasis on mastering your fluidity of combat, and fans of anime. (Especially if you're into the flashy fight scenes.)