Final Fantasy is one of those legendary franchises that every gamer has heard of but has yet to play all the way through. So, for me? I haven’t beaten a Final Fantasy game since the OG Final Fantasy 1 and Final Fantasy 2. Although I’ve heard nothing but good things over the years, I found myself sitting out most of the series. But when I saw the trailers and gameplay for Final Fantasy 16, I knew I had to jump in there. People have already started comparing the story to Game of Thrones, which caught my eye. After that wild ride in Final Fantasy 16, here are my thoughts. Buckle up; this will be a fun, honest Final Fantasy 16 Review.
Clive Rosfield’s Journey
Papered in alone, Final Fantasy 16 is going to hook you from the themes of powerful heights. The game plots its storyline around Clive Rosfield, the son of a Duke, whose life turns upside down after a series of intense events. You can embark on a journey with Clive as he tries to right the wrongs of the world in chaos. Right from the start, this game starts to build strong “Game of Thrones” vibes, political intrigue, betrayals, and complex relationships.
But Final Fantasy 16 has some uneven pacing. The game starts strong and keeps you on the edge with its thrilling story moments. But things began dragging when I hit around 10 hours in. The middle of this game feels like filler as I managed to drag out “meh” after “meh” during some boss battles. As I reached the end, it was as if I had lost interest in the story and heroes. The supporting characters were but a shadow, all but forgotten other than as being associated with Clive.
Hack-and-Slash Fun with Elemental Powers
If you dug the hack-and-slash elements of Final Fantasy 15 or Devil May Cry, you’re going to eat your weight in beef in Final Fantasy 16. Here, the combo-based action system is built around dodging, slashing, and unleashing epic elemental attacks. The four primary abilities are fire, lightning, wind, and earth, each of which you can update and then combine into massive combos, of course, each with its unique style – and that keeps things fresh for the most part.
But here’s the thing: despite the flashy combat, some of the regular enemies are total damage sponges. You’ll be hacking away for a long time at them, and it quickly gets old, especially if you’re not in a boss fight. At least the boss battles are good. They are pulse-pounding and epic and keep you on the edge of your seat.
Exploration in Final Fantasy 16 is a bit of a mixed bag. World map travel is possible; though semi-open areas are lots of the time, it’s fair to say that many zones feel very empty. Yes, there are enemies, and there’s treasure, but outside of the main story beats, it doesn’t seem like a whole lot else happens. The side quests? Some make sense, but others don’t add much to the game and are almost plain, old RPG fetch quests.
Good Stuff: S-Tier Soundtrack & Voice Acting
One thing, without an argument, is the soundtrack for Final Fantasy 16. This game has some of the best music I have ever heard in a video game in 2023. The score is epic, and when those boss battle tracks come in, it’s pure adrenaline. If you can’t get enough video game music, you’ll find a goldmine here.
Of course, there’s the voice acting, which is simply phenomenal. Ben Starr knocks Clive Rosfield out of the park, but Ralph Ineson’s Cid is truly the show-stopper. Every line of their own makes this game come alive and adds a further layer of emotional depth to the story.
Enemy Sponginess & Bland Environments
Now, let’s get to the off stuff. First off, the ordinary enemies are pretty massive and feel like they are carrying around warehouse-sized health bars. Slicing through the same attack patterns over and over gets boring, but it’s not bad, and it could be tighter.
The other bad thing is the environment. While the major set pieces look great, most of the game’s areas feel muted and uninspired. The world design doesn’t stand out, and most places feel like they belong in games from previous generations. It’s sad because Final Fantasy has a reputation for beautiful, fantastical worlds.
Oh, and one more thing—why get your mount so late in the game? One walks almost everything, which gets tedious. To top it off, by the time the mount is unlocked, one is already waist-deep into the story. It could have been introduced earlier in the game to do justice to the flow of the game.
More CONS: RPG El cheapo
Considering how much Final Fantasy 16 was hyped to be a role-player, this ends up being a letdown. This particular feature- skill tree and gear system- doesn’t feel particularly impactful. You can upgrade weapons and armour, but it doesn’t change gameplay that much. Given how much history this legacy has built upon the deep RPG elements, this was a somewhat anticlimactic ending.
On a lighter note, the game’s length may have been worked to the bone. The middle build-up stretches a bit too long and doesn’t bring on much thrills, so the game overstays its welcome. A focused narrative would have helped here.
Summary
Is Final Fantasy 16 worth the play? Well, it’s something if you like hack-and-slash games with flashy combo and epic boss fights. In those scenes, the combat is stellar, and the soundtrack does an excellent job. Anything more than that, however, is likely to disappoint.
Final Fantasy 16 takes incredible highs to painfully and often frustratingly balance them out with pacing issues, repetitive combat, and a lacklustre middle section. It’s far from perfect, but there is still plenty for those interested in the genre to enjoy.
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