Final Fantasy XVI – Full Review

An Action RPG of colossal scale.

Final Fantasy XVI is the latest installment in Square Enix’s long running RPG franchise and this time we are taken to the land of Valisthea. Despite being the sixteenth entry, the game does well very to mix up the old formula and to make itself feel fresh and very accessible to newcomers and veterans alike. Of particular note is the transition to a fully action-based combat system. Another highlight is the truly epic boss fights which really utilise the full potential of the PS5. From start to finish, I was truly captivated. The game kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next for the full 50 hours it took for me to complete the main story. It definitely lived up to my expectations and represents one of the best times I have had with a new Final Fantasy release in recent memory.

Gameplay.

As stated above, Final Fantasy XVI makes the transition to a full action-based RPG. The game transitions seamlessly into battles, and you are free to attack, dodge and use all the special attacks in your arsenal to defeat enemies. Towards the start, you will unlock many useful abilities associated with your main ‘eikon’ Ifrit such as a charged up attack. There are also more powerful moves associated with your eikon. By gaining experience in battle, you can unlock an increasing number of these moves. As the story progresses, you will then unlock new eikons. All these elements really combined well to a create a very satisfying gameplay experience. It was good challenge trying to dodge all the attacks. The ability to choose which eikons and special moves suit your playstyle also really added depth and variety to the battle system. Another thing I really appreciated was the difficulty level. Final Fantasy XVI does very well to cater to new and experienced players alike. There is a story based mode, ideal for casual players and a more difficult action mode. Even on the action mode, the game has checkpoints during the boss battles. If you are defeated, you often don’t have to restart the whole battle. In addition, the game also replenishes your supply of potions. Not only this, but there are several accessories you can equip to make the battle system easier, if you so wish. Overall, I really enjoyed the battle system. It was one of the highlights of the game for me, and I did appreciate the easier difficulty level, especially in comparison to some of the earlier games in the franchise.

Outside of combat, the other part to the gameplay concerns the exploration. Final Fantasy XVI, isn’t an open-world title, but you will still get to explore some quite large and expansive areas. During the main missions, there is often a set path you must follow. Sometimes you have to interact with objects and climb to higher areas with the press of a button. Apart from this, the exploration is fairly simple, but it never felt tedious or cumbersome. For a game mostly focused on it’s story and combat, the exploration was perfectly acceptable, and it was never difficult to navigate the areas and to know where to go. There are markers on the map, and your pet companion ‘Torgal’ can also show you where to go by simply holding down the L3 button.

Story and Presentation.

The story is another area where Final Fantasy XVI really shines. There were many twists and turns, and the way the story is presented was really top notch. The cinematic scenes looked extremely good, especially during the main story quests. In addition, I found the main cast to be very likeable. I was able to connect with the characters well, and all their stories and backstories were very well written. The darker tone along with a more medieval setting is also something I really appreciated. The game felt like a breath of fresh air from previous entries in this way. In addition to all this, the game was also paced very well and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Lastly, Final Fantasy XVI also has a lot of side quests to keep you occupied and to help pad out the adventure. This is one of the only areas I found to be a more mixed bag. Some of the optional missions provided interesting backstories to some of the side characters you will frequent. However, certain side quests seemed more mundane, and the quality of the cinematics and cutscenes are noticeably lower most of the time during these quests. Nevertheless, I found myself still motivated to finish the majority of them, and although not as interesting as the main story, they still mostly kept my attention.

Graphics and Performance.

The graphics are another very strong point to this game. Final Fantasy XVI really takes full advantage of the power of the PS5. The cutscenes are very detailed and some of the open environments are breath-taking. In addition, the game even features ray-traced shadows to make the environments seem all the more realistic. The boss battles are also a highlight from a visual aspect. They are a true marvel to witness with all the particle effects, and with the sheer size and scale of some the bosses. It is really amazing what Square Enix was able to achieve on the PS5 here. In terms of the performance, there is a resolution and a frame-rate focused mode. The resolution mode runs well very at it’s target of 30 FPS. It is stable and presents a native resolution ranging from about 1080p to 1440p. I played in this mode and I had no major issues with the performance. The frame-rate mode however targets 60 FPS, but largely fails to reach this figure except during combat. In combat, the resolution takes a dive in order to reach 60 FPS. In this mode, image quality is therefore quite heavily sacrificed with lows of 720p often seen during the fights. It is clear that Final Fantasy XVI is a very taxing game for the PS5 and overall I would recommend the resolution mode, which is the mode I personally played in.

Verdict.

Final Fantasy XVI is a fantastic action RPG that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Despite being the sixteenth entry, it does amazingly well to set itself apart and to accommodate new and old players alike. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game, from the exciting combat to the beautifully presented cinematics. It really lived up to my expectations. There are few major criticisms I have against this latest entry. Perhaps some of the side quests could have been more interesting, but I still find this to be one of the best Final Fantasy games in recent memory. If you enjoy Action RPG’s, I would highly recommend you to play this game.

9.0 out of 10.