My introduction to the Final Fantasy series began with Final Fantasy X, the PlayStation 2 classic with a sometimes confusing story and an incredibly awkward scene of laughter (those who have played it know what I am talking about). Having played multiple Final Fantasy games since them (12, 13, 15 and the first part of the 7 remake), the series is well known for its characters, epic storyline, and incredible RPG mechanics. But while Final Fantasy 16 may come off as new ground for the decades long franchise, it's epic story, well-scripted characters, and action-oriented gameplay will provide a breath of fresh air for the existing fan base as well as a great introduction for new gamers alike.
Story
For Final Fantasy 16, you are introduced to the world of Valisthea, a landscape separated by multiple kingdoms that is heavily influenced by medieval Europe and, most likely, the recent HBO series Game of Thrones. The game opens up pretty simple: Bearers, humans who have the ability to use magic, are enslaved in the world and are being sold to whoever needs their services. You play as Clive, a royal prince turned Bearer who is on his own revenge quest that is later intertwined with a plot to destroy the five Mother Crystals located throughout Valisthea to destroy the Blight, an invisible force that looks to destroy the land's environment (food, water, grasslands, etc.) as well as the ability to use magic. To make matters more complex, there is also a civil war amongst the five kingdoms for control of Valisthea's remaining lands that have not been overtaken by the Blight.
As I mentioned, the game does seem to use certain elements of Game of Thrones (e.g., long political scenes between kingdom council members, political backstabbing as high as the emperor's throne, etc.) to create a sense of political drama within the world. While it is interesting, it can stand out like a sore thumb in places. The game does try to be as serious as possible and for the most part it works. But when adding the fantastical elements, the franchise is known for, it is hard to mend the two concepts together. Which is a shame because the fantasy elements of the game are fantastic to behold. Within the world are special individuals called Dominants, who can call upon Eikons (iconic divine beats from previous installments) to provide devastation to whomever confronts their homelands. There are many instances where these Eikons clash on the battlefield, providing a sense of scale that has not been shown as epically compared to previous installments.
In terms of the story itself, Final Fantasy 16 succeeds...for the most part. Compared to previous installments, the story is not that long. Altogether, including completion of all the side quests, the game took me around 30 hours to complete. In my opinion, I would not mind the length of the story...especially for a Final Fantasy game...as long as the story is consolidated with little to no fluff. However, even in the main story quests, the game feels stretched thin at times. For each main story plot, I felt like there were two to three required main quests that I had to do in order to get the main part of the story. These quests almost seemed like side quests missions (e.g., gathering items / resources, talking to multiple characters to gather information, traveling from one place to another that ends with a combat sequence in order to gain someone's trust or loyalty). These quests seemed they were put in place on purpose to slow the story down before the big action sequences occur. That being said, the big action set pieces are incredibly put together so most of the time, it was worth the wait.
With these additional main "side" quests, the game does take it's time to get going. For me, it took approximately five to six hours to really engage with the story and its characters. However, when the story finally clicked, I was all in to see this story to the end. Therefore, I can say that the payoff was well worth the first few hours.
Outside of the main storyline, there are also an abundant of side quests you can complete for characters that you meet along your journey. While most of the side quests involve defeating a slew of enemies, some are designed to gain the trust and loyalty of specific characters that can provide extra abilities or equipment to help you along your journey. While the end result is great, the actually side quests themselves are generic.
Gameplay
While the story provides some truly epic set pieces, it only works if the gameplay matches the level of intensity. Luckily, the gameplay is fantastic. Compared to previous installments that was more time-based action, Final Fantasy 16 is a mixture of Final Fantasy elements and Devil May Cry. As Clive, you have five main actions: melee, magic, jump, dodge, and a special attack. For gamers who have played the DMC or the old God of War installments would feel right at home with this playstyle. Although while the combat mechanics are not as detailed in terms of attack combos, Final Fantasy 16 allows you to switch up action styles. Similar to DMC, Clive is able to switch action styles mid-combat to provide additional special attacks. These are in the form of Eikons, each with their own set of skills in terms of strength, magic, and defense. These styles appear over time so the gameplay can almost seen as simplistic for the first few hours. However, as Clive receives additional powers from the Eikons, the gameplay itself becomes much more interesting and addicting.
While these combat sequences are fun, the god-like battles between Eikons are something to behold. On more than one occasion, you will face off with Eikons that has yet to be seen from any of the previous installments. These epic, god-like battles are something to behold and never cease to amaze. They are beautifully balanced between epic cutscenes (that include quick time events) and gameplay combat sequences.
Something that die hard fans of the franchise will miss are the actual RPG elements. While you are able to upgrade your attacks and purchase more powerful equipment, there's not much else to upgrade. A lot of this goes to towards the fact that you just play as Clive. You do not control any other characters in the game, nor do you upgrade their equipment, attack styles, or stats. While you do control Clive's wolf companion, his control is limited to three buttons on the D-pad during combat.
Another element that is lackluster is the world of Valisthea itself. While the game is beautiful and there are multiple linear areas to explore in the world, there is not much too the world. Compared to recent achievements in the gaming world such as Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that have expertly crafted the epic fantasy open world genre, Final Fantasy 16 feels extremely empty. This also does not help when the loot you find in the world can literally be as small as a few gil (the game's version of currency). I was also disappointed in the lack of complexity of scavenging for resources. While there are certain resources that you will need to require to create more powerful equipment and weapons, I found myself having an abundance of resources that I did not need to have. While it was good for my wallet, I wished it was more complex.
Audio/Visuals
It goes without saying that Final Fantasy 16 is a beautiful game. The cutscenes look amazing, especially during the Eikon battle sequences throughout the game. The world itself is also beautiful to behold but there are moments where I was less than impressed. When changing from an epic CGI cutscene to an in-game cutscene, the differences are massive. During in-game cutscenes, the character models (especially the NPC models) look very boxy / plasticy, which can take you out of the experience for a short time. In addition, the world, while beautiful, has a "look don't touch feel," which again compared to recent fantasy games, it sticks out like a sore thumb. I wanted to explore more areas of this world but the linearity limits how much exploring you can do.
The audio is also top notch. From voice acting to the epic score, there are little to no challenges with this game.
Verdict
Overall, Final Fantasy 16 is a welcome change of pace for the franchise by providing a stylized combat system, an epic storyline, and some truly jaw dropping moments. While the game does feel like it takes a while to get going and the world leaves some things to be desired, Final Fantasy 16 should be considered an achievement in storytelling and gameplay. This is a fight of the gods you do not want to miss.
Score: 8 out of 10