Final Fantasy XVI Review - An unforgettable epic tale of battle and tragedy

Butcher79

22 June, 2023

Final Fantasy XVI is finally here, and fans who have been waiting for years can dive into the amazing world of Valisteia. While I miss the classic turn-based combat, it turns out the new formula actually works. My fears quickly dissipated, especially after playing Devil May Cry 5 and considering that the project was taken over by Ryota Suzuki. I always appreciate tragic stories, and already before diving into the game, I felt an atmosphere that will not leave you indifferent.

Valistea is a huge world with many exciting stories and epic battles. While I'm a bit lacking in control over the entire group of characters, Clive Rosfield is rarely alone. If there are no other characters nearby, then his faithful dog Torgal always accompanies him. For this style of solo character gameplay, it was the right choice.

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Final Fantasy XVI is a natural evolution of games like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XV. Without a doubt, Square Enix has released the greatest RPG the franchise has ever seen.

The game takes place in a fictional world called Valisteia. In this world, there are special beings known as aikons, and they are the most powerful beings among humans. Icons live in dominants, people who have inherited their power from birth. Six powerful kingdoms have been formed from the magic of the Source Crystals, which create aether that allows the use of magic and ensures the prosperity of the kingdoms for many years. However, the time has come for a mysterious eclipse that threatens the fragile union of these states. The main character of the game is a young knight named Clive Rosfield. He is the bodyguard of his younger brother named Joshua, who is the dominant of the Phoenix icon. Soon a great tragedy occurs, and Clive vows to take revenge on the dark aikon Ifrit - a mysterious creature that brings disaster and destruction.

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Final Fantasy XVI is a brand new experience for the classic franchise

The story of Final Fantasy XVI takes us to the world of Valistea, a land that is slowly being destroyed and eaten by something known as Pestilence. Political tension is high and it is very similar to the world of the Cold War era. Every major power has access to a Dominant that summons Akon.

In fact, these are calls from previous games. However, they themselves become Akons rather than just commanding elemental entities in Final Fantasy XVI. However, this is not the only tension in the story worth mentioning.

Final Fantasy XVI follows Clive Roswell, the First Shield of Rosaria. His goal is to protect his younger brother, who commands the power of the Phoenix. However, tragedy strikes at the beginning of the story when Joshua Roswell is killed in action.

The main story revolves around the Mother Crystals - massive crystalline structures that, according to legend, bless the earth with the power of aether. With the help of aether, some people can control the forces of magic. Meanwhile, the others must use the crystals extracted from the body of the Mother Crystals.

However, in Final Fantasy XVI, all is not quite what it seems. The truth is never what people think it is, and I love the twists and turns that come with this game. However, I won't spoil anything about the plot. I can promise this is a mature, dark story that won't let fans of serious fantasy like "Song of Ice and Fire».

Combat in Final Fantasy XVI is more accessible than in previous games

The thing that can bother people is the fight. Combat in Final Fantasy XVI is more dynamic and intense than any game in the franchise. When people compare it to Devil May Cry, that's for sure.

The combat is bright, and at first it is very easy. Thanks to the Phoenix, you will only have access to a few abilities. You have a main attack button, a cast button, and a button for your Akon's ability. You will also have a parry/dodge button on R1.

The special attacks you unlock have cooldowns, and each one has unique properties to consider. You can access knockouts, knockbacks, and combo abilities together effortlessly. You can even combine with Torgal! It can knock people off their feet so you can launch devastating air combos.

As you progress through these battles in Final Fantasy XVI, you will earn AP. This is used to unlock more skills or master the ones you already have.

As the trailers have shown, Clive Roswell gets access to more powers, although we won't discuss how this happens. This means that choosing skills can end up being quite difficult.

Luckily, Final Fantasy XVI is great for accessibility. You have an equipment accessory that creates automatic combos for you based on your equipped skills.

While this is great and definitely handy throughout the game, it's not always very smart. Several times I activated the power, intending to use it, and it changed me to another power, which I put off for later.

It doesn't change how useful and good this accessory is. You also have one to make it easier to dodge and one to make Torgal's commands automatic. This also pairs with a combat accessory so you don't need either.

However, I cannot praise the combat mechanics enough. The only problem with combat in Final Fantasy XVI is that the more particle effects on screen, the harder it is to dodge perfectly. Despite this, it worked out well for me. There are just so many incredible combos here, and the combat is fast, furious, and most of all, fun.

You don't have to grind in Final Fantasy XVI, at least not in the main story. I fought almost everything until I unlocked the ability to ride a chocobo. Since then, I have fought much less and found myself overwhelmed in most battles.

I also want to point out that I didn't see any particular framerate dips or drops during combat. I remember maybe one single moment when the cutscene leading up to the fight slowed down by just a second, but that's all that caught my eye.

What else besides the main plot of Final Fantasy XVI?

Of course, there are side quests in Final Fantasy XVI. The game will tell you which quests will give you new features, plans or weapons - they have a plus symbol. You can also take part in Notorious Hunts where you will hunt powerful monsters with only a vague hint of where they are in the world.

I can't emphasize enough that you need to complete side quests. There are some incredible storylines and some deep, unsettling insights into the world of Final Fantasy XVI. There was one or two quests where I really needed to step back and take a break. This is not an insult, mind you, I was just stunned by what I saw.

Notorious Hunts vary greatly in difficulty but are always fun to play through (Image via Square Enix)

Both give you fame after a certain point in the game. You can get some pretty incredible rewards by talking to one of the citizens in your main hub. Other than that, you can also collect Knowledge Moments. When you are sitting in cut scenes, you can hold the guide button and it will open a list of hot topics. If there is a red dot next to it, this is new information or an addition to previous information.

You then give it to Tomes, another one of your allies, and he puts all the data together. It's just a very interesting way to penetrate the knowledge of this world. Final Fantasy XVI is a rich story with a lot to know. This is one way to learn more about the world of Valistea.

One of the best parts of Final Fantasy XVI is the Hall of Virtue. In this place, you can try out new skills and practice combos. You can also work on dodging/parrying. There is also an arcade mode where you can go through important stages again and get points depending on how well you played.

I also appreciated Stage Replay as a way to replay an area but with your current level. It was just a neat addition and a way to potentially work on the levels if you really wanted to.

The visuals and graphics of Final Fantasy XVI were great

I have to say that the visuals of Final Fantasy XVI were great. The world itself, the way the outfits were created, the way the light fell on the water, everything was wonderful. Even as soft as the linens looked, real effort was put into this.

Many of the NPCs or less important characters weren't that amazing, but I appreciated the work there; Enemies also had a varied and fantastic appearance. Soken's compositions for this game were also exactly what I had hoped. There were a lot of references to previous songs in the franchise, and hearing them made me happy.

There were a few brief instances where the sound was muffled or echoed. I feel like it was fixed in a patch, but it didn't happen often. This definitely stood out to me as the only real flaw in the game and probably something that has since been fixed.

In conclusion

Final Fantasy XVI is a masterpiece - one of the best RPGs I've ever played. The fight felt perfect and the story was dark and mature. Some of it was a little predictable, but this is the RPG for you. However, there were some moments that genuinely took me by surprise and I enjoyed it.

However, I had one major problem - Final Fantasy XVI was a little whitewashed. I understand that they wanted to make a European story, but that choice just didn't make sense. We came closest to the Dhalmekians, who were tanned from life in the desert.

This choice confused and disappointed me, but it's the only issue I've had with the game in general. I enjoyed every moment of the game and am looking forward to the difficulty of NG+ and Final Fantasy. If you love DMC and want that kind of action in a compelling, dramatic story, you need to play Final Fantasy XVI.