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Final Fantasy XVI
The (for now) exclusive PlayStation 5 game Final Fantasy XVI does a lot differently than previous games in the series. The game has a darker theme, a more classic high fantasy setting, and a real-time combat system. Seasoned “FF fans” may have to get used to it, but at the same time, it offers a great opportunity for gamers who weren’t previously captivated by the long-running RPG series. The combat works well and allows players to experiment with all the different skills and attacks that Clive learns. The story is good and told through beautiful cutscenes. Sometimes they are a little long, but it never gets boring. The game culminates in various boss fights, which deserve more than the “epic” predicate. It is mainly these fantastic battles that win the game for an Excellent prize. The game suffers from variable performance, which sometimes leads to rough edges in the graphics, and the side quest content could have been a bit more creative. Moreover, this Final Fantasy XVI is an asset for the series and could even be able to attract a new target to Final Fantasy.
The Final Fantasy games, sixteen of them excluding spin-offs and remakes, have mostly nothing to do with each other. If you’ve played more than two games in the illustrious series yourself, you probably already knew that. Some games build on each other and there are elements and names that are reused across many games. It confuses. After all, why wouldn’t the character “Cid” in one game be the same person as Cid in another game? That’s not the case: he’s a recurring character, but still a different person. Also, as a source of magic, crystals are ever-present in Final Fantasy games. Thus, each new “FF” is always different from its predecessor. Yet Final Fantasy XVI is more different than its predecessors. And with that, the game may be able to appeal to a whole new target group.
I belong to this target group. The times I tried Final Fantasy, I never really liked it. I liked Final Fantasy VII Remake, but XV didn’t do anything for me. I hadn’t overemphasized XVI on my radar, also because playing a Final Fantasy game properly is always a time-consuming exercise, which doesn’t always fit into the schedule. That’s why I was already convinced that I would not revise this edition on Tweakers. I decided to try the game on a day off, because yes, I had become curious after the first reactions… and I was totally hooked within a few hours. It was a little unexpected, but sometimes that’s life.
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What really helps me is that this Final Fantasy game has a recognizable setting. Don’t get me wrong: the look screams Final Fantasy. The names are recognizable, the crystals and associated magic are present, but beyond these factors there are many differences. The creators went with a classic high fantasy setting for this game. So fairies, orcs and goblins? Well, not that they immediately predominate, but two of these three groups are certainly present. Think of swords, fortresses and palaces, knights, etc. This is what the Middle Ages might have looked like if it took place in the Final Fantasy universe.
The player takes on the role of Clive Rosfield in this story and throughout the story, except for a few moments, controls only this prince born from the Duchy of Rosalia. There too we find a clear change compared to the fixed formula of Final Fantasy. In the series, the player generally controls not only the main character, but also the characters who travel with him. You had control over the whole party. This is not the case now. Clive can give orders to his four-legged friend Torgal, but all fellow travelers fight alone.
This change has everything to do with another even bigger change. Final Fantasy is traditionally a game in which combat turn by turn happen. In recent years we’ve seen alternatives to this, like the one in the Final Fantasy VII Remake you can choose if you want to fight in real time or fall back on the turn-based variant. The latter takes some actions out of the game, but gives the player time to think and thus offers more control. Final Fantasy XVI, however, opts for a real-time combat system without training wheels. Faster action is therefore the motto. Seasoned FF fans may not like it immediately. However, action RPG fans like me can’t find a better Final Fantasy than this.
