In short, Final Fantasy XVI is a breath of fresh air for the Final Fantasy franchise despite its first steps into its grittiest, darkest, and most mature space yet. Its combat showcases action-forward combat held together by a backbone of RPG-similar ability management. Its highs truly showcase phenomenal displays of power in many forms, while its lows effectively strike emotional chords in the hearts of players. This might not be a Final Fantasy fans expect, but boy, it's what Final Fantasy games SHOULD be going forward. FFXVI doesn't have a strongest asset, per se, because its entire presentation is a gripping and fun compilation of the best parts of gaming without the filler and frivolity. PS5 owners, I implore you, don't miss out on what is currently my favorite game of the PS5 generation thus far.
As I’ve entered my thirties, I’ve found it to be incredibly difficult to be excited for a new game — truly excited. Think midnight release of Skyrim type of excited. That kind of excitement can only be described to non-gamers as opening a much-desired gift on Christmas morning (or another holiday) as a pre-teenager. This level of excitement has become a fleeting memory as I’ve aged. With more and more games releasing, it’s been even harder to complete a game in its entirety because there’s so many good games to play yet so little time to play them. Final Fantasy XVI is the first game in years where I’ve been unable to play anything else because I’ve been so damn obsessed with it. Yes, dear reader, Final Fantasy XVI is that freaking good.
Last month, after our head honcho Nathan published our hands-on preview, he reached out to me with many words of intrigue, warning, and more. “You’re going to love it,” he wrote, “it’s a lot smoother than you think.” I was admittedly hesitant, dare I say cautious, given how recent entries into the Final Fantasy series have been good, sure, but not really innovative in ways I found to be legitimately fun to play. Final Fantasy XII (& its Zodiac Age remaster) is incredibly deep, yes, but its complexity curve becomes exponentially steeper as its story progresses. Final Fantasy XIII is beautiful as it is repetitive, featuring a mostly-linear storyline of dungeon-crawling until the world opens well past the halfway point to a litany of side quests that more-or-less require patience rather than thoughtfulness. In fellow Chumps Eric Layman’s words, “…the bulk of Final Fantasy XV‘s core story does not matter…Every side character feels expendable.”
Don’t get me wrong, Square Enix’s most recent iterations have captured my attention and milked a good many hours out of my limited availability as a undergraduate and graduate student over the past decade. My commitment to Square’s pinnacle series has ceased to waver, but I’m struggling finding time to dedicate to what some may call monumental grind-fests with stories lacking stakes to compete in a marketplace of increasingly narrative-driven titles that boast gripping narratives alongside memorable gameplay. I am still a fan of, and willing to invest hours playing, RPGs and JRPGs. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so when, again, so many great games exist and are deserving of our attention. Final Fantasy XVI deserves your attention.
No.
Final Fantasy XVI (FFXVI) demands your attention.
I won’t beat around the bush in this review: I’ve admittedly been just as enthralled with FFXVI as I have with some of Sony’s prior greats, such as The Last of Us series and God of War, as well as Bethesda’s PS3-era titles, such as Skyrim and Fallout series. At times I found myself unable to put my DualSense down because I wanted to keep-on-keepin’-on with the story beats and the fluidity of FFXVI‘s gameplay. I was invested in its universe and emotionally distraught with each major event. Cinematics were never skipped. I wanted to play, and nothing more. This review should read as bursting from the seams with praise so far because of how well FFXVI earned the praise I have to give it on so many fronts. This review aims to be as spoiler free whenever possible, but it does include references made in the demo (that is currently available for free on the PlayStation Store). Of course, we reviewed the full game, but we aim for those who read this review to have the opportunity to experience FFXVI without concern of spoiling any of its incredible storytelling and so much more. Without further ado, let’s get started.
FFXVI is a harsh departure from tried-and-true gameplay loops found from its predecessors. Square Enix’s multiple entries innovated in their complexity, often shifting gameplay into more intricate styles of party management, identifying and taking advantage of enemy weakpoints in battles, and growing in power after long periods of repetitious battles to fight a formidable foe threatening the protagonists’ existence and the world as they knew it. What were initially turn-based battles evolved into partially-active styles of gameplay, where planning attacks was an instant affair and led some to button mash. Final Fantasy‘s evolution over the years has become notable in that each innovation has led some folks, myself included, to question the what the “core Final Fantasy experience” is and should be. Fast forward to today, FFXVI encourages players to play in highly active and frenetic combat that’s fast, furious, and displays multiple forms of power all at the same time. No more waiting. Just playing.
Players take on the role as Clive Rosfield, Shield of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, whose sole purpose is to protect his younger brother, Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix. While he is not a Dominant himself, Clive was blessed by the Phoenix to wield some of its fiery power. Dominants are humans who’ve been blessed by individual Eikons (think Kaiju-like beings) with the ability to invoke their otherworldly powers at will. Clive’s tale is told over three separate time periods, all of which are playable, to discern the source of his teenage tragedy and figure out a way forward while a blight eats away at the world’s resources, bit by bit.
Despite the shift in gameplay into a much more active territory, FFXVI returns to its FFI roots by prominently placing crystals at the heart of the story, occasionally reminding longtime Final Fantasy fans of its origins as a medieval and magical tale of heroes out to cleanse the world of darkness that has corrupted the crystals that govern the world’s elements. I was incredibly pleased to see FFXVI return to the high fantasy thematic and utilizing medieval tropes that could be inspired by Western European history, as it allowed for Square Enix Creative Business Unit III to tap into grittier and darker thematics and allow the game to take its first steps into its darkest territories yet.
I was initially hesitant to accept the game’s combat when I observed gameplay trailers of FFXVI earlier this year. “It looks like a Devil May Cry game,” I thought, “…or perhaps a Tales game? Is this going to turn into a button mashing fest? Where’s the strategy?” All of my concerns and questions of the game’s innovation quickly dissolved after a few quick hours. Clive is nimble, Clive is quick, and Clive’s powers showcase incredible feats of power if the timing is right. This is unfamiliar territory for a Final Fantasy fan like myself, and it’s one that I quickly began to enjoy. In-battle, Clive is fully controlled by the player on a 3D plane, with access to basic attacks (square), basic magic (triangle), Eikonic Feats (circle) that highlight an Eikon’s elemental prowess and feature no cooldown, and Eikonic Abilities that can be chained together to create strings of attack combinations. Eikonic Abilities have varying cooldowns, so part of the complexity of FFXVI involves minding those cooldowns. Easy, right? It’s more than that: Clive is fun.
These controls take a bit of getting used to. Despite the three control schemes available, I reverted to the first control scheme and unlearned my preferences for the dodge button to exist on the DualSense’s circle key to now exist on the R1 button. The learning curve and onboarding process is a few hours long, giving players ample time to get used to FFXVI‘s controls without being let loose into the world while sitting first class on the struggle bus.
The hallmark Final Fantasy experience involves a form of exploring a world, fighting enemies in random encounters, and defeating bosses. FFXVI‘s typical battles and semi-open world exploration are seamlessly blended together. Creatures exist in the world and can be attacked at any time, leading into a fluid combat sequence that ends just as fluidly as it began. Minibosses and bosses have stagger gauges, diversifying combat away from button mashing toward combat involving whittling away at a Stagger gauge before going all out when the miniboss/boss is staggered.
At the end of FFXVI‘s main quest chapters are boss battles, all of which are magnificent. I’ve never had the chance to describe boss battles as such, but I can and will now. Usually, boss battles in RPGs involve tests of skill and patience, usually integrating one or two phases of attack patterns that break up what would be monotonous combat and testing players’ preparedness in facing a powerful entity with hidden weakpoints. Instead, FFXVI takes the “all that and a bag of chips” approach by utilizing FFXVI‘s traditional combat, fluid quick time events (QTEs) via cinematic strikes and dodges, and multiple phases that often climax in a colossal and titanic fashion. One such boss battle involved controlling the Phoenix itself, launching fiery missiles toward a demonic being as they fall through a seemingly bottomless cavern. FFXVI‘s boss battles let players participate in combat in all of its glory through a multitude of phases rather than being an onlooker who’s making clever decisions from afar.
My prior experiences playing Final Fantasy and other JRPGs have taught me skills in party and inventory management. FFXVI takes several steps away from that party management notion and leans quite heavily into managing Clive. This doesn’t mean that Clive is alone — not at all. Throughout the story, Clive’s pet wolf, Torgal, is by his side while other characters come and go. In battle sequences, Torgal’s actions can be lightly controlled by the player, while other party members’ actions are firmly and solely controlled by the AI. Years ago when I was in college, I spent a good chunk of my FFXII playthrough testing multiple iterations of the “Gambit System” (the party AI’s if/then logic) to trivialize battles and quickly level up. I wanted control over everything to ensure that it worked just right. Fast forward to today, I wasn’t as reluctant as I thought I would be in leaving FFXVI‘s AI to control my companions in battle without any input from lil’ ol’ me. If anything, I learned quickly that controlling Clive was far more rewarding than attempting to keep track of several characters simultaneously. On the other hand, some of you might be worried that your AI-controlled party members may be useless or get in the way of Clive. Worry not. While I initially mistook some of these companions’ abilities to look like enemy projectiles, I became used to their contributions and found my companions to be especially useful in taking down larger hordes of enemies.
On the customization front, FFXVI encourages players to stay out of menus by limiting how much customization is needed for advancing the main story. Weapons can be upgraded when Clive visits The Hideaway — a space that acts as Clive’s hub and home in between main quest missions. Equipment could be forged and upgraded with materials earned from Clive’s travels. At any time, Clive’s abilities could be upgraded and mastered with experience points earned from battles. Additional Eikonic abilities are unlocked as the story progresses, giving Clive more power to use in-battle through mixing and matching Eikonic Abilities. Should a player require assistance in building Clive, a simple button press optimizes his equipment based on what he currently has available, while another button press equips an optimal set of Eikonic abilities. Don’t like an ability? No problem — the points you spent upgrading and mastering it can be easily refunded and spent elsewhere. No problem!
Final Fantasy veterans may be familiar with the Equipment Optimization option. It’s an efficient lever that is part of the traditional process of visiting a new town, purchasing new equipment, and moving on to fight more enemies. Optimization in FFXVI was fine-tuned for an easy-going set of gameplay decisions, but I found my own choices in building out Clive’s abilities to feel more empowering. I tried optimizing my abilities, but I kept reverting some of the choices and found other ability combinations to be more effective to suit my playstyle. FFXVI is deceptive in its ability to extract players’ creativity in how they choose to construct Clive’s moveset. The fact that ability points can be refunded at any time should relieve any concerns of committing to a specific moveset and regretting it down the line. I highly recommend that you take the time to test out abilities and spend your points how you want, as doing so opens up an expansive set of possibilities to consider when planning your current playthrough as well as future playthroughs.
Again, by trusting companions to the hands of the AI, I found combat to be incredibly rewarding and fun rather than a grindfest. Pairing that with my decisions in how I wanted to “build” Clive, I had more active control than ever before in a Final Fantasy title. Timing combos and chaining Eikonic abilities together rewarded me in how I chose to spend my time customizing Clive and utilizing him to his best potential against foes. I was able to spend most of my playthrough actually enjoying the game rather than concerned about how to best optimize Clive. It was refreshing.
Not all players have the patience in customizing characters and optimizing gear, abilities, and other loadout facets. Enter the Timely Accessories. These accessories are available right from the start of the game and act as levers to make the game less difficult for those who want to spend more time advancing the story. While there are five in total, only three can be equipped at any time and vary in their power in adjusting the game’s difficulty. For instance, the Ring of Timely Assistance gives the AI control over Torgal, executing Torgal’s moves automatically and consistently in battle. The Ring of Timely Strikes automatically chained complex abilities together when I pressed Square. I was able to use abilities on my own when Timely Strikes was equipped, but the AI was incredibly smart in holding off on some abilities for just the right moment when a formidable enemy was stunned or I became surrounded by groups of enemies.
Timely Accessories’ inclusion is going to be hotly contested among players, of this I am sure. Their goals in alleviating FFXVI‘s complexity are admirable. From my perspective, the benefits of the Timely Accessories greatly outweigh their drawbacks. I want as many players as possible to pick up FFXVI and enjoy it just as much as I. However, let’s play Devil’s Advocate for a moment. Only three accessories can be equipped at any time. In-battle, FFXVI asks players to control Clive’s movement, executing Clive’s attacks/abilities, timing dodges and parries, utilizing Torgal’s few moves effectively, minding Clive’s health and replenishing health as needed, maximizing Limit Break’s effectiveness, all the while attempting to discern enemies’ attack patterns and timing attacks once they’re staggered if they’re able to become staggered. For those keeping count, that’s around seven gameplay elements players are to keep track of. Choosing to equip three Timely Accessories still leaves over half of the gameplay decisionmaking in the hands of the player.
I guess the point I’m making is this: Timely Accessories make the game more accessible for other players and take some of the complexity out of the picture, but even utilizing three of them still leaves enough agency in the hands of the player to feel like they’re playing an active role as Clive. You shouldn’t feel discouraged to equip and unequip these accessories as you see fit, especially during your first playthrough when you’re learning the ropes.
I consider FFXVI‘s world to be semi-open because of how small levels are presented to the player, slowly opening up while still giving players the opportunity to explore. Small pickups, like potions and crafting materials, are clearly visible from far away because of their shimmering glow. I appreciate the semi-openness in some respects because of how much unique content exists without being repeated or fluff. I found that I needn’t explore a small portion of a map because of how side quests naturally led me to these places, anyway. Perhaps this was intentional, as getting accustomed to a new area should involve a firm sense of direction rather than wanderlust.
In some ways, you should expect FFXVI to be more linear in nature than its predecessors. The onboarding process of getting to know Valisthea, the enemies that lurk within, and things to do are initially gated by clearly labeled objective points between major story missions. Straying off the path between points A and B won’t yield much other than a pickup or two at first, but once side quests become available, FFXVI trusts players with exploring some of the world should they decide to complete these quests.
I’m not sure how I feel about the semi-openness of the world. On one hand, I want to be rewarded for my exploration, but on the other hand, FFXVI respects my time by keeping me focused on…the game. Yes, even when it comes to side quests. It’s an easy button press to fast travel, go complete the task, and return. No wandering about wondering where to go or being mindless, for the most part. FFXVI is almost reluctant in exposing players to its sidequests. It’s far unlike prior entries, most notably FFXIII, where side quests were entirely withheld until well past the halfway point in the story. Here, we see side quests naturally spring up, drip by drip, as Clive makes his way through Valisthea.
These side quests span beyond fetching small items and slaying monsters for the sake of slaying monsters. One of the earliest side quests involves bringing several NPCs a hot meal. While this may seem benign and seemingly boring, quest completion sheds light on the world of Valisthea and her citizens. Recipients of this meal comment on their histories and share anecdotes about lacking a hot meal, telling you more about Clive’s role in helping them achieve a sense of freedom. Other questgivers reference Clive’s past and memorialize the lived experiences of NPCs who helped Clive earlier in his adventure. This act of worldbuilding is quite unique, as it rewards players’ investment of their time into completing such a simple task.
Perhaps this is the way side quests should function in an RPG, and we just haven’t seen much of this gameplay decisionmaking until now. Spending hours grinding away and completing menial tasks to gather gil and other small resources could be beneficial for a player needing to level up or acquire powerful weapons. What about those who’re completionists and/or those who care to know more about the world they’re investing time into exploring?
FFXVI rewards those players through meaningful side quests, albeit for those who are capable of identifying that meaning. I won’t say that all of the side quests I’ve come across were inherently meaningful, but I rarely felt that I was completing a mindless chore or an activity that was meant to pad my playtime. I had to consciously choose to walk off the beaten path and complete an optional sidequest, and almost each time, I was rewarded with more than just resources.
At a later point in the story, additional “bounty” side quests become available for Clive to complete — Hunts. Those looking for something akin to FFXV‘s Bounty Hunts or even Monster Hunter‘s gameplay loop get the opportunity to seek out more-difficult-than-usual monsters hiding throughout Valisthea. Some of these monsters can be naturally encountered because they’re large enough to be seen from afar, while others require the player to pay attention to NPCs’ conversations and other in-game clues to sniff them out. I was never once frustrated during the monster hunting process, but I was pleasantly challenged by what I encountered. I can imagine that their difficulty and strength are higher in the post-game’s New Game+ mode, but that requires well over 30 hours of playtime to figure out.
I can easily see myself replaying FFXVI‘s story in its entirety just to experience New Game+’s challenge. This post-game content is indeed tougher: Enemy AI is much different and borderline unpredictable. Bosses and Minibosses I had originally slain are replaced by stronger variants or other foes altogether. Sure, just about everything I’ve unlocked is retained, but my equipment and abilities in their current state won’t suffice against these stronger threats. Thankfully, I’m able to upgrade my weapons and abilities further to meet that challenge.
This now begs the question: Is Final Fantasy XVI made for those wanting a tried-and-true RPG, or JRPG, experience? FFXVI can be, but those wanting a greater challenge right from the start, an immediately open world chock full of side quests, and/or comfort in the grind may find FFXVI to be lacking in these departments. It might not be a typical Final Fantasy title, but it is definitely what should be considered a Final Fantasy title going forward.
FFXVI successfully strikes a darker tone than other Final Fantasies, earning itself a series-first M (Mature) rating by the ESRB. At the surface, Clive’s story is wrought with vengeance amidst a path of discovery, but that path leads the player into a darker territory of multiple characters, Clive included, experiencing loss in several forms. Despite intermittent moments of brevity thanks to Cid and other characters’ humor, this Final Fantasy is a serious one. FFXVI‘s producer Naoki Yoshida mentioned that FFXVI‘s development team was inspired by the Game of Thrones series, and this is evident from its portrayals of violence in-game.
I appreciate the departure from RPG tropes of silliness, self-discovery, awakening powers, and traditional stories of betrayal and vengeance. Clive’s journey becomes more human despite his status as a powerful being. It’s hard to connect with some characters in RPGs because of how their compositions and backstories border unbelievable, fantastical, or even comically inhuman. Not here — connecting with Clive and the citizens of Valisthea is incredibly easy, albeit one that takes an emotional toll on the player.
It wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy title without an incredibly deep and intricate set of lore. Long-pressing the DualSense’s Touch Pad brings up the Active Time Lore (ATL) screen, containing the most-recently mentioned elements/characters of Valisthea for you to learn about. For reference, there are over 2,000 entries in the ATL, but they’re introduced in a slow fashion so that players have the ability to keep track of current happenings. Despite FFXVI‘s cutscenes being vivid, I was never inundated by a lore-waterfall that Kojima-fans are all too familiar with. Including the ATL is a fantastic touch, especially for a Final Fantasy game like this, as multiple stories are often told and briefly mentioned. For those who somehow put the game down and return at a later point, the ATL screen gets players up to speed lickity split.
Current happenings aren’t the only facets of worldbuilding available in FFXVI. Thanks to the time shifts throughout the game, there is quite a lot of content that isn’t explicitly detailed by a cutscene or conversations. Thankfully, an NPC in the Hideaway becomes available at a later point in the story to give players a rundown of happenings all around Valisthea in the form of a state of the realm, not just in Clive’s immediate circle or in his purview. For those familiar with the war-room style of storytelling with chess pieces and miniature figurines on a map (think TRIANGLE STRATEGY or Advance Wars), FFXVI strikes a similar tone in briefly illustrating character movements throughout Valisthea’s multiple kingdoms. While this is, again, an optional experience available to the player, I found it to be novel and interesting throughout my playthrough rather than a one-off instance of novelty to distract me from FFXVI‘s gameplay loop.
Players who are keen to exploring will be rewarded with more lore thanks to another NPC in the Hideaway whose sole purpose is to reward folks who take the time to visit him. Upon meeting this NPC, a pixelated sprite of Clive emerges to recount his tales thus far, increasing his lore experience. Upon level up, additional terms are added to the ATL. I found myself constantly returning to this NPC throughout the game just to see what I was missing in the ATL and what I would be rewarded with upon level up. As someone who was once knee-deep in Skyrim‘s lore, I felt quite seen by FFXVI. In other words: I loved getting something out of my lore dedication.
Yes, FFXVI is lore-heavy, bursting at the seams for those who want to immerse themselves in Valisthea’s past and present while also showing players just enough to get a foothold on the most important story beats. I’ve often critiqued RPGs for laying it on too heavy for players, be it at the start or at another point in the story. Too many times I’ve lost track of what’s happening because of way too many intricate stories occurring at once and/or lacking connection to the greater story that is meant to be told. Thankfully, FFXVI avoids such pitfalls.
Despite the darkness of her citizens, Valisthea’s beauty is brilliantly showcased, many thanks to the PS5’s hardware. It’s clear that making FFXVI a PS5-exclusive, rather than a dual-exclusive across past- and current-gen consoles, has paid off. FFXVI is chock full of beautiful landscapes: small villages with gigantic crystalline structures in the distance, massive caverns that shimmer and shine based on available light, forests comprised of a multitude of flora and fauna that move with the wind, just to name a few. Environments feel alive thanks to variable lighting, volumetric weather effects, and very little textures being duplicated to fill the space. Enemies can be spotted in the distance, fully animated and engaging with each other in natural fashions. Villages contain unique NPCs who carry on conversations and react to Clive and co.’s presence as they walk past. Valisthea feels alive and responsive to Clive’s presence.
In battle, I remained thrilled by the detail of enemies’ designs and Clive’s elemental prowess. Fire gracefully dances across the ground and across enemies, exploding in a burst and then breaking apart into smaller cinders and wisps of energy. Wind cuts through the enemies in bright white and green streaks, sharply whistling and forming itself into talons. Lightning crackles and strikes the battlefield in randomized patterns, connecting enemies together and forming deadly webs. When these elements mesh together, combat becomes a display of godlike powers. It’s a delightful package — a treat for the eyes and ears.
It should be no surprise to see FFXVI effectively utilizing the DualSense controller to add another set of levels to the game’s immersion. In-battle, abilities and attacks echo out of the DualSense’s speaker, while out-of-battle utilizes the adaptive triggers when traversing the semi-open world. I’ve praised DualSense implementations that work, and FFXVI is worthy of that praise. These are small elements in the grand experience that is FFXVI, sure, but every single added effect lends itself to a positive experience.
Those familiar with my prior reviews should know by now that if I consider a game’s soundtrack in a review, it’s most likely because it’s notable in all of the right ways. FFXVI‘s soundtrack is incredible, just like its predecessors, successfully becoming ingrained in my memory during and after my review playthrough. Nathan’s hands-on preview concluded with how FFXVI‘s music “stands out at important times” and connects “you with what is going on.” Indeed, the orchestral soundtrack effectively sets the tone as a medieval drama, wrought with darkness and moments of hope, emphasizing the lows while elevating the highs of the story beats into an experience that’s equally emotional as it is memorable. Battles become epic clashes of strength thanks to orchestral combinations of sound meshed with classical choral ensembles that are simultaneously heart-pounding yet smooth. Just like battles transition seamlessly to semi-open world exploration, so does the soundtrack in shifting tracks. Final Fantasy fans will eat well when the soundtrack releases, as Masayoshi Soken and Diego Mitre have composed a stellar audio experience for players.
Before concluding this review and sharing my final thoughts, I have three general concerns for potential FFXVI players. First, as I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, this game is incredibly dark in nature. It’s darker than any other FF title I’ve played, and it’s darker than almost any other game I’ve played in recent memory. Does it induce jump scares like a horror title ala Decarnation or Doki Doki Literature Club? No. Instead, it incorporates darkness that would be akin to content found in the Game of Thrones universe, Fallout, and most prominently, The Last of Us. FFXVI might not be a story about humans per se, but it portrays the darkest sides of humanity in fashions that others could find unsettling or even trigger-inducing. It has earned its M rating for a reason.
Second, I worry that diehard Final Fantasy fans may bristle at the notion of FFXVI being an action-forward game. I also worry that fans wanting that “true” Final Fantasy experience might not have the patience to complete the story just to get access to New Game+’s “Final Fantasy Mode” or the Arcade Mode’s “Ultimaniac” difficulty. Sure, number chasers and limit breakers who’ve dedicated many hours theorycrafting ways of exceeding 9999 damage values and maximum health in prior RPGs might find their appetites satiated by this post-game content, but it’s just that: post-game content. Completing FFXVI for the first time requires around 30 hours. I can only insist that FFXVI is worth that initial time investment to get to that more difficult content, as the main questline is one of the best, if not the best, questlines in the Final Fantasy series so far. Others might balk at relinquishing so much control of party management and other strategy in the hands of the AI, but its for a purpose. Players should be playing as Clive rather than attempting to keep track of multiple competing elements that may or may not matter in the long run. Regardless, FFXVI is not an RPG or JRPG in the truest sense. FFXVI will be an unfamiliar experience for many longtime fans, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent for potential players.
Third, and finally, I have to emphasize that FFXVI is as much enthralling as it is fun. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Civilization trope of “just one more turn.” Here, FFXVI is the embodiment of “just one more mission.” Completing a story mission seamlessly lays the framework for the next, often with dramatic effect, discouraging me from looking away or even going off and completing a side quest elsewhere in the world. I can count on two hands the number of nights I lost track of time and realized that it was 3am thanks to how well FFXVI kept me engrossed in its combat and story. It really is as engrossing as it is fun, and you may lose track of time.
If you’ve reached this far in the review and are still on the fence about whether or not FFXVI is “worth it,” I highly recommend that you download the free demo that is currently available on the PlayStation Store. You can easily spend at least four hours exploring Valisthea, learning Clive’s combat, and so much more. Should you decide to purchase the full game after completing the demo, or in the future, your demo’s progress will carry over just fine. Let those few hours of demo gameplay be a deciding factor. If you manage to put down your DualShock controller before finishing the demo in its entirety, then maybe, just maybe, FFXVI might not whet your appetite. But, if you’re like the other players who’ve mentioned online that they’ve lost sleep over being simply unable to put the demo down, then FFXVI is a must-play for PS5 owners.
In short, Final Fantasy XVI is a breath of fresh air for the Final Fantasy franchise despite its first steps into its grittiest, darkest, and most mature space yet. Its combat showcases action-forward combat held together by a backbone of RPG-similar ability management. Its highs truly showcase phenomenal displays of power in many forms, while its lows effectively strike emotional chords in the hearts of players. This might not be a Final Fantasy fans expect, but boy, it’s what Final Fantasy games SHOULD be going forward. FFXVI doesn’t have a strongest asset, per se, because its entire presentation is a gripping and fun compilation of the best parts of gaming without the filler and frivolity. PS5 owners, I implore you, don’t miss out on what is currently my favorite game of the PS5 generation thus far.
A copy of Final Fantasy XVI was provided by the publisher for this Digital Chumps review.
